University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Virginia Gentlemen And Their 'Lewd U.'

I have a niece attending your
school. I shall not reveal her
name for fear she will be
scoffed at, call Priscilla Prude
and Virginia Virgin and other
such appellations.

However, she is one of the
fortunate girls. She is immune
to this hideous age and its
scarlet values. Her long brown
limbs and tender bosom will
not be despoiled by some
lusting lout out for a cheap
night's adventure.

But what sort of age is this
that permits institutions of
higher learning to pass out
birth control pills willy nilly,
that allows students to cohabit
without penalty? How long can
our debauched society go on
ignoring the mass distribution
of films like Marjoe, pocket
books like The Story of O, or
more recently Dolinsky's Mind
One. How long can obnoxious
disc jockeys continue to play
recordings nationwide extolling
drugs and urging to "bang the
whole gang."

Young people, I ask you to
take a moment! Pause,
reconsider your peril. Save
yourselves. Turn your backs on
the licentiousness around you.

And dear editor I ask you,
please print my letter. Allow
one shaft of sunlight to pierce
the gloom of "the stone zone".

Wonderland

The article on student
marriages proved awfully
simple-minded, naive, and old-fashioned!
Why emphasize
responsibilities as balls and
chains in the prison of
marriage? May we have a
chance to describe the freedom
and joy that come after the
wedding?

Can't we tell the story from
our side of the Looking Glass?
Marriage is peace.

Sensationalism

It is very upsetting for me to
have to severely criticize a
reporter and defend myself
against distortions of truth, as I
must do with Mr. Bacque and
his story on security at the
University printed on Nov. 16.

I was pursued for an
interview by Mr. Bacque, and
reluctantly gave my permission
to it, because I felt there was
something to say on the topic.
From there it proceeded that
Mr. Bacque wanted me to say
that the University was being
lax in dealing with women's
security. To this I could only
say that we did not get all the
information in regard to
incidents, but that we did get
many of the rumors, such as
the example I gave of "police
telling the girl, 'Yeah, well you
probably asked for it.'" I
repeat, I was using that quote
as an example of a rumor.

Also, I most definitely did
not come out with a blanket
statement that "The University
will not print what is true."
What I said was that I could
not say that the University was
wrong in their dealings with
incidents because they often
did not release all the facts
surrounding the cases.

I had hoped that the article
would bring out the major idea
of my points–that the girls still
do need to be informed that
somewhat of a danger exists at
the University (and that also
means in Charlottesville).
Also, I had hoped that the
article would make people
realize that this is a social
problem that affects a majority
of the population in the United
States and that no easy
solutions to it are possible. I
thought an article was a good
idea–but I fear the recent
trend in sensationalism The
Progress has taken up has
thwarted an opportunity for a
good article or series of articles
initiating a dialogue on this
social issue.

I am deeply disappointed
with the level of journalism in
that news sheet, and have
learned a lesson that perhaps,
sadly, many other people
should learn: that "no
comment" may be a necessity
in dealing with The Progress at
this time.