An open letter to Kelsey Costa, in response to her article "Let’s All Just Agree That Agriculture Is the Worst Major at Clemson":
Normally, I'm not one to be offended. And I'm definitely not the type to be up in arms about something negatively spoken - or in this case, written - about myself or my friends. However, today is different. Today, I read an article about how Ag majors are loud, unclean, aggressively heterosexual, lazy, and just downright unintelligent.
No, we aren't nursing majors like yourself. We're not engineers. We don't spend countless hours poring over textbooks and lecture notes every weekend to keep up with our classes. Simply put, we study the ins and outs of agricultural production in a hands on environment. Much of that pertains to the production of food. Without farmers (Ag majors), there wouldn't be any food. My apologies for not choosing a more difficult major, since ours clearly isn't as important as yours.
You're right about Ag majors having thick southern accents. "Why is that?" you may wonder. Well, most of us are from small rural farm towns that have been inhabited by our families for generations. That's where we're from, and we aren't sorry for it. On top of that, you're attending classes at a land grant university. Yes Kelsey, we site this fact because we're proud of it. Just as a history lesson, Clemson Agricultural College opened as an all white and all male college in 1893. Since I've read all your other articles on The Black Sheep Online, this simple fact of history that Clemson was all white and all male is one that I'm sure rustles your feathers and chaps your hide. But we live in a better time where women and men of all races can coexist at one university. And just to remind you, none of us here had anything to do with the segregation of Clemson, so don't blame us for it.
In terms of hygiene, I'm sure everyone has seen their fair share of Ag majors walking across campus in long pants covered in grease, dirt, and sweat. Odds are, we just left the Mobile Power, Hydraulics, or Fabrication Lab and can't wait to get a shower. And I can promise you, we wear shoes every day. No, they're not slick loafers or clean tennis shoes. They're probably a worn out pair of leather boots with stains all over and a heel nearly worn to the sole. But they're functional and comfortable. That's why we wear them.
I find it humorous that you believe everyone in the Ag department is in AGR. It's simply not true and I'm really not sure how to respond to it.
You've also accused Ag majors of being the type to say we're hypocritically pro-life (which pertains to abortion), yet we go out and shoot innocent animals with machine guns. First off, the animals we hunt have a much greater chance of living than a cow at a feed lot. They're also organic, free range, non-GMO, and contain no artificial preservatives or sweeteners! How neat is that? Secondly, we don't hunt with "machine guns" and claiming otherwise is just ignorant. Thirdly, it is ridiculous to compare the issue of abortion to that of hunting animals. Humans are not animals. Animals are not humans. Human consciousness is an incredible thing, and something no animal on earth possesses. That, Kelsey, is why we can be pro-life and still hunt.
Apparently, we're aggressively heterosexual and willing to fornicate with "anything that resembles a vagina...even if that thing is a gas tank to a tractor". (Quick note: Tractors generally run on diesel fuel, so they have a fuel tank, not a gas tank. Just FYI.) That's a pretty serious accusation, and one that's extremely outlandish. I hope it's just satire, but if you truly believe it, I pity you....
But let's just pause for a moment and discuss what you've written and what it means. You've personally attacked a large group of people at Clemson University. It was most likely aimed at students, but it extends to the professors. People will read what you've written and believe what you've said. I hope they're not as close minded as yourself, but I'm sure some will be.
Also, I'm tired of seeing entire groups of people labeled as "bad". I think that had something to do with me writing this letter. I'm honestly just tired of it. Every time you talk about white males in your articles, you always push the idea that they're racist, white supremacists, or privileged. (I’ve read your articles. You say it every time.) The thing we all hate about racists and white supremacists is simple: they hate people for things they can't control and generalize an entire group of people as being lesser than themselves. Kelsey, isn't that what you've done to all the white males at Clemson? We were born white males. We can't help that. It's also ridiculous to generalize an entire group of people as one thing or another, yet you've done that to Ag majors. You've written an article that has been read and will continue to be read by a lot of folks. It has created and shows a divide in the student body at Clemson, even though many of your articles mention building the Clemson family and being inclusive to everyone. One even says "Here at Clemson, everyone is part of the Clemson Family". This article you've written about Ag majors shows that you obviously don't believe that.
Anyway, I'm almost done with my response, so allow me to close with this:
"You were literally told in preschool not to call people names and here you are doing the exact opposite of what Playhouse Disney instructed years ago. But really, it’s so interesting to see that you’re so tough that you’ll use so much of your energy attempting to insult people whose lives and identities don’t affect you in the slightest! Maybe instead of being rude to your fellow Tigers, you could focus that towards Carolina fans."
Hopefully that sounds familiar, Kelsey. You wrote every word of it.
Sincerely from Your Loud, Barefoot, and Simple Minded Ag Major,
Seth Roddey
