Dear Editor,
This is in reference to the city refusing to have the Ludacris concert at Freedom Hall or pretty much anywhere else in Johnson City.
I am a sophomore student at ETSU and I am very disappointed and outraged over this entire situation.
I was looking forward to seeing Ludacris in concert here, and now that the city has decided to deny us the concert at any venue. This to me is censorship and I also believe there is some racism involved.
I don’t understand all these excuses that are suddenly coming up three weeks before we are supposed to have the concert. The city or anyone else has no right to tell us – the students who paid for this concert with our fees – that we can’t have it.
Everyone on campus has pretty much perceived that the concert is canceled unless we can find a venue where the city won’t turn us down or have it outside.
I don’t understand how it is OK to have Willie Nelson at Freedom Hall in November, but Ludacris is a big ‘no.’
Please fellow students we need to make a difference. Whether it’s Ludacris or somebody else, the city and some people at ETSU are trying to tell us what to do and what we can and can’t listen to.
They are trying to take away our rights. This is censorship and I also believe a big part of the reason they won’t allow Ludacris to come is because he is black. That’s what I perceive.
We need to stop this now. There is a petition online that I started because of this. Please take a minute to sign it -new.petitiononline.com/ETSU/petition.html.
Also more people need to hear about this so we can get support and get our concert. Please send an e-mail here – www.mtv.com/news/youtellus/. Tell them what is going on, if they get enough e-mails maybe they will take notice.
Please stand up for your rights as a student and human being and do something about this. We only have a few weeks.
Nichole Smith

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