The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

Harsh reality bursts liberal bubble

IT'S EASY to put on a drab suit, gather in Newcomb Plaza, and praise presidential candidate Bill Bradley for supporting welfare. Many University liberals did this Tuesday and many more "limousine liberals" have built their stock portfolios and appeased their consciences doing similar things. The problems these liberals solve are foreign to them. This lack of knowledge is noticeable and the destitute have every right to point that out once in a while.

Occasionally, one of the destitute gets into Newcomb or another sacred part of the University community. Sometimes, this person isn't wearing a U.Va. Staff uniform. When this happens, our message is clear: "If you look like a pigeon, and smell like a pigeon, you shouldn't try to mingle with us doves. We'll call you when your services are required."

The majority of the time, the outcast heeds this message, and returns to Fifth Street or the Downtown Mall. Occasionally, however, this message gets old, and he may react negatively.

Last week's reported robbery at Lambeth Field Apartments is an example of how our collegiate safety bubble can burst. Our response to the robbery and many other crimes against students: safety seminars run by residence staff and University Police.

This is pathetic. We're all well educated, but we're not smart enough to figure out that we need to lock our doors. We put The Club on our steering wheels and stay out of shady areas of Charlottesville, but we're offended that we have to lock our doors before we go to bed.

The community should learn to laugh at its elitist rhetoric and tendencies or accept the consequences for not doing so. If the consequences are like last week's alleged burglary, we're getting off easy and we shouldn't overreact by building forts in front of the dorms. Some angry Charlottesville residents will resent the fort and drive over it anyway.

Much of the good that University students do would not be possible without the bubble-like atmosphere the school affords us. Hundreds of students wouldn't be able to support Charlottesville through Madison House, this column wouldn't run, and politicos couldn't pad their egos in front of the University Democrats. Bubble-like atmospheres make these things possible, but do they indirectly cause the problems philanthropists are trying to fix?

Charlottesville's per capita income is $12,928. Conversely, the University's Capital Campaign raised over $1 billion - almost two times what all Charlottesville residents earn in a year. This may not be upsetting, but it's definitely frightening.

It should be frightening enough to elicit change. Not revolutionary change, but gradual change. We shouldn't try to earn $200,000 so we can give Poor Joe five dollars. Rather, we should stop calling him Poor Joe until he can earn those five dollars himself. More importantly, we should stop congratulating ourselves for pitying Joe. The last thing he needs is pity.

Wednesday's disaster in Lambeth has shaken us up. Nonetheless, University safety seminars won't stop students from believing in their God-given right to safety. It will probably take a more tragic incident to convince us that we're not immune to violence.

If it happens, there will suddenly be a University task force on safety and our e-mailboxes will be full of warnings. We'll talk and write about how terrible it is that we have to worry about such things in beautiful, happy Charlottesville. Then we'll get in our Pathfinders, and cut somebody off on University Avenue. Heaven forbid we should be late for our volunteering.

(Chris DelGrosso's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily.)

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