University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Student Charges Censorship

This may seem trivial to many,
but Monday I attempted to place a
personal notice in the classified ad
section of the Cavalier Daily. The
ad was strangely worded and
probably incomprehensible to
anyone other than the dozen or so
people for whom it was intended.

I was preparing to pay for the
ad when the secretary informed me
that because of some new policy,
she wasn't sure whether or not my
"off beat ad," (her words), would
be permitted in the paper.

I was so stunned I hardly knew
what to say. It is utterly amazing to
me that the student newspaper
would refuse to print a classified ad
placed by a student.

The C.D. is the first to jump on
the "banned" wagon in any case of
censorship or repression and yet on
your own grammar school level you
practice censorship yourself.

May I remind you that a great
deal of the funds supporting the
student paper are contributed by
the students through the activities
fee. Though many of us have a very
low opinion of the C.D., especially
its editorial policy, we still pay for
the paper because we have no
choice.

Why then, can a student not
freely place a simple and
uncontroversial personal notice?

It's not your paper, it's all of
ours!

Voter's Choice

I would like to bring it to the
attention of the University
community that the post of
Commonwealth's Attorney for
Albemarle County is being
contested in the upcoming
election—November 2. The
outcome of this race will affect the
student body, because the
University is in the County.

Mr. Downing L. Smith, the
candidate for re-election, has been
honest and fair in his dealings with
students in the past. He does not
consider the student a
"second-class" citizen, the way
some people do. During "May
Days", Mr. Smith released students
on their I.D. cards and later nol
prossed all the cases except one. I
urge you to vote for and support
Mr. Smith, so as to continue the
kind of treatment which we have
previously enjoyed.