Stand up to bullying

Re: Here’s where Laurier can stick its apology. Christie Blatchford, Nov. 22

I highly commend Christie Blatchford and Barbara Kay for their thoughtful assessment regarding the inquisition of graduate student Lindsay Shepherd by the administrators at Wilfrid Laurier University. It has been a very long time since I attended one of our esteemed Canadian universities, but thinking at these institutions has changed, at first slowly and now at an accelerated rate.

No longer is free speech encouraged or even tolerated. The multitude of committees, tribunals and kangaroo courts in our universities are succeeding in bullying and stifling individual thought, suppressing free thinking and expression. I only hope that more students take up the gauntlet that Ms. Shepherd has thrown down and give her their support. She is a courageous young person and I wish her well.

Joel Abrams MD, Toronto

Bravo to Lindsay Shepherd and to Christie Blatchford for their scathing retorts to the bullying and assault on free speech she experienced at WLU. I too agree that WLU can stick its apology where the sunny ways don’t shine. It

alarms me, as the mother of two university students, that this assault on free speech is taking place across campuses and shaping their young minds toward one-sided ideologies; alt-right or left.

I hope all Canadian universities are taking notice and taking names. Debate, discourse and dialogue are what is needed now not the harassment, bullying and silencing.

Enough is enough.

Jennifer Mazzarolo, Ancaster, Ont.