This letter is not written with malice towards anyone, I only seek to shine a light on a process I find unsound. Thank you.

When did society become so anxious to shirk the responsibility of our own actions? If we continue to foster a culture of malcontent, then the forest becomes invisible, for the trees draw our endless scrutiny. The recent allegations and subsequent action against one of the SGA presidential candidates present an excellent example. It is no longer enough to simply allege an individual violated established rules, that individual must also be defamed in order for the accusing individual or organization to feel vindicated. Without presenting any evidence to the students of the USI campus, the SGA removed an individual from the presidential ballot and then proceeded to make inimical statements regarding his character while refusing to present any evidence of such conduct. How can a governing body expect trust, when they conduct such an action in silence? This raises many troubling questions that have thus far received no proper response. Maligning an individual is one thing, but to behave this way to accomplish a political goal is completely contradictory to the core tenants of morality and the university. To be clear, I believe the entire situation stinks to high heaven. The individual who brought forward the most damning evidence received the dullest of penalties, despite being an actor in the circumstances under review. Motivations need to be unearthed, and transparency regained. Please govern in the sunshine.

-Mark  Abell