Editor, Daily Nexus,

Will it take the death of a fellow Santa Barbara college student to finally realize that fighting is not worth the cause? Or will intoxication, culminated with a high level of adrenaline, still remain the primary excuse?

We see verbal and physical fights occur every weekend amidst the streets of Isla Vista but never think to call law enforcement. While there are those few responsible passers-by who take the initiative to call for help, others simply jolt to the front of the mob, hoping to gain a closer glimpse of the scuffle at hand. Some even feel the need to put in their own two cents by swinging aimless punches at people they have never even seen before. Why? Is it a pride issue, provoked by surrounding friends and peers? Or do people actually feel the need to injure someone, in order to say that they were in a fight at least once in their lifetime?

Many people jump into a fight without taking any consideration into the aftermath of a few blows. Who knew that hitting someone with an unnecessary, cheap shot could lead to the loss of an extraordinary life? Well, now you do. You may not have known Brad Jones, but I did. Although I had just met him last summer, I knew him as this handsome, intelligent man, always willing to defend his friends. He cracked jokes constantly and was not afraid to wear skintight pants with a sweatband on his head to an ’80s-themed party. One thing that I did not know about Brad was that he would die young, defending his closest friends. When a man passed by, calling one of his girlfriends a degrading name, Brad verbally defended her, then continued walking along his way. Who knew that standing up for a friend would lead to death? Who knew that a perfect life would be destroyed by a boy – he does not even deserve the title “man” – unable to control his own actions? Who knew? You may have not known before, but I pray to God that you sure as hell know now.

If you ever feel the need to fight, do society a favor and join a kickboxing class, or talk to a psychiatrist. Please do not take your aggression out on an innocent human being; death should not be a blatantly preventable occurrence.

Rest in peace, Brad: Aug. 1, 1984 – March 2, 2004.

You will be dearly missed and never forgotten.