A Thought On A Saturday Night

Charlottesville

July 25, 2025

The second week of July, I mailed a note to Jim Ryan thanking him for his leadership of UVa. I thought in many ways he had done a fine job and certainly was popular with most students from the indications I had. I did not expect a reply — but I received the above note card in the mail today. I was impressed. Sure it’s typed (but personalized) and his autograph is not original. But dang, someone took the time to recognize my note. Well done.

I have strong feelings and thoughts about how Ryan’s resignation came about. He who has the gold makes the rules sucks as a way of coercing compliance. If merit, excellence and intelligence gets us the sort of leaders we have now in DC, no thank you.

I think the UVa Board of Visitors is in a tricky situation. How far right a president are they going to approve? Are we going to see the Ten Commandments posted in every classroom? Jefferson would love that (joking).

We’ve become a country divided by the extremes. Woke becomes bad because it is regarded as too progressive. Whereas I know I’m woke (and proud to be) because I believe I have become much more aware of other perspectives and the assumptions inherent in how I see the world. I am comfortable that I can very well be wrong with my perspectives and assumptions and welcome challenges to those. I know I am lucky to have the time to think about such things.

Enough heavy thoughts for a Saturday night.