LU: No thanks, no lot

By: Darrell Laurant | The News & Advance
Published: August 21, 2008

I was more than a little surprised at Wednesday's decision by Liberty University to close the parking lot at The Plaza to those attending the Barack Obama rally at E.C. Glass.

This seemed to run counter to what I've seen as a trend by the university to involve itself more with the surrounding community. Indeed, LU has already made some moves in that direction, such as allowing local high schools to use its Vines Center for graduation ceremonies.

Wednesday's "Obamashell" was a step backwards.

Of course, the committee sponsoring the event should not have advertised The Plaza as a potential parking space without checking with Liberty first.
On the other hand, it's a Lynchburg tradition to park at the Plaza for events at and around Glass. People do it for the Virginia 10-Miler, the Kaleidoscope Art Show, and any sort of performance in the high school auditorium.

Spokesman Lee Beaumont didn't help by using the excuse that allowing people to park there for this event would jeopardize the college's tax-exempt religious status, Given the political track record of Jerry Falwell and his progeny, it would be very hard to make the case that LU is a foil for Obama.

Beaumont did insist that the school wasn't making a political statement, and I have no reason not to believe him. The problem was, many of the people standing in that line that stretched from the front doors of the school to Jones Memorial Library definitely saw it as a "Republican thing."

"What do you think?" one woman asked, her tone implying that the question was moot.

This wasn't the end of the world for anybody. Those who arrived early wound up parking on side streets near the school, others took shuttle buses from City Stadium.

Still, this was a big, mostly empty parking lot (there's not a lot of commerce to disturb at The Plaza these days) that could have made parking a lot more convenient. LU wouldn't have gained much good will by keeping it open -- most people probably don't even know the school controls the lot -- but the Falwells accomplished the opposite by closing it. And why antagonize people for nothing?

Both Jerry Jr. and Jonathan Falwell are politically savvy. As such, they should know that perception is often all that matters.