University of Virginia Library

Man In The Middle

Reprinted elsewhere in this newspaper is
an editorial from yesterday's edition of the
Richmond Times-Dispatch which shows some
of the milder criticism that is being aimed at
President Shannon for his rather timid
statement Sunday. The gist of the editorial is
that President Shannon is allowing himself to
be pushed around by a group of "irresponsible
activists" who are just daring him to enforce
the tough demonstration policy "he so
forcefully announced two years ago."

The state's rather large population of
Neanderthals is asking for President Shannon's
head in other ways. Letters and telegrams
have been arriving in the Governor's office in
Richmond and at the University denouncing
our "radical" president How absurd!

There are a few factual errors in the
Times-Dispatch editorial, which is
understandable since the news reporting on
the strike in that newspaper has been full of
inaccuracies. According to the
Times-Dispatch, the anti-war demonstrators
(about 68 per cent of the voting student
body, if you believe the referendum) are
indulging in "clearly illegal behavior,"
President Shannon has praised those who tried
to burn down the ROTC building and he is
negotiating with these students "under
conditions of duress."

But in the eyes of the Richmond
Times-Dispatch Mr. Shannon's real sin is the
letter he signed (as have some 5,000 members
of the University community) and sent to
Senators Byrd and Spong which claimed that
the Cambodian campaign was launched "to
reflect personal and political credit on the
President." As "political realists" know, the
editorial tells us, "Mr. Nixon jeopardized his
own career and imperiled the immediate
future of the Republican party" by making
his decision. We only wish this were true. Just
because Nixon himself had the modesty to
state that he was courageously risking his
political career does not make it so.

What really seems to bother Nixon
supporters is Mr. Shannon's right to have an
opinion, academic freedom notwithstanding.
Even Governor Holton expressed his
disagreement with the letter at a news
conference yesterday morning. Mr. Holton,
just back from a pep talk in Washington,
agrees with Mr. Nixon's rationalization that he
is saving American lives by invading
Cambodia. For the information of Governor
Holton and the Richmond Times-Dispatch we
would like to say that the opposition to
Cambodia is only an extension of most
students' dissatisfaction with the Viet Nam
war. Mr. Holton is puzzled by it and thinks
that students shouldn't be so "hysterical" and
instead go back to classes.

After eight years of war and over 40,000
deaths it seems that if the President was really
concerned over American Deaths in Viet Nam,
he could move our Southeast Asian forces to
say, Arizona.

What is most disappointing with the
criticism being directed at President Shannon
from the right shows a total lack of
understanding over the causes of the student
strike. These people simply can't understand
why students don't just write their
representatives in congress and behave like
ladies and gentlemen instead of causing a fuss.
Obviously, these men haven't had to work
through the system recently; they are the
system, in many cases. If those who oppose
the war keep getting the shoddy run-around
treatment then a movement which has been
largely peaceful will become violent.

President Shannon decided, somewhat
belatedly, that his responsibility to his
students was greater than his responsibility to
the bureaucrats in Richmond. He and the
University will undoubtedly suffer for it.
Governor Holton implied that although he
didn't want to threaten the kids in
Charlottesville, the school might have money
problems next time it comes begging to
Richmond.

By failing to even acknowledge the
legitimacy and good will of the current
student protest, two of the most powerful
voices in Virginia have certainly become part
of the problem.