University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Ousted Committee Member Denounces Council's 'Lie'

I openly admit that I gave a
report of a subcommittee of
the Future of the University
Committee to a staff member
of The Cavalier Daily. I never
denied it. I did it with a full
knowledge of the meaning of
the act.

I also admit that the
Committee acted out of
necessity when removing me. If
they wanted secrecy they
would not get it from me. The
issue there was secrecy itself.

But I denounce the Student
Council for its resolution of
April 18. It is a lie, a
slanderous lie, a purposeful lie.

It first accuses me of
breeching an agreement to
keep the report secret. This is
absolutely not true: I never
made such an agreement and I
never would have made one.
Freedom of information is the
most important democratic
right, because it is on this that
most other rights are based.

For a public organization to
pursue a policy of secrecy is an
irresponsible violation of their
public trust. I, for one, could
not forsake my constituency or
violate my ethics because of
the selfish whims of a
subcommittee, or a group of
politicians either. Only
dictators and incompetent
bureaucrats need secrecy.

Second, it accuses me of
acting in a secretive manner. I
openly admitted to students
and the Committee that I
released the report. Since the
Student Council has reneged its
responsibility on expansion
and secrecy, just as it has on
high-rises, paid parking and
busing and the code of
conduct, in what other manner
was I to release it? Publish it
myself? Only one prominent
person at the University would
have dared to publicly attack
the report.

Third, the Student Council,
a collection of second-rate
politicos, has accused me of
political motivations. I am not
running for office, I have not
run for office, and I have no
intention of running for office.

Moreover, since I have
worked on the issue of
expansion longer than most of
the Council members have
been in office (as co-chairman
of the Student Council Special
Committee on Growth), I had
more to lose from the report's
release than most others.

Fourth, the Student Council
has incorrectly seen the reason
for my expulsion from the
Committee. It was not because
I released the document, but
because I refused to recant and
refused to promise never to
expose the truth again.

Fifth, the Student Council
states that my releasing the
report was untimely. Had the
subcommittee been open and
responsible before that time
the colloquium would not have
been untimely. The
subcommittee hoped that the
report would be quickly passed
and sent to the President. I
cannot think of a more timely
time to attack it.

Sixth, I strongly object to
the manner in which my
"trial" was held. I was
condemned without being
notified or asked to answer
charges; not a single member
present discussed the matter
previously with me; through
either their fetish for secrecy
or their incompetence I was
not even notified after it
happened.

But if the Council has no
concern for freedom of
information, freedom of
speech and freedom of the
press, and does not care if their
constituency knows the truth
or has a voice in the decision,
then an equal disregard for due
process and a fair trial is not
surprising.

In short, the Student
Council elite has again
displayed its ineptness in
dealing with people and issues.
They have publicly accused me
of an honor offense and
irresponsible motives without
having the facts to back it up
or the courage to say it to my
face. They have produced
fraudulent charges for the
political benefit of their
"favorite son" candidates.

I give the Student Council
until Monday at noon to
produce evidence that I
pledged secrecy (i.e.—lied), was
purely motivated by politics
and acted to keep the fact that
I released the truth secret. At
that time the Student Council
majority must withdraw its
charges and apologize for
them, or face the fate of all
liars at the University.

The Student Council has
charged me with reneging on
my duty to students. I believe
that secrecy is the worst crime
for any state, and especially for
an academical village. I believe
I acted in the best interest of
the students and the
University.

I reject the Council's
condemnation and demand
that they either withdraw it or,
by retaining it, remove me
from the Future of the
University Committee, the
University Public Affairs
Committee and the Calendar
Revision Committee for
violating my duty and refusing
to keep the truth concealed
from the student body.

A wise old sage once said:
"For here we are unafraid to
follow truth wherever it may
lead....I know of no safe
depository of the ultimate
powers of society but the
people themselves; and if we
think them not enlightened
enough to exercise their
control with wholesome
discretion, the remedy is not to
take it from them, but to
inform their discretion by
education."