The body of Mollie Tibbetts, a beloved University of Iowa student, was found Tuesday, August 21st.
The nation was rattled to its core and observed the press with awe while trying to process the heart-shattering news. Then the media spoke again. An undocumented immigrant is charged with her murder.
The media outlets changed their message, becoming a source of hate and action rather than stalling to remember a life that was taken far too soon. Suddenly the attention is no longer on Mollie Tibbetts, but rather the political opinions and actions on the topic of immigration.
I ask that in this time, the people of America realize that, in the words of Mollie Tibbetts' Aunt, Billie Jo Calderwood, "Evil comes in EVERY color." This act could have been committed by anybody and the fact that the man who committed it was an illegal immigrant did not force Mollie's murder. It was a singular man who committed this crime. Not a whole genre of people.
If we are to progress forward as a nation, we must stop marginalizing, and oppressing people based on the actions of few.
History is threatening to repeat itself and I urge every politician or strongly opinionated person who couldn't dream of being wrong to open a textbook and see the suffering Americans have caused to fellow Americans because they immigrated from a certain country. I shudder at the thought of shouting and committing acts of violence German Americans in WWII or harassing people who appeared to follow Muslim religion or religions resembling it during the attack on 9/11.
I fear for my fellow students in Iowa City who appear to be Hispanic. I fear they may be harassed, whether they are legal immigrants or illegal immigrants. My message to my University of Iowa Students and to Americans, in general, is that race does not define a person.
Neither does religion or immigrant status.
A person defines themselves. I ask that you define yourself as an ally to those in need and prevent hate speech in your community. Let this political move blow over so we may remember the girl who was loved and stolen from us.
And a note to the Tibbetts family. The words are dry and painfully unexpressive on the page as I express my condolences. I never had the opportunity to meet Mollie, but the loss of a family member is a greater than a devastating event and I can speak confidently that the entire Hawkeye community, myself included, grieves for the loss of a fellow student and phenomenal person.
May you and your family find comfort wherever it may lie, and may Mollie, a bright girl taken unjustly and far too quickly, rest in peace.
