Here's the scenario:

You're walking home from the game, a little upset about the loss, but not enough to light a couch on fire.

You're holding your nose and gasping for air while the police calmly stand by in protective masks. You're sitting outside Cedar Village to protest the police peacefully, but instead are arrested for disorderly conduct.

You're driving home from watching the game and have to maneuver through the back streets to find a way out of downtown East Lansing because every other street is blockaded.

Police provoked the situation by overcompensating for what happened in 1999 rather than reacting to what happened Saturday night. The way the police responded was, frankly, disgusting. They created more fear, more panic and more anger. It would have been one thing if the tear gas was confined to one area, but the fact that it was all over led me to believe that the police had gone beyond what is precautionary.

There may have been some isolated demonstrations, but only some students acted in a condemnable manner. Those students were in the minority and should have been handled on an individual basis. The whole Grand River Avenue area should not have been quarantined.

Perhaps local shops should stock up on gas masks for students the next time our teams are on a roll.

Melissa Talon
journalism junior