Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Profs Demand University President Stop Quoting Jefferson At His Own School

A group of 469 professors and students at the University of Virginia (UVA) are calling for the school’s president to stop quoting school founder Thomas Jefferson, on the grounds that Jefferson was a slave owner.

In a post-election email to the UVA community, school president Teresa Sullivan included a Jefferson quote saying that UVA students, “are not of ordinary significance only: they are exactly the persons who are to succeed to the government of our country, and to rule its future enmities, its friendships and fortunes.” Sullivan encouraged modern UVA students to “embrace that responsibility.”

But some at UVA say that quoting Jefferson in such a manner is completely unacceptable.

“We would like for our administration to understand that although some members of this community may have come to this university because of Thomas Jefferson’s legacy, others of us came here in spite of it,” the public letter says. “For many of us, the inclusion of Jefferson quotations in these e-mails undermines the message of unity, equality and civility that you are attempting to convey.”

More

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ugh, ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

Lionel fredrick
Guilty of extortion bye bye thug.

Anonymous said...

How about once and for all forgiving Jefferson his sin and appreciating what he did for the nation?

Anonymous said...

One more example why Trump won the election. Political correctness has affected humans ability to reason. If you disagree with his views, don't work/attend that college. You are not enslaved to be there.

Anonymous said...

This PC crap really needs to go away. Wouldn't surprise me if ALL who signed the Declaration of Independence or EVEN has been a prior President did something that doesn't ring "politically correct" in today's society.

Anonymous said...

It is acutally hilarious!

How stupid can they be?

Steve said...

When you are a competitive businessman in a society that owns slaves, you need to own some to stay competitive. Then, the Society changed itself.

It's done. It's over. It's our history.

What POSITIVE thing are you going to do tomorrow that will improve our society even more?

Bitching about the past isn't going to improve anything.

Anonymous said...

12:57 PM - Although it sounds like the Christian and rational thing to do, some just won't let it go. It was almost 200 years ago, and his extended vision for America had nothing to do with the fact that he owned slaves.
My family came here in 1830 from Ireland as indentured servants, escaping the slavery that England had put upon the Irish in 1494.
Abject poverty, starvation, no education and a forced language change were just a few of the injustices. America offered an escape, although not without a price. My great, great, great, grandfather endured twenty years of backbreaking labor in the mines before he was offered his freedom. His sons served the Union in the Civil War, and their children and children's children went on to be successful citizens. He died in 1872, knowing that the sacrifice he made was worth it.

Anonymous said...

These people are radical Communists and are aided by the media.

Anonymous said...

Hello UVA alumni,you watching this?