LETTER: John Fry embarrasses F&M

"I have a simple question for F&M President John Fry and for the college's academic deans.

"F&M offers degrees in Government, Public Policy, and Pre-law. Exactly what are you teaching students in those majors when you violate the Constitutional rights of a local newspaper?

"When a major national political event is held on your campus, and for petty,
personal reasons the college president has barred Ron Harper, co-publisher of the
Lancaster Post, from campus, what are you communicating to your students?

"It is one thing to ban Mr. Harper from being a gadfly to John Fry, although even that looks pretty childish at this point. But it is quite another thing to prevent the man from doing his job and deny The Lancaster Post its guaranteed freedom of the press to pursue election coverage.

"You are planning to open a brand-spanking new Government and Public Policy Center, and I believe have engaged G. Terry Madonna to give a well known, respected face to your new endeavor. Too bad there is egg on the face of that department, and, Mr. Fry, you put it there."