I’ve always prided myself in my ability to be empathetic to the plight of most student organizations on campus, regardless of how I feel about their opinions.

I understand the state of irritation one has when you go to SO MUCH EFFORT to put on activities to raise awareness of your group here on campus, and every direction you turn, it seems not to turn out as expected.

I have a personal stake in how agriculture is doing in the state of Iowa because my father is a feed and grain owner, and all of his business is with the farmers that surround my small, rural Iowan hometown.

The comments made in a letter Friday were disrespectful and immature to the point that I needed to say something about it.

What happens if the ag market crumbles today? My father won’t be able to help me with college. I guess I’ll have to get a job. I won’t have to worry about my friends running out of the room screaming when I tell them about the problems I’m going through because everybody has money problems. Get over it. Your lives aren’t that difficult.

What happens if I tell people my dad is a farmer today?

People will shrug and say, “Who cares, so is mine and three-fourths of my extended family.”

I won’t get the crap kicked out of me, and I won’t be verbally abused for disclosing that part of my life to others. Get over it. Having a family intertwined in agriculture doesn’t make your lives that difficult.

What happens if I tell my dad I don’t plan on living the normal stereotypical farmer life? He will shrug and say it’s probably better for me, considering the economy for agriculture sucks right now. I won’t be disowned by my family.

I won’t be kicked out of the house. I won’t have all my family ties cut.

A lot of LGBT people face just that when telling their family they aren’t going to be able to live up to the ideological bullcrap dream of the nuclear family. As far as that goes, once again, get over it. Your lives aren’t that difficult.

For one second, can we assume the Daily doesn’t have a tree-huggin’, hippie-loving, left-wing agenda and instead look at the preparation taken by both groups to ensure successful coverage of their events?

The Alliance Executive Board has been in constant contact with the Daily for months regarding this event and has had its stuff together the entire time.

Just because whoever was responsible for publicity for the Ag Week celebration didn’t have their crap together doesn’t give you any right to criticize the Daily for their less than ideal coverage.

As for calling National Coming Out Days “Fag Week,” you wouldn’t want people cracking inbred redneck jokes to describe your activities. Treat others as you would like to be treated. It’s such a simple concept, I’ve got total confidence even closed-minded egocentric children like you can get it.

Is Ag Week important? You bet it is, and I understand why people would be irritated it isn’t getting the coverage they think it deserves.

Does that give anybody the right to whine about it and blame it on the LGBT group on campus or the top-secret liberal agenda that the Daily must have? Not a chance.

I know that I’ve been less than respectful in my letter. For that, I apologize to any ag students who take offense at some of my off-the-cuff comments, but I’m trying to make a point by reversing the comments made upon those who made them.

It’s not very cool when you’re on the receiving end of closed-minded, ignorant statements, is it?

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Angie Chipman

Senior

Psychology and history