God & Country Triumph

Never underestimate the power of some good, old-fashioned grassroots outrage! After floods of angry e-mails, phone calls and a stern warning from the Virginia House of Delegates, William and Mary has finally asked its president, Gene Nichol, to resign.

Since 2005, Nichol has been a controversial figure for acts such as removing an historic cross from the college’s Wren Chapel. Last week, over the protest of hundreds of students and activists, he allowed the traveling Sex Workers’ Art Show to appear on campus, showcasing prostitution and obscenity.

We applaud the Board of Visitors for heeding the call to reinstate some dignity at America’s second oldest college. Speaking of dignity, the Berkeley, California, City Council has rescinded a letter that said the local Marine Corps recruiting office was an “uninvited and unwelcome” intrusion.

The Council had even provided a reserved parking spot in front of the office for Code Pink, an anti-war group whose mission is to harass potential recruits. The radical city, known for its “hippie-loving propaganda,” erupted into a fierce stand-off between pro- and anti-military demonstrators that at one point drew over 2,000 protestors.

By a 7-2 vote, the City Council retracted its statements but stopped short of apologizing to American troops and their families. As a Marine who defended the very liberty that allows these liberals to protest the war, I will not be satisfied until the Council not only offers our servicemen a public apology but also thanks them for their willingness to sacrifice their lives for the freedom of others.

Tony Perkins is the executive director of the Family Research Council. This article is excerpted from the update that he compiles for the FRC.