First things first: congratulations to the VSU Police Department for apprehending the guy who had been violating the sense of personal safety of the women of Valdosta. Also, kudos to the student who gave a timely report and accurate description that resulted in the flasher’s arrest.
 As for the rest of the student body, I suggest that you carefully remove your heads out of any clouds/tightly fit orifices and pay close attention to what I’m telling you.
 A lot students on campus thought the flasher case was just one big joke. Comments in the hallways ranged from “it’s not a major deal” to “I wonder what the police lineup for that is like.” Though they may have been made in good fun and I’m the last person to reprimand those kinds of remarks, people need to understand that all crime that involves someone being victimized is a serious crime.
 Sure, you may have seen countless scenarios of a man waving his private parts around through the wonder of the internet. However, things tend to be more intense when it is happening to you in the real world. A woman alone with a man who, without any word or warning, drops his pants is a scary scenario. At that moment, victims don’t know it’s a flashing or what the guy’s intent is. It’s no secret that a man’s privates are to rape as a knife is to murder and that things can go bad to worse real quick.
 I know that our generation has been desensitized by the internet and various movies throughout our lifetime. However, that’s no excuse to be ignorant or make insensitive comments, especially when you are on campus where you might unknowingly be next a victim of this pervert. For all we know, this guy could have been preparing to take his sexual antics to next level. The sad thing is that it would probably take a student missing or a dead body for some of you to start taking these crimes seriously.

 Don’t be ignorant. Look out for each other.