U of Virginia President Says Canceling 21-Gun Salute Was a ‘Mistake’

The University of Virginia admitted this week that it was a “mistake” for them to cancel the annual 21-gun salute that takes place on campus each year on Veterans Day.

According to a report by Campus Reform, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan has apologized for his decision to cancel this year’s 21-gun salute, which has taken place every year during the university’s Veterans Day ceremony.

Breitbart News reported earlier this month that the University of Virginia had canceled the 21-gun salute over concerns that students would think that the sound of gunfire was a campus shooting. “One is that it would be disruptive to classes and two, unfortunately with gun violence in the U.S., there was some concern that we would cause a panic if someone heard gunshots on grounds,” UVA President Jim Ryan said on November 8.

In a Facebook post made on Saturday, Ryan said that the decision to cancel the 21-gun salute was a “mistake.” He claims that the 21-gun salute will be reinstated next year.

Sometimes you make mistakes. Although motivated by good intentions, I believe we made a mistake this year in excluding the 21-gun salute from our Veterans Day ceremony. Having attended the ceremony, and having consulted with the Commander in charge, I am confident that we can accommodate a 21-gun salute, which had been a meaningful feature of the ceremony in years past. We will therefore reinstate the 21-gun salute next year, and we will make sure to minimize any disruptions to classes and communicate the details of the ceremony in advance. Thanks to all who shared their views about this topic, and my sincere apologies to any who may have doubted our commitment to honoring our veterans, whom we hold in the highest esteem and who deserve our gratitude.

Ryan’s Facebook followers mostly accepted his apology. “Thank you for your honest humility and willingness to change,” one user commented. “You set a great example for the rest of us!

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.