It's not just our friend Christina Hoff Sommers who frightens and offends the denizens of the American campus.

Now, 500 members of the University of Virginia community, including students and at least one faculty member, have formally asked the president of the University to refrain from quoting Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father and also the founder of the university, in email communications.

Apparently, U-Va President Teresa Sullivan email after the presidential election was the final straw.

Reason magazine reports:

"For many of us, the inclusion of Jefferson quotations in these e-mails undermines the message of unity, equality and civility that you are attempting to convey," read the letter.

Jefferson owned slaves and committed atrocities "against hundreds of human beings," according to several professors who signed the letter.

"The point is that the move that says, he owned slaves, but he was a great man, is deeply problematic, and I think it will continue to prevent us from being the kind of inclusive, respectful community that President Sullivan and the rest of us envision," another professor told The Cavalier Daily.

Reason patiently explains what was once really quite simple to understand back when we could examine mildly complex ideas:

But… Jefferson did own slaves, and was also a great man. That may be problematic, but it's undeniably true. Jefferson is an important historical figure responsible for a number of praiseworthy accomplishments, and also a flawed human being who mistreated a great many individuals, in accordance with the standards of the time.

Slavery was an awful system which the United States fought a bloody war to end it.

But I would be careful about applying  the word "atrocities" to any actions of Thomas Jefferson.

I would be especially hesitant to do so if I were receiving a first-rate education in a famous public university founded by Jefferson.

In fact, if you really believe what the letter says, doesn't it obligate you, Signers, to leave the university for a less ignominious place? No? Well, I suspected your convictions didn't extend much beyond writing a ridiculous letter.