To the Editor:

The recent violence against a local pizza delivery person, has quickly turned into an excuse to spew racism in Sound Off. In response to "College Student Crime” and "Hate Crime?” which appeared in the Sept. 30-Oct. 6 issue of North Country This Week: How can you indict an entire community of students-of-color because of the heinous actions of four people? To suggest that people from the city have ruined the rural North Country atmosphere . . . and negatively affected the crime rate is racist code speech.

Anyone who is honest with themselves and is familiar with the bar- and frat-house cultures in our area, will also know that white students bring their share of violence and mayhem to the North Country, but I don’t see letters in NCTW about the scourge of white students coming to town. Ironically, as you complain about playing the race card, your letters make this about race (when it’s not). All the more reason that we have to, keep talking, constructively about racism and diversity.

The influx of students of any kind, brings much-needed dollars to the local economy, and in other ways, they have done far more to enrich this region than not. To presume that city kids get a free ride — gives you a target for your anger, — but it’s not accurate. These same students get into debt to get an education. Instead of attacking them, why not question why there was not more support for you, when you went to SUNY Canton?

That is something to be angry about, and on that point, you would put the blame at the feet of the real problem. Why attack each other, when the real culprit is the corporate ethos taking an ever bigger share of profits away from workers’ wages, buying their way into legislative influence, and siphoning our tax money away from things like education (if the free market works so well, why do corporations need 93 billion dollars in annual government subsidies? — look it up).

You are angry with the wrong people, and the rich profiteers in this country are never held accountable, while you look for scapegoats elsewhere, among people trying to better themselves.

To the pizza-delivery victim and his family, we extend our deepest empathy for your ordeal. Communities should come together in solidarity over crime, not be ripped apart laying false blame.

The SUNY Potsdam SGA club of the International Socialist Organization

Ceceile and Hyman Baker

Alison Benincase

Axel and Laura Fair-Schulz

Kevin Fitzpatrick

Emily Haller

Margaret Weis