"So what will happen?"

This letter appeared in Monday's Lewiston Tribune:

Re: "WSU professor may face reprimand" [article, Dec. 10].

Washington State University President [Lane] Rawlins tries to convince the reader that he is responding to the incident where a professor (John Streamas) used a vulgar racial term during a political demonstration on Nov. 2. Rawlins said: (1) Streamas is likely (emphasis added) to get a reprimand. Is he getting a reprimand or not? And (2) "His (Streamas') comments were totally inappropriate and I think he knows that." If Streamas thinks his comments were inappropriate, he has not said that publicly.

To summarize, the major questions remain: Will Streamas apologize for his statements, and will there be any consequences for a faculty member who calls a student a white (expletive)?

WSU's attempt to obfuscate the entire situation is further supported by the fact that the Rawlins interview appeared late Friday night, after print media had gone to press.

Sid Houpt

Pullman

So what will happen? Nothing, of course. Conservatives don't riot or protest.