Intolerance is one of those things that Ed Board finds-well, intolerable. It’s hard to fathom that, on a college campus in Dallas, Texas someone would feel the need to express his or her hatred for a person belonging to a campus organization that works to provide support for homosexual students. This isn’t Bob Jones University, but there seems to be no lack of close-minded people.

It’s not plausible that students will share the same set of values, but it’s also unnecessary to lash out at someone by writing a derogatory word on his office door. By now, you have hopefully worked out that Ed Board is talking about the act of vandalism against professor George Henson.

It’s true that Henson writes things that ruffle some feathers, but he doesn’t do it by destroying anyone else’s property, and he’s not afraid to sign his name. If this was in retaliation to something he wrote, let’s reiterate the fact that The Daily Campus opinion page is an open forum. If you are so tremendously offended by someone’s opinions or views, then send in a letter to the editor or write your own column.

If this was an expression of disapproval over Henson’s lifestyle choice, then will someone explain how Henson’s sexual preference is encroaching on another person’s liberty? Hmm-it’s not! But destruction of property is, no matter the amount of damage.

Remember that the possible reasons given are all speculation. We may never know the reason the perpetrators think that hatred is acceptable when being dished out to someone else. The only conclusion to draw is that the vandals were incapable of formulating any intelligible expression of their views that wouldn’t violate someone else’s rights, so they took the easy way out.

While we here at Ed Board don’t feel that this shameful act should be used to characterize all supporters of President Bush, we sympathize with Henson and share his concerns over the safety of homosexual students.

This isn’t the first time that an incident like this has occurred on campus. In a very similar hate crime in April 2001, student Kevin Hope found the word “fag” etched into his car door.

We hope that students will recognize the need for a group like ALLIES and maybe even attend the next training session on April 13 from 1-3 p.m. at the SMU Women’s Center.

If anyone has any information about this crime, please contact the SMU Police Department.