University of Virginia Library

Busing Program

I would like to indicate my firm
support of the President's recent
policy statement concerning the
issue of the busing program to
achieve racial balance.

As I see it, the proponents and
opponents of this program are each
divided into two schools of
thought. The proponents are composed
of people genuinely concerned
over the inferior educational
facilities and unequal learning opportunity
facing ghetto residents of
minority groups. They also are
composed of a more extreme group
who desire complete numerical
integration immediately, regardless
of whether the rest of the community
supports this idea or not.

The opponents consist of those
appalled by the social and monetary
cost of transporting children to
satisfy an artificial and contrived
standard of racial balance. Their
ranks also contain die-hard segregationists
who will use any argument
to block the progress of social
understanding between the racial
groups in America.

The President has chosen to
observe the valid points made by
each group. He points out the
deficiencies of busing students as a
waste of funds and based upon a
value judgment that is not in line
with present social attitudes of the
majority (including those well-informed
in socio-economic disciplines).
He also recognizes the need
for improvement of the quality of
education for the poor and disadvantaged.

There are those who will accuse
the President of trying to play
politics by attempting to satisfy
everyone. I choose to believe that,
in this issue at least, President
Nixon is genuinely concerned about
the social and educational welfare
of the Nation and has taken a
positive step toward solving the
crisis in our schools. He deserves
our support, not further polarization
of thought that only serves to
continue the antagonism in the
country.