University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Boost From An Early Caller

At 5:30 Tuesday morning I was
Started to hear students yelling
"Strike" and knocking loudly on
the door. Mr. Shannon was at the
University, and I did the only thing
I could in answering the door and
telling our callers they were waking
up the children. They quickly left.

One young man whom I take
this opportunity to thank realized I
needed a boost and gave me the
following composition which I
deeply appreciate.

I would like to clarify my
position on the allocations to SDS
and Virginia Weekly. In your article
by Barry Levine published on April
30, 1970, you stated my position
was that I "contended that the
allocation[s] would be a violation
of [my] first amendment right to
'present my own views.' " That is
not my position.

It is my belief that the first
amendment rights of all students
are violated when they are compelled
to pay (through the Student
Activities fee) for a "politically
oriented" publication or organization.
As to when something is to be
considered politically oriented, it is
my opinion that that is a question
of "degree." Certainly the SDS and
the Virginia Weekly, in consistently
espousing only one "political" line
without seeking to inform but
rather only to propagandize, are
more than just a little "politically
oriented." The Cavalier Daily can
be distinguished from Virginia
Weekly using this "degree" test.

Having considered the current
course of University politics, I once
again feel the necessity of speaking
against the New Left. To go to the
matter directly, the recent antics of
these people quite adequately
demonstrates the massive confusion
which pervades their mental processes,
Such a charge will no doubt
strike some as outrageous. Therefore,
let this claim be substantiated
by an application of reason to the
facts.

In regard to the recent and brief
(sic) occupation of Maury Hall,
many of the participants have
spoken with pride of the spontaneity
of that action. Herein lies much
of the problem. These people
behave in a crowd much like dogs
in a pack. Individual thought is
replaced with collective reaction
while the individual responsibility is
obscured by protestations of sincerity.
To so surrender one's mind
to a mob is degrading, and to claim
sincerity is to justify nothing.
Witness Hitler. He killed six million
Jews with sincerity.

To proceed further, the New
Left ideologies after entering the
building commenced to draw up a
list of demands. Among the things
they protested were the military
operations in Cambodia, the killing
of the Kent State students, and the
trial of Bobby Seale. Whether their
position on any of these issues is
correct is immaterial.

There are open channels for
expressing opinion in this country.
Incidents of massive destruction
and trespassing can only compound
the problems we face. Furthermore,
there is something very illogical in
striking out against the University
of Virginia because of acts of
President Nixon of Ohio National
Guardsman or a Connecticut
grand jury. These people are acting
as if President Shannon were
omnipotent. Although I am sure he
is quite flattered by this demonstration
of faith in his many talents, I
am equally sure that both he and
the University community would
be extremely relieved to see these
people behave in a manner that
betrayed some hint of intelligence.