Recently I have read some of the most slandering editorials I’ve ever seen in The State News. People are judging Eric Knott solely upon what the media has reported about him and this unfortunate situation.

However none of us were there. Do any of you know if he raped that girl? Were any of you there? Do you even know the whole story? We do not know whether the young girl came after him, or if she was a groupie. It is well known that often females chase athletes, have sex with them and later cry rape. I’m not saying that the girl’s story was fabricated, but Eric has done his time and he deserves another chance.

Also it worries me people actually believe the university would endanger the safety, lives and well-being of students to gain an athlete. While people are busy slandering Eric, why have we failed to hear anything like this about regular students convicted of criminal sexual felonies? No one has protested their enrollment. There is a link on the MSU police Web page that gives the names of all such felons at MSU.

In addition, many would argue that because Eric is an African-American athlete his case was overly publicized and protested. So I ask you if he had been a white male would the opinions, protest and outrage be so strong and prevalent on campus? He is not the first, nor will he be the last person admitted to MSU after receiving punishment for a crime he has committed.

Know the facts and the history on issues of this nature before slandering a person and the university for their actions. Every day people are given a second chance, and there are hundreds here who have been given a second chance for much more severe crimes.

Shanta’l Overton
kinesiology sophomore