
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 10, 1991                   TAG: 9102110262
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TECH MAJORITIES PORTRAYED AS GOONS

THE "INTOLERANCE on Campus" series has struck again, and again has exposed the vast majority of Tech students as the miserable bigots we are.

Get serious. The paper first championed the cause of black students on campus, and now waves the flag of the gay and lesbian community. To bring to light the problems of a small segment of the school is not in itself irresponsible, but to attack the majority while doing so is.

I do not deny that there are those in Blacksburg, as anywhere, who believe and even promote stereotypes based on race or sexual preference. These beliefs, though, are not printed as fact in this newspaper. In contrast, on separate occasions the Roanoke Times & World-News has allowed the entire white and straight communities to be portrayed as angry, unthinking goons ready to harm anyone different from ourselves.

Both "intolerance" articles lamented the lack of political power wielded by the two minority groups, and decried their troubles in getting their voices heard. At Virginia Tech, each group makes up less than 10 percent of the student population; and upon review of the political system in force in the United States, I notice that no group that small is entitled to a great deal of influence.

With the second article, it is noted that this is part of a series. Whom else do I hate? I can't wait to find out. BRIAN MICHAEL SHEPARD BLACKSBURG

by CNB