University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

In Pursuit Of Perversions

The column in yesterday's
Cavalier Daily, "In the Pursuit of
Happiness," is, in its perversion of
libertarian ideals, similar to the
recent attempt by anti-flag wavers
to restrict freedom of expression to
what they wanted expressed.

That Mr. Weir bases his rationale
for legalizing prostitution upon
some vague idea that it is in accord
with women's liberation is absurd.
Admittedly the current laws on
prostitution are in large part
damaging and unrealistic. It is also
deplorable that one who practices
prostitution is seen by our society
as a social outcast, and as inferior.

The fact remains, however, that
she is seen in that regard and will
continue to be seen that way for
some time regardless of changes in
our laws. With this in mind. I fail to
see how legalizing prostitution will
help to, in Mr. Weir's words,
"liberate all women and allow them
to earn a decent living."

It also seems particularly
cavalier and shortsighted that Mr.
Weir has not considered that selling
the use of one's body (either from
economic necessity or for other
reasons) to whomever pays the
price is the type of "work" which
lends itself to exploitation. The
attitude of the entire article rooked
of male chauvinism.

Ladies And Gents

It was with a great deal of pride
to hear Virginia's Attorney General
decision, that you the Student
Body of U. Va. cannot ban the
"Stars and Bars'. Along this same
line of though [sic], I appeal to
you, let's take the ban off of
"Dixie". It concerns me, how you
would allow a small group of
students, the "Black Radicals", to
motivate you into such actions as
you have taken. As students of
U.Va., many of you are from other
states and other parts of the world.
If you would put forth as much
effort showing respect to the
beauty and tradition of the
University of Virginia, people in
Charlottesville and Albemarle
County would take a greater pride
in you, as our future leaders.

I must express to you my
heartfelt thanks, for the orderly
way you conducted yourself in the
demonstration against
"Expansion". I feel in this
matter you are right. This was one
giant step forward in proving you
can be ladies and gentlemen.

Miss Barbara D. Savage, College
2, did me a kind service by
answering my article in another
edition of The Cavalier Daily. Even
though she did not say anything
niece [sic] about me, I appreciate
her comments, and thank her for
her pity, of me. It has been a long
time, since anyone has had such
concern. Again, thank you Miss
Savage, keep up the good work, I
admire you for your spunk.

Sharp Problem

Ever try to sharpen a pencil in
Wilson or Cabell Hall? If not, try it
sometime; believe me, it is a gas!
Pencil sharpeners are harder to
come by than student seats at a
U.Va.-South Carolina basketball
game!

I had the pleasure of taking a
computer graded multiple choice
tests in Wilson Hall one evening
when the unexpected happened:
the points on both my number 2
pencils broke. Naturally, I was up
the creek! I immediately excused
myself from the classroom in hopes
of finding a ready pencil sharpener.
I might have vainly scoured the
grounds for hours had I not
chanced upon a late working
professor on 2nd floor Cabell who
possessed the elusive sharpener.

Really, an aggravation such as
this could be quashed with a timely
purchase of a few dozen pencil
sharpeners. It may seem like a small
problem, but if you have had this
experience, you will know the
inconvenience of which I am
talking.

Show Respect

This is in response to the letter
of Messrs. McCoy and Emery.

It is true that the Confederacy
was founded in order to preserve
slavery, and that from today's
perspective such a goal appears
unworthy. Mr. McCoy and Mr.
Emery, however, ignore the fact
that at that time the South was
trying to uphold a social order
based on what seemed to be sound
principles. Slavery, and the social
order based on it, appeared to the
Southerners of that day to follow
naturally from the premise that
Negroes were, in fact, the
Encyclopedia Brittanica for 1910
or 1911 (I forget which) said as
much, basing its conclusions on
skull measurements. Southerners
based their opinions on the best
information available in their day:
that information was wrong, and
their governmental policies and
social structures were thereby set
adrift. How much moral blame
attaches to men who make an
honest mistake?

Meanwhile, granted that their
policy and beliefs were mistaken,
the South, with less than half the
recruiting field of the North and
with almost no industry to speak
of, put forth a truly heroic effort to
avoid cultural devolution. Many
Southern individuals made
incredible sacrifices and showed
degrees of valor and courage that
appear starkly incredible in the
light of today's behavior and
standards.

I can speak with some authority
on that point, because several such
individuals were members of my
family, and at one point we had an
old daguerreotype album, embossed
in gold with the words -"Our
Honored Dead", with a score or so
pictures in it of relatives of mine
who had given their lives on various
contested fields. Under each
picture, in faded, brown ink, was a
short description of what the man
portrayed was doing when he was
slain.

I haven't seen that album since I
was ten, but this I do know, both
from it and from the family
anecdotes surrounding those men:
every one of them attained a high
degree of excellence. They were
characterized by courage, moral
strength, gentlemanliness, a
willingness to serve and sacrifice for
the public good as they saw it, and
capability; the vast majority of
them were officers and wore
decorations in their photographs,
and the South did not pass out
medals cheaply.

For a man to support a racist
stand in this day and age is a sure
sign that that man is either stupid
or corrupt, but such was not the
case in the days of the
Confederacy. No moral stigma can
be attached to them for their
beliefs. And these were most
excellent gentlemen; for that reason
I lack patience with those who
would blacken their memory and
ban the symbol of their doomed
struggle. My forefathers paid a
blood-price for that flag; if I were a
'flag waving type' I would wave it,
in spite of all the deliberate
misinterpretations that others
might seek to apply to my action in
so doing.