TO THE EDITOR:

UNC should hire a full-time Silent Sam public relations/security specialist to deal with the constant controversy of the Confederate monument on campus. Especially because the administration refuses to offer any type of public leadership on this issue, the university needs a specialist who can sit out by Silent Sam day and night to protect the statue and answer all interview and e-mail requests related to the monument.

At one point, the university was spending $1,700 per day to protect the statue, so this position could actually save money. This position would streamline all Silent Sam-related issues and offer a voice of reason and guidance amid these endless debates.

Clearly, the controversy is not going anywhere, even though the war has been over for 153 years and the dead will never return. The university should continue to waste taxpayer dollars to ensure that people have something to argue about online.  

Dr. William Sturkey