Letter to the Editor: Standing Strong on Editorials

To the Editor:

Re: “Protecting Our Independence,” Opinion, April 27

I fully agree with the Sun’s April 27 editorial. The Sun’s ringing defense of free expression is even more commendable when juxtaposed against a quote that appeared on this very editorial page two years ago: “We deny that Cornell should provide such unrestrained First Amendment rights to its students in the first place.” (“To Eliminate Discrimination,” Opinion, Feb. 11, 2010)

I understand that an organization like the Sun faces challenges in terms of institutional memory, and I know that nobody on the Editorial Board in Feb. 2010 remains on the board today. But the Classes of 2012 and 2013 are still on the Hill. Friday’s editorial would have carried a lot more weight had it explicitly repudiated the position adopted by the 127th Editorial Board. Going forward, I urge the current Editorial Board to adhere to the unequivocal stance it took on Friday for the remaining ten months of its term — no matter what circumstances or events may take place. Any retreat, however slight, would be a signal to the Cornell community that the only free expression that’s truly important to the Daily Sun is its own. I trust that isn’t the case.

Matt Carberry ’03