University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Responsibility For Summer Violence Cited

As the school year ends, we are
faced with the prospect of a summer
"hotter" and more violent
than ever before. There are those
who have ominously declared that
only massive programs and huge
amounts of money will stave off
the impending crisis; there are
others who simply purchased guns
as protection against the expected
violence.

But such programs and monies
will not be soon forthcoming,
and in any case cannot much affect
the fundamental hungers and
denials of the spirit that pervade
the ghettos. Nor will guns dissipate
the violence, but only serve
to fan its flames.

The Kerner Commission correctly
identified white racism as
perhaps the major factor feeding
the discontent and despair of the
black man. This, and the lack of
opportunity for advancement, personal
pride, and autonomy which
flow from it. It is this factor
which cannot be overcome by
spending programs, but which
nonetheless can and must be overcome
this summer, if our nation is
to survive and ultimately to insure
justice and opportunity for all
our citizens.

And it can only be done by
you and me, and millions of Americans
just like us-ordinary citizens
-acting alone and in association
with others.

It requires first that each of us
examine our own values, attitudes,
and beliefs, and eradicate any unjust
prejudice and intolerance
found therein. Second, it means
that each of us should examine our
lives and our actions to see whether
consciously or otherwise we are
promoting racism and injustice,
and then to change our actions.
And finally it desperately requires
that we each speak and act positively
to eliminate racism, promote
justice, brotherhood, and opportunity
for all within our own communities.

Between the work and play of
this summer, a few hours per week
can be easily found to fulfill one's
responsibility towards one's fellow
men and the nation. Remembering
President Kennedy's call, let us
ask what we can do for our country,
and then do it. Today, one's
conscience and the welfare of the
nation require no less.

Car Vandalism

Sine I am a transfer student,
my acquaintance with this University
has been short (less than
two semesters). During orientation
in September I was impressed by
the ultimate goal of this University-to
produce a group of
knowledgeable gentlemen.

When I brought my wife to
Charlottesville in February she was
wary about parking her car so close
to the mainstream of student activity
at the corner. I tried to relieve
her of her fears by telling
her that here and only here there
was fostered a spirit of gentlemanliness,
that students would not
willfully destroy someone's property.

Saturday night I was proven absolutely
wrong. While my wife's
car was parked in the VNB parking
lot at the corner someone put
a fist-size hole in its convertible
top. But this was not all! It
appears that due to lack of space
they were forced to dance on the
trunk of the car with their muddy
feet.

What did it accomplish? I will
be about $100 poorer once the car
is repaired. It has shattered the
myth of the so-called "Virginia
Gentleman."

I am certain that someone must
have witnessed this incident and I
urge any witness to contact me Or
better still, if the vandals themselves
would contact me upon
recognizing their responsibility for
restitution and prove that the Virginia
Gentleman exists.

Draft Doldrums

As the semester ends many are
reviewing the lessons that took
place in the lecture halls, but a very
important demonstration has occurred
in the General Assembly
that controls the tax supported system
of higher education in Virginia
and made a demonstration
of that control. The General
Assembly passed-without a single
dissension vote-an angry resolution
condemning those who protest
against the military conscription
act and calling upon the office of
the United States Attorney to
prosecute all who oppose this act.
I asked one member, who is a cut
above the average legislator and
not a mean man, "Why select out
of all the public laws this one as
being most necessary to promote
society when there has been controversy
on its merits all this
time?" I like the man and did
not want to ask why had the
Assembly taken part of its 60 days
that would have best been spent
reviewing the state's problems; or
why the about-face in praising
a federal statute-the graveyard
shakes-and calling on the Justice
Department for vigorous action-the
heads of the state NAACP
and AFL-CIO take two pills each.
But I like the man and so I try
to mind what manners I have.
I didn't even ask if it were
really fair to throw a stone at
George Mason College's Professor
James M. Shea to whose
honor the resolution was reportedly
intended. Armed with this resolution
a legislature can do
nothing. The man who introduced
it carries the thing in his hip
pocket, for padding, no doubt,
the better to slide into the Congressional
seat he now seeks. My
friend replied that he knows very
little about the draft act, but that
he and other members felt the
need for, "respect for laws because
once we loose this, our whole
Democratic process goes out the
window." A ghost now walks the
halls of the Capitol and points
a bony finger, and whispers
"SHEA;" and laughs at any sweat
he sees. In that sweat John
Randolph recognizes the waters
that once flowed in the Yazoo
River.

CD Inaccuracy

I have finally become sufficiently
distressed by The Cavalier
Daily's lack of regard for accuracy
to give voice to my concern.
Silently, I have stumbled for three
years through the C.D.'s traditional
misspellings, misquotes and
generally unprofessional writing,
but never before this semester have
I encountered so many glaring
journalistic blunders. The Cavalier
Daily seems to take delight in reviewing
the University's other
publications, alternately meting
out praise and contempt. Perhaps
it is time for the C.D. itself
to be reviewed.

Case in point: In the latest issue
of the Daily (May 17, 1968), Dan
Shipp (a former member of the
C.D. family) is erroneously reported
to be "Rapier" magazine's
"new art editor." In actuality,
Mr. Shipp is the magazine's
managing editor. I still hold the
position of art editor and my
name shall be listed as such on
"Rapier's" masthead, but if any
change in that regard should come
about I will notify the C.D. personally,
thereby saving them the
trouble of unearthing the facts-a
task which they seem unable
(or unwilling) to accomplish. By
the way, for the edification of Miss
Charles and Mr. Larsen, the cover
drawing (which was by
Dan Shipp) is not a -
graphed etching," but rather a
pen and ink sketch, originally done
in black and white.

These are only two examples
of the mistakes the C.D. has made
of late. There are many others
which have come to my attention,
in regard to happenings in the
A-School, among the fraternities,
and, notably, in regard to the
English Department "shake-up,"
for which The Cavalier Daily was
obliged to print a retraction.

The 1968 Corks and Curls reports,
"Feb. 1-C.D. goes big
time. Larger sheets and UPI wire
service." While these improvements
are very nice, I fail to see
how the C.D. can go "big time"
without paying more attention to
established journalistic traditions,
such as factual reporting and professional
integrity. The Cavalier
Daily is read by most of the students
at the University of Virginia-a
body of intelligent people,
numbering over seven thousand,
who want to know, and deserve
to know the truth.

I do not challenge the C. D.'s
right to voice its opinion, nor do
I mean to sound ungrateful. I'd
like now to express my thanks to
Mr. Larsen and others who have
treated me more than fairly. I
am writing this letter both for the
edification of your readers, and as
a bit of constructive criticism, in
the hopes that by avoiding careless
errors in the future, the C.D.
will pull itself out of the "Credibility,
Gap" and take its rightful
place as the University of Virginia's
newspaper of integrity.

I feel that the special "catch
-up" issue of the C.D., next Fri.,
is an appropriate time for the printing
of this letter, and I hope that
such will be done, by way of
assuring me (and others at the
University) that The Cavalier Daily
intends to base its reporting in the
coming year on truth rather than
assumption. Good luck to you.