Dear extremist Christian man who thought his Anti-Islamic Signs were appropriate on a college campus,
I see you.
I see you and your hateful remarks.
I see you and your horrid, filthy, and disgusting signs.
You have no reason to come into a community I have found to be positive, uplifting and wonderful; filled with numerous people of different colors, ethnicities, and backgrounds. People I have become friends with, people I have mentored, people I have grown with. Yet you come here, spitting horrifying and tasteless remarks. As if these people don’t belong with us…
This campus has such a wide variety of culture deep within its roots. Therefore, it has no room for hate speech, bigotry, or discrimination of any kind. Hate or ignorance will not be tolerated.
But we will allow you to remain. If for one reason only: to continuously rise above you in every way. We will allow you to raise your signs high and proud, because you have that right. But every day you will be met with our voices, and our hearts calling higher and louder than yours.
When we see your hate, we will raise our signs higher.
When we see your hate, we will stand a bit taller.
When we see your hate, we will match it, every ounce of it, with positivity.
When we see your hate, we will simply love.
Because in every shape and form, love will trump any hate you provide. We will call your bluff and we will beat it each and every day.
With the Highest of Regards,
Mikayla M. Beyries, of ASU Tempe, a student fed up with bigotry.