Ending Hate Speech 101: Univ. Presidents Fail Again
Listening and watching the news in America these days, I believe I am better able to understand the emergence of Nazism in Germany (“Par for course at Hate U,” Caitlin Doornbos, Dec. 6).
Every day, as we sit in our homes, I hear a vocal, racist element supporting the elimination of Israel. The police stand back as protesters block traffic and halt commerce. Educated university leaders of respected institutions appear incapable of ending, or unwilling to end, threats. Physical attacks are increasing.
While there are good people in government and the media who are speaking out, their voices are dwarfed by fascistic antisemites and the leftwing media.
I ask myself: Where will we all be a year from now?
Yakov Moshe
Brooklyn
The three college presidents — Claudine Gay (Harvard), Liz Magill (University of Pennsylvania) and Sally Kornbluth (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) — should all resign over their shameful handling of how their universities are dealing with antisemitism.
If they have the temerity to refuse to quit, they should be fired and replaced.
As a professor, I am proud that New York City College of Technology, with support from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, is sponsoring an exhibit entitled, “Americans and the Holocaust.”
Perhaps these three university presidents should visit our exhibit and see how we are standing up to antisemitism — and all forms of hate — that are unfolding at this moment in time.
Martin Garfinkle
Staten Island
These administrators’ shameless responses insult the American public and do nothing to encourage the pursuit of higher education.
Kudos to Rep. Elise Stefanik for exposing their bias.
Jerry Chiappetta
Staten Island
Three university presidents testified before Congress about the pervasive antisemitism at their schools, which has caused many Jewish students to fear for their own physical safety.
All evaded straightforward questions, invoking “context” as an all-purpose dodge. Don’t they know that incitement to genocide is a crime? Their platitudes were a portrait in cowardice.
David Rabinovitz
Brooklyn
The presidents of these once-distinguished universities should be ousted today. Them serving as leaders of educational institutions is detrimental to the student body on so many levels, it’s almost impossible to list.
They have forgotten their important place in higher education and have succumbed to woke ideologies.
Doc Ludemann
Bridgeport, Conn.
The explosion of antisemitism throughout our exalted universities is an example of history repeating itself.
One needs only to look back at pre-Holocaust Europe, when benches were established in some European universities to segregate Jews from other students. Both verbal and physical attacks on Jews were tolerated, if not encouraged, by university leadership.
The actors may be different, but the script remains entirely unchanged.
Sheldon P. Hersh
Lawrence
I am glad that Harvard’s president has made an about-face and claims that the university would punish genocidal calls against Jewish students (“Harvard late to game,” Dec. 7).
In my opinion, it is all just talk.
If Harvard is to be believed, it should publish a list of antisemitic students to verify punishment, and that list should be routinely updated.
Only if something like this happens can we accept Harvard’s word that it is taking steps to protect their students.
Ezra Ini
Forest Hills