This letter is in response to the editorial "NRA event shows weakness of College Republicans," which was published on Sept. 29.
The Daily Gamecock has a well-documented history of catering to a small faction of left-wing students. The publication’s incessant attacks on the Republican Party and conservative movement are dull, tiring and without merit. The Daily Gamecock’s editorial on the National Rifle Association University (NRA U) event, hosted by the College Republicans, displays an embarrassing lack of journalistic integrity and an overwhelming amount of misinformation.
The information regarding the NRA event attendance is dubious at best but leans toward purposeful deception. The NRA event was held in one of the largest venues on campus; Russell House ballrooms A and B routinely host events with hundreds of attendees, including presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, both of whom warranted a standing room only crowd.The College Republicans estimated 85 attendees at the NRA event - a far cry from the failure that The Daily Gamecock depicted. Where was the scathing Daily Gamecock article when former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean drew an awkwardly intimate crowd last week? To borrow the words of College Democrats President Nick Sottile, the contributors to this article appear to be living in a “fantasy world.”
In future editorials, I hope to see facts, substance and integrity; however, given The Daily Gamecock’s record, I do not expect it. Why not attack the principles for which the NRA or Republican Party stand? The only weakness I can discern is a biased publication with a fragile argument that attacks people and events rather than the principles for which they stand. As a USC student, I hope to one day gain trust and confidence in my university’s newspaper, but, until then, I am assured that The Daily Gamecock does not accurately express the views of myself or my fellow students.
- Written by Iv Hendrix, first-year biology student