A Sticky Situation

Brad Kolb removes and destroys the offensive sticker in question.

A Texas sign company called Hornet has generated lots of talk recently with their creation of a controversial decal. This questionable sticker features a picture of a woman tied up and lying in a truck bed. Brad Kolb, the company owner, has stated that they produced the decal intending to stir people up and gain some notoriety. The stunt definitely won them some notoriety, but because most reactions were negative, Kolb has since removed and burned the infamous sticker.

I was glad to see that most participants in the online conversation (on Facebook and in various news articles) agreed on the poor taste of the publicity stunt. However, I noticed a few alarming comments that hint at an underlying problem. Below are two sentiments that emerged as a theme:

• It was just a joke. If you were offended, you don't have a sense of humor.
• There are more pressing issues to worry about than a single company's publicity stunt.

I take issue with both of these arguments.

First of all, I love jokes. I think they're great. Even Richard G. Scott says that "[a] good sense of humor helps revelation." I agree. But I do NOT believe that jokes which offend others or encourage unacceptable behavior fall into that category of good humor. Victims of abuse or any other kind of mistreatment experience all kinds of trauma in their efforts to recover. Exposing these victims to depictions of similar circumstances can seriously hinder the recovery process. We should not lightly toss around such depictions under the thin guise of good humor.

Secondly, while some may argue that this single decal produced by a company in Texas has no lasting universal effects, in actuality this small incident is representative of a major problem in society. Human rights is what we're dealing with here, and human rights is the very definition of a pressing issue. I believe that serious problems exist in a society which encourages - or even just tolerates - violence against ANYONE. If we allow one company to get away with one offensive sticker, we continue to perpetuate that discriminating legacy.

But look at the bright side: men and women from all over spoke up against this sticker. They took action and proved that lots of little voices can combine to make a big difference. Do the same in your daily life. Refuse to tolerate bad jokes about offensive topics or actions which may encourage unacceptable behavior.

Kelsey Allan is a senior studying English and editing. ADSENSE HERE