Letter to President Nichol from proud parent

A proud parent has sent the following letter to President Nichol and with permission is published here.

Dear Sir:

Sometime in October 2006 you ordered that the Wren Cross, which had been displayed on an ongoing basis on the altar in Wren Chapel since the 1930s, be removed and be used henceforth only for "appropriate religious services". You confirmed this order in an email to the College community on October 27, 2006.

I am sure you are well aware of the historical significance of the Wren Cross, and the Christian values upon which the College of William & Mary was founded. Those same beliefs and values are in fact the basis for the founding of our great Nation. It has become commonplace in the academic world to not only be an "apologist" for Christianity, but in many cases to ban Christian symbols and practices from the campus environment. Many college administrators are openly anti-Christian, favoring any and all other groups no matter how obscure they may be. Recently there have been several incidents at Columbia University in New York, in which open hostility has been permitted by the administration against those who express political or religious values that are not acceptable to the "ultra-left" factions at that institution. I must say that the College of William & Mary was the last places I would have expected to witness an action such as yours. This could be considered the beginning of a "slippery slope" to follow the patterns of institutions such as Columbia University...

My eldest daughter is a graduate of William & Mary, and it brings my wife and I great pride, in that she had the opportunity to attend an institution that should be considered a National Treasure. The symbols and icons of revered places are to be treated with respect, and not to be pawns in a game of political correctness...

I, along with thousands of others, petition you to rescind your October 2006 order and return to the policy that had governed the display of the Wren Cross prior to your inauguration as the 26th President of the College on April 7, 2006.

Sincerely,

Roderick T. Macleod