I am writing in response to Brian Frederick's op-ed piece that ran in the April 18 edition of The Daily Tar Heel.
I have watched with amusement the happenings surrounding David Horowitz's polarizing ads regarding reparations for slavery. I believe he accomplished what he set out to do: set two sides who have staked out moral high ground against each other.
The DTH should be commended for not staying mute on the issue even if it was jump-started by a media whore from the big city. Shame on those people who expressed such distaste with the issue as to call Matt Dees and the DTH "racist." Once name-calling of that caliber starts, the debate effectively ends. Brian Frederick laments, "The scene was a far cry from an enlightened debate on reparations." To put the blame squarely on Dees is unfair and adolescent.
Horowitz has picked an issue that he knows will get him in the news, on the air and in print. Crafty. Regardless of how I feel about Horowitz or reparations, kudos to Dees for calling attention to a touchy issue.
Being an editor is not about making friends and regardless of where Dees falls on the issue, give credit to him for not playing hard and fast. Give credit for being high-minded and letting voices on all sides be heard.
There will be many more issues as touchy as this to spread across college campuses in the future. Let's hope that there are gutsy editors willing to open their arms to them, and let the chips fall where they may.
Greg Wagner
Chapel Hill
