To the Editor:
Re “Campus Allies of Palestinians Feel Muzzled” (entrance web page, Dec. 18):
When pro-Palestinian supporters really feel muzzled, afraid to current their views on campus, and Jewish college students, intimidated by pro-Palestinian language, additionally really feel uncomfortable expressing their opinions on the Center East, universities now not turn out to be protected harbors for expression.
When either side are reluctant to precise themselves, stereotypes and exaggerations dominate: Palestinian, anti-Zionist protests are conflated with antisemitism, and Jewish college students’ criticisms of Israel are presumed to replicate a complete rejection of a Jewish state slightly than reasoned criticisms of Israeli insurance policies.
As public opinion students have lengthy famous, in these conditions a spiral of silence develops, during which folks with nuanced views on either side of the difficulty, perceiving their opinions are within the minority, turn out to be reluctant to talk out. In consequence, pro-Palestinian supporters are presumed to harbor extra hostile perceptions of Jews than they really do, and Jewish critics of Israel are considered as complete opponents of a Jewish state.
What outcomes are easy tropes and cartoonish stereotypes that additional polarize the 2 sides.
Richard M. Perloff
Cleveland
The writer is a professor of communication, psychology and political science at Cleveland State College.
To the Editor:
There’s a elementary flaw within the rush to censor pro-Palestinian speech on school campuses. The idea is that if you happen to’re pro-Palestinian, you’re anti-Israeli. That is dangerously fallacious.
Many individuals acknowledge that the plight of the Palestinians lengthy predates the institution of Israel. It originates with the colonial powers and the League of Nations, which had been accountable for the Palestinian mandate that led to the present geographic inequities.
Being pro-Palestinian is and ought to be in regards to the horrendous circumstances a folks have needed to endure for generations. It’s in regards to the denial of primary human rights, not political posturing.
Each story has two sides. Supporting one facet doesn’t routinely imply condemning the opposite. The problem is methods to rectify the present scenario the place each events have official points on the desk.
To disclaim college students the liberty to help the Palestinians is a tragic, simplistic, knee-jerk response to a posh scenario. It’s potential to be each pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli. Till the powers that be acknowledge that, we’ll proceed to be a humiliation to the idea of freedom and the rules of free speech.
Dennis B. Appleton
Madison, Wis.
To the Editor:
Re “The Problem With Campus Speech Codes,” by James Kirchick (Opinion visitor essay, Dec. 14):
Mr. Kirchick argues that schools and universities ought to impose restrictions not on hateful speech, however on injurious actions motivated by hate.
Does this imply allowing a campus rally by Hitler supporters or the Ku Klux Klan? Is that this actually the form of factor our establishments of upper training should tolerate? If I perceive Mr. Kirchick accurately, as long as a speaker doesn’t instantly incite his viewers to violence, he ought to be allowed to advocate genocide. How can this be?
Absolutely, if uttering a demise risk in opposition to a person just isn’t protected by the free speech precept, then calling for the extermination of all Jews or all Blacks (or some other group) can also be unprotected. We’re not speaking right here about censoring equivocal slogans like “from the river to the ocean.” We’re speaking about specific advocacy of mass homicide. If that’s not past the pale, what’s?
Stephen L. Newman
Toronto
The author is a professor emeritus of politics at York College.
An Unfounded Hillary Clinton State of affairs
To the Editor:
Re “A Wrong Way to Save Our Democracy,” by Ross Douthat (column, Dec. 24):
In Mr. Douthat’s “counterfactual,” Hillary Clinton refuses to concede and insists that the 2016 election was invalid. In his situation, Mrs. Clinton goes on to foment a riot, and the protesters storm the Capitol and overwhelm law enforcement officials in an try to cease the democratic course of from going ahead and by some means set up her as president with none authorized course of to take action.
As a liberal Democrat, I state with full confidence that, opposite to Mr. Douthat’s argument, Democrats wouldn’t have continued to help her. She would have rightly gone to jail, Republicans would have used this to argue that she was only a felony all alongside, and 0 Democrats would have continued to help her if she had tried to run for president once more. Zero.
There actually is a substantive distinction between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats imagine in democracy. Republicans don’t. And we all know that as a result of, from gerrymandering to poll entry, Republicans are regularly doing all the things of their energy to subvert democracy to retain their maintain on energy whereas Democrats do all the things of their energy to uphold democratic rules.
Josh Pepper
New York
Touring for Abortions
To the Editor:
Re “Texas Proves Abortion Ban Exemptions Are a Sham,” by Michelle Goldberg (column, Dec. 13):
As Ms. Goldberg makes clear, the case of Kate Cox reveals that even exemptions to abortion bans are a fraud, and excessive insurance policies like these are harmful for folks’s security. Not solely does the state’s hard-line method to abortion create inhumane circumstances, nevertheless it additionally forces folks to journey for care — as Kate did. Meaning an excellent higher want for sensible help organizations, which assist folks with the transportation, baby care, lodging and any extra help they should entry care.
Kate’s scenario was significantly dire and was rightfully given a variety of nationwide consideration, however 1000’s of individuals each single day have to journey lengthy distances for abortion take care of myriad causes.
As The Times recently reported, regardless of a cascade of abortion bans which have taken impact since Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortions really elevated barely, partially due to broader entry to telemedicine and mail-order abortion capsules, but additionally as a result of the straightforward reality is: When clinics shut, folks will journey.
That’s the reason sensible help organizations, which assist folks get to and from the clinic with security and dignity, want help now greater than ever. As conditions like these and 1000’s of others present, folks might want to journey for care till abortion is on the market and inexpensive all over the place.
Marisa Falcon
New York
The author is the founder and government director of Apiary for Sensible Help, which assists organizations that assist folks touring for abortion.
Analysis on Morning Illness Reveals Gender Bias
Let’s simply begin with the popularity that circumstances like hyperemesis are worthy of research and funding for analysis. The science neighborhood must do higher!
Andrea Stuart
Jersey Metropolis, N.J.
The author is an authorized doctor assistant.
