Stupidity is coursing like a wild virus these days here on the friendly grounds of our quaint university. Everyone knows it, but most people just keep their heads down and try to ignore it, hoping that it will go away like that thing on their lip they got after that night with that guy or girl.  

Frank Zappa said, “There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.”  

Part of growing up, part of continuing education, part of going to college and becoming an adult is that you have to mature. That’s part of the deal, see? Apparently not, at least not for some of our college community.

I work for The Flor-Ala in a couple of facets. I am a staff writer and earlier this semester I took the position of circulation manager. I spend a lot of hours each week interviewing, covering sports, writing stories and delivering the paper around campus and town.

Last week, for the second time this semester, numerous copies of The Flor-Ala were stolen from a few different locations.

Why, you might ask, would any person or group do such a thing? Was it so they could line their girlfriend’s hamster cage? Was it so they could fold them into little sailboats and have races down at the Wilson Park fountain with their “brothers?” Or was it to try and censor a sore subject that happened to be on the front page?

Unfortunately, shortsightedness is not easily cured. Often times it requires stubborn veracity and rolled up newspaper. Connection there? Perhaps.

Simply stealing the newspapers from various locations could not un-ring the bell that had tolled for thee.  

No sir, you see, technology ensured the story was online and available for all to see. Even if that had somehow prevented a portion of the UNA population from seeing the story about Greek organizations “vandalizing” cars, it was still wrong and a violation of people’s First Amendment rights, not to mention petty theft.  

But I understand these things. College kids are shortsighted and ignorant to the ways of the world. That’s why we are all here: to learn how to interact with other people and to hopefully be worth a damn in the future.  

I’m sure that the people who stole The Flor-Ala last week have spent hours working on some sort of project. Maybe they have built a float for a parade before. Maybe they have practiced stomping and twirling to raise money for a good cause. Maybe they have even had a paper route.  

Another thing I’m sure of is that they would not appreciate me coming behind their efforts and screwing with it. Unless they’re sadists.

The point is simple. Don’t be a jackass to your fellow community members. We’re all in this together and we’re all trying to figure it out. Don’t be the immature kid with snot on his sleeve that thinks that he is the center of the universe. I can assure you that you aren’t even half as important as you think you are.

If you have a problem with what The Flor-Ala reports, or if you don’t like the coverage that a certain topic received, be a civilized, mature human being and write us a letter or call the editor. Start a dialogue with us.  We won’t laugh at your grammar mistakes … for too long.  

Stealing newspapers out of stands around campus and town is immature, but it is also so cliché, boring and uncreative. If you want to really make a point, write a pithy letter to the editor and I guarantee you we’ll print it. Steal our papers again and you can write a check to your bail bondsman instead.