The rape case against the men’s basketball player was dropped. He was cleared of all charges. He is innocent. He did nothing wrong.

This is why the American justice system is based around the phrase “innocent until proving guilty.” It is easy to assume guilt when things like this specific case make headlines. For the most part, no one is randomly trying to get someone in trouble for something they did not do.

We all know that that’s the way it’s supposed to be anyway. Realistically, however, it’s not. If it makes the news, the public either assumes guilt or starts blaming the complainant.

This is why it’s so important to remember that we are not judge or jury in these cases. Just because we have a right to speak freely about it doesn’t mean we should. It is okay to discuss the case, but don’t jump to conclusion based on what you think happened.

This was a major event on campus, and deserved discussion. The culture around these kinds of events is much more aggressive than it should be. It feels as if it is hard to have a logical discussion without finger-pointing and blaming groups of people.

It’s an all-around bad situation when things like this come up. It’s not good for the person who is accused and not good for the accuser. It does not make it any better whenever the public is constantly blasting both sides on message boards and social media.

This is the age where virtually everything is shared online. Maybe we should learn to share a little less. Especially opinions that don’t contribute anything to the issue, and do nothing but put both parties in a negative light.