It’s time for another webmaster email story.

I had an email sent in from someone complaining about the poor behavior of our students and how they threatened a conservative figure that came onto campus. And how they would no longer recommend students go to our institution because of that.    They included a youtube video link and I reluctantly clicked it. 

Within about 4 seconds, I realized two problems.    One, it was from over 5 years ago.  And two, it was from a different Ohio university. 

And then I realized the real problem.  The focus of the video was Kaitlin Bennett – infamous for open-carrying an AR-10 on Kent State’s campus the day after her graduation and gaining the name Gun Girl.

She’s a darling of conservatives and has made a social media career out of having terrible ideas, getting in people’s faces about them, and then pouting because people are mean to her.

The video did have students being aggressive towards her and her team and throwing things at her car when they ran her off campus.   Not appropriate behavior – but not unsurprising either.  

I’m certain her Oscar is in the mail for her feigned surprise and disbelief at the response to her rhetoric. 

I approached this email as a problem to be solved.   I did a reluctant search on “her name + Akron” and found two videos of her on our campus.  One was an interview done by a communications student for Z-TV and the other was from her youtube channel about how she “changed people’s minds”.   

A-hem. 

So, I worked on an email to express my concern about the student behavior and also politely point out that it was from several years ago and from a different institution.   I planned on sharing the other video links back and suggesting that they visit our campus and see how open this is to everyone – no matter their viewpoint.

And then I stopped.

And deleted everything I had written.

Because it doesn’t matter.  Their email wasn’t the start of a conversation – it was the end of it.  It doesn’t matter if they got the facts wrong – there was no defense for my alma mater.  

Just like the Gun Girl, they wanted to be mad about something.  They wanted to be outraged at an invented injustice.  

So, there’s no response that would make this better.  No carefully written email would shine any light there. No rebuttal would win the argument. 

I didn’t delete the email, but I unflagged it and moved on.  I can’t imagine being a social media specialist that has to deal with crap like this every day.

There are other emails that need my attention and other problems that can – and want to be – solved.   So, I’ll focus on those and do my best where help is needed.  

And shine a little light on the places that are tired of darkness, perhaps.