Dear Editor,

Recently, at Penrose Library…

After a couple hours of studying on the third floor, a couple of girls sat down near me and proceeded to situate themselves. They placed their bags down, moved some seats, and plugged their computers in. Then, all of a sudden, I heard this male voice, “You’ve got mail,” coming from the computer of the one girl wearing reindeer pajama pants and a sweatshirt with the “USA 77” printed on it. The voice should have said: “You are an inconsiderate…” Well, you know.

Minutes later, the same reindeer pajama clad girl answered her cell phone. She loudly and disrespectfully inquired of the caller about her philosophy homework. She must have forgotten that she was in the library, and, apparently, she wasn’t learning about virtue in her philosophy class.

Almost immediately after her unnecessary phone call, a couple of her guy buddies came by, disrupting the peace with their loud, obnoxious voices. Whatever they were discussing was unimportant and lacked substance. Eventually her two buddies left and so did she. Thank god!

In light of my recent experience, I ask: Where have the respect and the decency gone? Where has the consideration for others gone? Specifically of my fellow library patron: Why are you so disrespectful? Are you even aware of how rude you are?

Now, I don’t want to leave this opened ended, without some attempt at providing a solution. Thus, here are ideas of how my fellow patron could have conducted herself: First, a polite and genuine “Sorry” would have been adequate when the AOL voice blared out. Secondly, if you get a call on your cell, move to some place in the library where you won’t disturb others. Thirdly, do the same thing with your friends as with a phone call, or, perhaps, consider obtaining more descent friends.

So now, I am curious as to the outcome of this letter. What kind of repercussions will it have? Will my fellow library patron even read it? Will she take it to heart? Does she even have the humility to fathom the idea that she was/is rude?

Finally, I conclude with some insight from Mr. Jefferson: “A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for a second; that second for a third; and so on, till the bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery, to have no sensibilities left but for sin and suffering.”

Sincerely,

Jonathan Davis