Letters to the editor: Anti petition opinion writer should resign
February 16, 2016
The use of the bullying hate word “moronic” in the title and language used in the opinion piece by no less than the managing editor and bully-in-chief Jay Serrano, is so unprofessional and irresponsible that I call upon the De Anza community to demand Serrano resign his position. It’s shocking to see that no one, not even the faculty advisor, intervened when Serrano crossed the line and actually used hate speech in his title and his article. Serrano has used his extremely privileged position at the official campus newspaper to ally himself with the hate preachers to deliver a clear message to vulnerable minorities such as women, people with disabilities, people of color, LGBTQ and Muslims. Serrano’s message to vulnerable minorities is not “get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights.” Instead, it is “sit down, shut up. Shut up and get back.”
Most people have the common sense to understand that hate words like “retarded,” “moronic,” and “idiotic” slam people with developmental disabilities, and they know better than to use those or other hateful terms in their language. Apparently not Serrano. When people are entrusted with the responsible privilege to perform a public service for a public resource, such as managing editor of La Voz, they are signing up to treat their readers with respect. Serrano has proven incapable.
It’s particularly disturbing that Serrano picked Black History Month to hate on minorities. Among the most important heroes of the global freedom struggle we celebrate is the Rev. Martin Luther King. We even have a large permanent poster of King on our campus center. King said, “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it.” La Voz must give us love, not hate.
Editors’ note: La Voz regrets the use of the word “moronic” in the Feb. 1 opinion piece.
Jay Serrano is a staff writer and former editor of La Voz. Editorial staff positions have been updated at La Voz website
Serrano’s original article can be found on La Voz News online.