University of Virginia Library

Sane Voice

I would like to raise a single
sane voice against the manifest injustice
which has been unleashed
here in the past several days. Mr.
Wheatley has been accused on the
basis of SDS "independent" research
and condemned without a
trial, on the basis of his alleged
actions of some ten years ago, by
the very same accusers. According
to our legal system a man is innocent
until proven guilty. Mr.
Wheatley has not been given an
equitable trial or hearing of any
type, therefore he is innocent; and
everyone who is demonstrating for
his removal at the present time is
urging the punishment of an innocent
man.

Mr. Jefferson said that "here we
are not afraid...to tolerate any error
so long as reason is left free to
combat it." And yet several
hundred students are willing to
condemn a man accused by the
rather questionable SDS of being a
racist a decade ago. If racism is an
error, as I believe it to be, and
reason (if Rosen and company can
be said to represent reason) is left
free to combat then I recognize
no problem. If a Visitor were removed
because he had been accused
of having been a Communist at
some time in the past, then all of
the liberal sentiment would unhesitantly
support him. Yet in this
instance, "liberal" sentiment seems
to support these unjust and immoral
demonstrations; somehow
imputing that right-wing error is
worse than error of the left.

If there is anyone left in this
community who still believes in
Jeffersonian democracy and freedom,
who still supports the concept
of freedom of thought and speech,
and who is willing to stand up for a
precious ideal lest it be destroyed
for us all: then for God's sake let
him speak out now.