Letter to the Editor

ECP decision warrants greater news coverage than death of student

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to the column titled "Emergency contraceptive pills continue to take the field in a game without any real winners" by Brian Goodman in the Jan. 20 issue of The Breeze.

Goodman took umbrage with The Breeze for delegating only a small section of the front page to announce the death of senior Kevin Eckerman, while allotting four-fifths of the page to the Board of Visitors' reversal on the emergency contraceptive pill decision.

Let us all keep things in perspective, here. The death of Kevin Eckerman was indeed very tragic, and very devastating.

I should know; I was his domestic life parter.

As I go day by day wondering how I am supposed to live my future without the man I've loved for six years, I wonder how Goodman can assume to take offense in Eckerman's name, not having not known him at all.

Eckerman was a dedicated activist in the name of humanity and justice. He did not understand why victims of sexual assault would be denied emergency contraception at their own campus' University Heath Center.

He did not understand why a politically motivated Board of Visitors, led by Mark Obsenshain, had any right to deny any woman thwer over her own body. Let us remember that Kevin Eckerman marched alongside Student Body President Levar Stoney last spring in protest of the board's ban on ECPs; he marched alongside junior Krissy Schnebel.

Every day, Kevin wrote letters to our country's leaders and signed petitions — such as the SGA's petition signed by 2,700 JMU peers to reinstate the sale of ECPs at the Health Center, which Goodman so casually discounted.

Kevin fought social injustices quietly and with vigor, just like he did everything in his life. Kevin fought while everyone else around him was content in their apathy.

In fact, Kevin would be appalled to know his passing was on the front page of the school newspaper while there were still corporations exploiting workers in other nations, racial inequity, corrupt politicians, people with no voices and women with no power.

Yes, Kevin's death left a great void in the world.

It left one less person willing to act on the courage of his convictions. Let us all please remember that life does continue, and that we are responsible for the injustices that, should we remain silent, we allow to grow.

Kevin's voice is now silent. Take up yours and sing.

Lisa Ha
senior, psychology