University of Virginia Library

The failure of the faculty to act
upon the 11 proposals of the
Student Coalition has dealt a
serious blow to those students who
have felt that the present crisis (let
there be no mistake, there is a
crisis) can be resolved by rational,
orderly means. Faculty endorsement
of the proposals (i.e., demands)
would have lent considerable
weight to the students' arguments
and would have tended to
force administration and students
toward an agreement. There are
many students who have their
doubts (real or imagined) as to the
willingness of President Shannon to
listen and act on the proposals —
proposals which the students feel
are altogether reasonable, practical,
and (God knows) long overdue. It
goes without saying that the prestige
accorded the proposals as a
result of faculty support would
have significantly enhanced the
probability of a reasonable and
satisfactory settlement among all
concerned parties.

But the faculty did not act.
They did not see fit to even debate
the issue. Their explanation — that
they debated at such length the
question of whether to allow the
press into their meetings, that they
had no time to consider the
Coalition's proposals — calls into
question the faculty's allocation of
priorities. It seems obvious that the
faculty (and we suppose the administration,
too) is under the delusion
that the students are merely filling
the air with empty platitudes in an
attempt to relieve the boredom of
everyday life and that the manifestations
of the past few days are in
reality mere indications of the
extent of a monotonous life. Let us
assure the believers of such opinions
that this is not the case. We are
dead serious and not, in fact,
playing games. Too long has this
University and this state seen fit to
tolerate (and often initiate) injustice.
Too long have we persisted in
looking the other way satisfied that
the elimination of such injustice
was no concern of ours. Too often
have we liberals talked about what
should be done. The time for
inaction has passed. The nexus is
present. Soon we shall act. We
cannot wait another month in the
hopes that the faculty will see fit to
consider our proposals. Consideration
should have come Wednesday
afternoon. It did not.

The faculty's inaction will only
result in a widening of the gap
between administration and students.
The administration, confident
it is operating from a position
of strength (an opinion reinforced
by the faculty's failure to act) will
be in no mood to "give ground."
We are confronted with a very
proud (and sometimes arrogant)
administration. It cannot lose face.
It cannot bow to the demands of
students no matter how reasonable;
no matter how imperative such
action may be.

We, too, have our pride. The
pride which allows us to stand up
for what we believe. But we have
more than pride operating with us.
We have justice, justice which will
condone and even demand of us
actions outside of the status quo.
We believe that every man should
be given an equal chance. We
believe that racism must be eliminated.
We believe individuals should
be willing to come to the aid of
their fellow men. We believe the
time has come in this University, in
this state, and in this nation to once
and for all rid ourselves of the
blight of bigotry and hatred, in all
of its forms. We must have justice.
There can be no order without
justice.

The issues before us will be
pressed. The crisis shall be resolved.
The only question is by what
manner. Unlike many of our fellow
students at other schools we are
trying the rational processes at our
disposal. We are going through the
proper channels. And we are willing
to listen and to learn. Yet, we
demand that we be listened to, that
we not be ignored, that we not be
dismissed as "mere rabble."

It is on this note that we voice
our dismay with the faculty. And
we hope that the chances of a
peaceful settlement have not been
lessened beyond reach by their
failure.

We are reasonable, but determined;
tolerant, but demanding and
impatient. And while we welcome
with outstretched arms the support
of others we shall not hesitate to
journey the course alone if need be.