Letters to the Editor: December 11 – 17, 2014

News-Press UVA Editorial Was Shrill, Mean-Spirited

Editor,

The Editorial, “Should UVA Even Exist?” appearing in last week’s News-Press (Dec. 4-10) following up on the sensationalized gang rape story published by Rolling Stone magazine, was a shrill and mean spirited piling-on of the highly respected University of Virginia. Commentary such as “the big bad university,” and “Who needs it?” in an earlier editorial, and this past week, “Without very serious reforms, the school should be boycotted and run out of business, plain and simple,” make obvious the newspaper’s extreme and biased viewpoint on the University. Now that a number of the “facts” in the story are being questioned, I believe the University, its gifted student body, esteemed faculty and administration, noted alumni and even the legacy of Thomas Jefferson are due an apology.

This is not to take away from the need to address the very serious issue of rape on college campuses in Virginia and across the country. Here, I believe that University President Therese Sullivan has initiated an appropriate plan to tackle the subject and to serve as a national leader in developing appropriate, fair as well strict, enforcement policies. One already announced is to establish a Charlottesville police substation on the University Grounds. I have every confidence that the University will be a national leader in establishing a more secure and supportive place for women on college campuses.

Paul H. Barkley

Falls Church 

Letters to the Editor may be submitted to letters@fcnp.com or via our online form here. Letters should be limited to 350 words and may be edited for content, clarity and length. To view the FCNP’s letter and submission policy, please click here.