[I would not like my name to be included if this is published, but please contact me either way! Thank you]

In response to the 2/3/04 article “Get off the Bandwagon”:

I am not terribly ashamed to say that I worked during the Super Bowl. I frankly don’t really care. However, when I did get out of work, the only reason I didn’t go to the riots is because I was incredibly tired, and again, didn’t care to “celebrate.” I wanted to go, not to celebrate anything, but because having a violent riot for a joyous occasion is a very interesting phenomenon to me, being from “out-of-state” and all.

I just have to say that the author seemed rather quick to accuse “out-of-state” BU students for causing (or at least participating) in Sunday’s riots. There is no doubt that there were many non-Massachusetts participants, and there is also no doubt that the degree of violence of the riot was unnecessary. I haven’t been able to see Boston riots in the past, but I am most sure that “out-of-state” students are not the main cause. Those Massachusetts residents who didn’t just “jump on the bandwagon” in rioting are just as much at fault, and could have done the job just as easily own their own. I highly doubt they were that strongly influenced by people “who don’t know who Tom Brady is.”

If someone like me, who didn’t care too much about the Super Bowl either way, went down to Kenmore to observe the event of a riot, one might feel the intense energy and adrenaline that I’m sure was present, and feel as moved as to participate. Sure, one can call it “jumping on bandwagon,” but don’t act as though the degree of violence was due to some ignorant “out-of-state Yankee.”