As many in the ISU community know, one of our own students was brutally attacked by a group of men as he walked home alone on an early Sunday morning. On the front page of the Daily Vidette, our reporter worked through the angles of this story to explain the crime to our readers.

As a result of the crime, ISU President Al Bowman issued a statement via Illinois State’s social media site expressing his disappointment in more than just this attack, but the burned Occupy BloNo tent that sits in Milner Plaza and any individual who does not celebrate the diversity and differences present on our campus.

First, we would like to show gratitude to Illinois State as a campus enriched by differing opinions and diverse backgrounds because some schools are not as lucky as this.

As a public school, ISU naturally upholds a sense of appreciation for those from all walks of life and backgrounds, but our university often takes this a step further by addressing these crimes and condemning them.

Other schools sometimes do not allow students to speak freely about their sexual orientation and their religious beliefs and halt the free speech rights of their students to protest against our elite, as the Occupy protests do.

We attend and work at a university that holds these values dear, as Bowman mentioned in his statement. As a newspaper, we agree and hold the same values as important, as well.

Violent attacks on other human beings because of their race, values, or lifestyles is a tragic and unacceptable action. On smaller scales, we see the same actions take place in elementary schools and high schools when one student bullies another for being gay. This has even resulted in suicide on too many occasions.

Combatting this issue requires educating young people early on that tolerance leads to acceptance, which leads to friendship and respect. Resorting to violence and abuse leads to intolerance and, in extreme cases, tragedy.

It could take pages upon pages to delve into the deeper, underlying problems here, which this editorial space does not allow. But we can say this: This Editorial Board does not support any violent action taken against another individual in any capacity. On this campus, we should all feel safe to walk to and from class and home from a friend’s apartment, free from fear of a physical attack.

We appreciate the effort the ISU Police Department and Normal Police Department put into keeping the ISU community safe from harm, but encourage students to watch out for each other. We can help keep our friends and peers safe by being aware that it is our responsibility to speak up against violence and discrimination.

While the attack is still under investigation and has not been officially called a hate crime, the fact remains that it was a violent crime against a person. Any violent crime is borne out of hate and anger, and yet this student, Eric Unger, did not deserve to feel the effects.

It is important to remember respect for others. We must evolve as a society to further condemn these actions and educate everyone on tolerance and respect.