Student Government Leader Caught Lying to Potential Donors

Other student leaders praise his motives

Prominent student government members' rationalizations for Ray [name omitted]'s actions are even more disgusting, alarming and revealing than his fraud itself. I have no illusions that by writing I can change the minds of such people -- after all, I'm only an alum, who can be lied about and lied to when it might possibly further someone's version of the public interest. But I think the incident helps remind the rest of us what sort of people end up making decisions in government and in powerful, vaguely "public-interest" organizations. People who think they can break civilization's basic rules because they are pursuing a vision of the common good end up wreaking far greater destruction than those who simply steal stuff because they like it.

These people's amoral, irresponsible culture of mutual admiration represents a significant failure of the law school to make them fit to be lawyers or citizens. I know the Legal Skills professors work hard at this, but I guess with some people they really never had a chance.

In a few years, many of Ray's defenders will be in important positions in the government, the bar, and the courts. Who knows how much stuff will then go on that no one will ever hear about because they will quietly approve of it but will think the rest of us wouldn't quite understand? All I can do is urge them to move to New York when they graduate, because Virginia is too old-fashioned for them and means to stay that way.

John Crouch
Arlington, Virginia