Anita Sarkeesian is a feminist cultural critic who has recently challenged the stereotypical portrayals of women in video games. She was supposed to give a speech at Utah State University last Tuesday. However, she canceled her appearance after a pseudonymous person emailed threats of a school shooting to members of the university’s administration the day before she was scheduled to speak.

We live in a country where the government cannot infringe on our right to free speech and expression. Naturally, different opinions can arise and clash because of this. However, this doesn’t mean people should silence opposing views, especially in such a harmful way.

Sarkeesian manages a YouTube channel, Feminist Frequency, where she states that people should remember that it’s possible to enjoy media even while being aware of their disputable aspects.

Sarkeesian says she isn’t completely against those who enjoy the media she critiques. So why were some people so upset by her message that they felt the need to threaten innocent lives?

Perhaps people reacted strongly because Sarkeesian is a woman and a feminist advocate. Perhaps they fear that her messages might change the way media are made.

We may never know for sure, but we know that some people felt such a strong anger that they would rather see Sarkeesian dead than vocal.

As a woman in power, Sarkeesian has a right to speak her mind to the world if she wishes to. She should be able to do so without fearing for her life.