There’s a legal word for intimidating people for money: Extortion.

And it’s really hard to look at the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) recent flurry of lawsuits without that word, extortion, coming to mind.

The strategy, according to an RIAA press release, is to send out letters informing students that they can either settle for a small sum or face legal action in the form of a lawsuit.

Translation: Give us your money now or something very bad will happen.

The world’s in bad shape when you can’t believe everything you read on the walls of Baldwin Hall.

Flyers went out Monday night proclaiming that we here at the Campus wanted you to “Tell Us What You Think!!!”

At the bottom was a request to “Contact The Campus With Your Opinion” with our box number, phone number and my E-mail address.

The problem with the flyer is the large, fake newspaper clipping in the center with the title “Meadville Battles Drunks.”