Some senators from the Student Government Association spilled their anger over onto Facebook after a heated gun control debate on Tuesday.
“I just love being thrown under the bus asshole!” Sen. Josh Beaman said in a Facebook post.
Caucus Chair for the College of Education Ian Cottle commented on the post trashing one of the speakers and an entire college.
“Don’t worry he’s only a fine arts major haha,” Cottle said.
Beaman said the post was not directed as a student as some first believed, but instead directed towards another senator.
“My status last night was in no way directed at any of the students in the audience at last nights meeting it was directed at one senator that spoke during the meeting,” Beaman said.
However, Cottle didn’t offer any apologies about his comment some say insult an entire group of students.
“I was unaware (the senator from Beaman’s post) was not a fine arts major,” Cottle said.
SGA President Shane Rankin said although the post wasn’t necessary, Beaman had every right to make it.
CONFESSIONS
A thread about the bill also appeared on the Facebook page Prison City Confessions where anyone is able to post anonymous comments.
Debate broke out between student Ginger Malone and several SGA members, as well as other members of the university community.
Malone said SGA hasn’t fully advertised the forums and discussions on the issue.
“Hardly anyone showed up,” she said. “Whether you are for or against it isn’t really the issue.”
She said the senators don’t want to hear what students say.
They think that we are too stupid and too disinterested to be able to decide for ourselves, Malone said. Voting on the bill will happen this Tuesday. I urge you to speak to the SGA before that, and let them know that you want the student body to decide this.
Beaman commented on the level SGA has attempted to get student feedback.
“We advertised this in the (Houstonian), on Facebook and through channel 7 news for the last 3 weeks,” he said. “So don’t you (Malone) dare try and say we are trying to pass this without the student body’s knowledge.”
Although KSHU Channel 7 news has yet to have a newscast or publicly air information about the meeting, the Houstonian has written several articles about the bill debate, as well as, the Student Government Facebook page.
Rankin repeated Beaman’s ideals.
SHSU students John Pham and Steven Smith also commented that it is up to the individual students to read student media and follow group publications in order to find out relevant information.
“All the tools have been given to (the students),” Smith said. “It’s your responsibility to use said tools to do what you will.”
Malone said regardless of what was done, the lack of participation in SGA activities should say something.
The SGA is supposed to represent us, but we rarely see or hear about it (The SGA), she said. I agree that we should do more to be informed, and that is one reason why I am so passionate about this, and the other politics that I am a part of outside of SHSU, but this bill is not something that should be taken lightly.