THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 6, 1995 TAG: 9509060006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
I'm amazed that so many people missed the real issues regarding Shannon Faulkner's saga. They wanted Ms. Faulkner to fail and rejoiced when she decided to leave The Citadel. However, she did not fail; the year of fighting for her cause took its toll. Faulkner is not superhuman; why, then, would we expect her to be?
How many of the ``rejoicers'' have been involved in a case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court? Those who have are rarely strong individuals. Rosa Parks once said that she wouldn't give up her seat on that bus because she didn't want to and didn't think that she should have to - not the voice of a great thinker or strong leader, but the voice of a simple person who felt that she had a right when the powerful said she did not. The U.S. Supreme Court provides a fair hearing to the weak and powerless; historically white males and huge corporations have not needed more power.
While many men have endured and graduated honorably from The Citadel, this country is not great just because of that fact. What makes it great is that people like Shannon Faulkner, Rosa Parks, Norma McCorvey. et al., decided that something was wrong and tried to make it right.
CHARLES F. WOODSON
Norfolk, Aug. 29, 1995 by CNB