University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Unhealthy Fears Of The Paranoid Right

Re: The "Hysteria" letter
sent by Mr. Hurd and Mr.
Orndorff. You'd think that
after all these years the
paranoids of the Right could
use their imagination and come
up with a new conspiracy for
America to be threatened by.

The International
Communist Conspiracy
(directed by the evil
slave masters of the Kremlin)
has pretty much been worn
thin. Most Americans have
realized that the internal threat
to our liberties resulting from
an unhealthy fear of Russia is
greater than the external threat
of Russian ambition.

Cannot Mr. Hurd and Mr.
Orndorff, since they evidently
must fear something, dream up
something else? How about an
intergalactic conspiracy from
Outer Space? A little harder to
prove maybe, but the Mr. Hurd
and Mr. Orndorff have little
trouble believing the
improbable.

For example, they are
encouraged by the "apparent
success of the President's
policy of Vietnamization. The
ARVN has made a respectable
showing during the present
offensive, and has proved it can
handle the ground war." Why
then, are we bombing the pure
hell out of North Vietnam?
Why don't we pull out and let
the ARVN, since they are so
capable, handle the war?

And it takes some awfully
twisted logic to conclude that
"it is also obvious that while
the South's government is far
from being perfectly
democratic, it is far superior to
the totalitarian dictatorship of
the North." The miserable,
corrupt government of the
South years ago derived its
authority and a shaky ability to
remain stable from U.S. power,
not from the support of the
Vietnamese people.

On the other hand, Ho Chi
Minh is a folk hero in Vietnam
because of his lifelong devotion
to the liberation of his country
from Western colonialism.
Now, which government is
most legitimate? It's too bad
that Mr. Hurd and Mr.
Orndorff have swallowed the
Nixon story hook, line, and
sinker.

But how does Nixon sleep
at night, knowing that while he
plays politics with Vietnam
more and more Americans and
Vietnamese (and Laotians and
Cambodians) pay for it with
their lives?

Irrelevance

It behooves the CD
Editorial Editor to re-examine
his policy on printing irrelevant
colloquia, that is, articles
unrelated to University
concerns. I do not propose
indiscriminate censorship,
rather suggest that a modicum
of judgement be exercised.

I cite Neal Frey's
colloquium entitled "Liberals
Desire Inflexible Standards" as
an example, and respond to it
because I feel personally
indicted as a "liberal." The
innuendo-metaphor of liberals
as being drug addicts is
offensive, as are the following
depictions: morally bankrupt,
lawless, murders, deprave,
ambitious, revengeful,
lascivious, seditious and
zealous. How can one people
be so industrious?

Mr. Frey is suffering from a
strong case of paranoia. He
imputes "guilt' to the liberals
on a dozen instances without
once giving us the vaguest idea
of what liberals feel guilty
about. I do not feel guilty
about anything. Also, Mr. Frey
demonstrates a naive notion of
the liberal's toleration of civil
disobedience and acceptance of
abortion.

The former is not
considered lawless to the
liberal nor the latter murder.
His assertions to the contrary
are based on his ideology, as
are the positions taken by
liberals founded on their
ideology. The ontological
proof of a given position rests
on social needs, not on some
visionary's set of
commandments.

The primary flaw of Mr.
Frey's analysis is his assertion
that liberals indulge in immoral
behavior because, in exercising
their freedom, they (allegedly)
follow their passions. It is only
by being passionate that all
men have some concept of
morality.

No one concept is more true
than another, for there is no
source of absolute definition.
Therefore, it is not wrong per
se to fail to uphold "moral
absolutes" or "elementary moral
principles" in society because
they are non-existent.

Mr. Frey charges that
liberals ironically desire a social
justice which "requires a stable
order of inflexible moral
standards, which (they)
despise." Again, we are not
given a single example by Mr.
Frey of liberal moral
intransigence.

I can agree with Mr. Frey on
one point: liberals have
troubled psyches. And let me
tell you why: Liberals stand
for equity and are exasperated
by its conspicuous absence.
Apparently, Mr. Frey stands
for law and order irrespective
of whether said policy is just or
unjust.

Printing 'Secrets'

A belated note to
congratulate you on your
clear-headed and professional
decision to publish
prematurely the report of the
Committee on the Future of
the University.

Both journalistic and legal
precedents establish the right
and the duty of the mass media
to publish news of compelling
interest to its readers—despite
its being labeled "secrets" by
those in power—as long as no
community interest would be
clearly and substantially
damaged by such disclosure.

Despite the voices of closure
both on your staff and in the
administration, you have acted
in the best traditions of
journalism in the open and
liberal society.

Those of us who love the
journalistic craft and value its
worth are very proud of you.

Inspiration

It is a rare moment when
I'm inspired enough to write
The Cavalier Daily about one
of the fine services on the
grounds. I'm referring to the
University's "guides."

They certainly brighten up
the days of any West Range
resident. I must say that the
information I have received
from hearing them for the past
two years has cleared up all the
myths surrounding the West
Range.

First, contrary to what I
had previously believed, the
Ancient and Honorable
Jefferson Literary and
Debating Society meet at 7:29
p.m. each Friday evening to do
"their part" to encourage sober
and serious literary debate.
This is heartening, especially
when they debate until 6:30
a.m. the next morning.

Second, and most
interesting, Room 13 was
definitely the home of Edgar
Allen Poe when he was here in
the Spring of 1826 (or was it
the Fall?) (or was it Room 11
or even 15?). We all know what
a poor student he was—I
suppose that while making
perfect grades he did not have
time for his studies.

Poe left the University for
several reasons: he lost money
gambling, buying drugs, and
entertaining young women,
besides being in trouble with a
nonexistent honor system.

So on the eve before his
departure, while chopping up
his furniture for firewood, he
scratched a sorrowful poem in
his window with his diamond
ring. To the present day we
may see this literary
masterpiece in that very
window.

Finally, we on the West
Range are duly embarrassed to
hear that we are the finest of
all the honor students at the
University. And we appreciate
the sympathy that is awarded
us by the guided tourists when
they hear that we have no
central heating and must wash
in a communal washroom.

Well, as the guides would
say in their theatrical voices,
"It is a delightful pleasure and
honor for these Law students
to live on the West Range."

Disappointed

I am disappointed that the
majority of the Graduating
Class of 1972 chose Alderman
Library as the recipient of the
class gift.

True, Alderman is in need
of financial aid but so are the
agencies fighting muscular
dystrophy, multiple sclerosis
and drug abuse. And however
noble it seems to restore books
and shelves, I can only feel
regret that the graduating class
did not consider the benefits
the world outside our
"academical village" could
receive from our class gift.

For every lost or dusty
volume, there is a man in a
wheelchair, a child hungry and
cold, or an addict lost in a
nightmare. By donating the gift
"as past graduating classes have
done" the Class of 1972 says
to these people, "Keep on
shooting up, keep on starving,
and keep on stumbling along.
Just stay out of my mint julep
world, where all is bright and
gay".

Change your minds and
write to the Graduating Class
of 1972, Box 83-X, Newcomb
Hall. Let's get off our Wahoo
duffs and help each other.