University of Virginia Library

Keep Cool

On Monday four students, including two
women, were shot and killed during a
disturbance at Kent State. The some 3,000
students there were demonstrating against
President Nixon's decision to send U.S. troops
into Cambodia. Today there will be a student
boycott of classes and a mass rally — both
protesting the president's decision.

The key word of the peace movement,
whether it be concerned with Vietnam or
Cambodia, is Peace. If we, as students, are
concerned enough about stopping the war and
saving the lives of soldiers and civilians in
Vietnam and Cambodia, we should be at least
as concerned with keeping the peace in
Charlottesville when the rallies and speeches
take place today.

The court injunction issued yesterday
makes it possible for state police to come
onto the Grounds to restore order in case of
disturbances. There is no doubt that if
another building is seized or violence erupts
into property damage the state police will be
called in to stop it. We have also learned from
a member of the National Guard units that
the National Guard has been placed on alert in
case of disturbances.

What happened at Kent State was a
tragedy. We hope there are no further
incidents of this type, and if the students who
participate in the rallies and demonstrations
today are peaceful, there will be no similar
tragedies in Charlottesville. Often the sight of
a gun and uniform is enough to incite some
persons to violence. We hope that today there
is no cause for the appearance of police or
guardsmen on the Grounds.

Peaceful dissent is a useful method of
expressing dissatisfaction. Using violence to
protest the violence in Southeast Asia is as
senseless as the war itself is. Perhaps the most
novel feature of the November march on
Washington was that it was peaceful. It was
the idea of peace that drew almost 500,000
persons there, and it was the idea of peace
that made it such a celebrated event even
though John Mitchell tried as hard as he could
to incite violence.

To those who are dedicated to revolution,
and who plan to use this opportunity to cause
violence and destruction we have no sympathy
for you. To anyone who incites
violence today, you will be responsible for
any innocent person who is injured as a
consequence of the presence of police or
National Guardsmen.

Today we have a chance to express
ourselves, and make it clear that we do not
support the war in Asia or the escalation of
that war. We also have a chance to invite
tragedy. We hope all students will choose to
support today's activities and do it peacefully.
We have everything to lose and nothing to
gain by the use of violence.