Letters: Allowing free speech at Berkeley is better than a brawl

"It is particularly poignant that at the birthplace of the landmark 1960s Free Speech Movement, people cannot peacefully engage in political discussions at a prominent American university without being heckled at and harassed by protesters who claim to be opposed to fascism. Aren't free speech and fascism polar opposites? Gov. Newsom, who is ultimately responsible for the UC system, must do much more to defend peaceful political discourse in that system before our state sadly becomes a national embarrassment of hypocrisy, injustice and chaos."

"It is sad that people like the author of the above opinion piece seem to cry wolf anytime there is a discussion on H-1B issues. What seems to be happening is an overriding corporate interest in keeping the status quo, rather than looking for real solutions that elevate the national interest. We lag behind many other nations in educating our students, leading to a poorly trained populace."

Menacing and sometimes violent harassment of conservatives waiting to enter a campus political forum demonstrates a failure to protect free speech and peaceful political discourse at a major university. The birthplace of the Free Speech Movement should allow unimpeded political discussion without heckling or harassment from protesters who claim opposition to fascism. State leadership, including the governor responsible for the university system, must take stronger steps to defend peaceful campus political activity to prevent hypocrisy, injustice, and chaos. Concurrently, inadequate domestic STEM education forces dependence on foreign skilled talent and H-1B visas. Joint state and industry investment in STEM education at schools and colleges would build needed manpower and reduce reliance on foreign resources.

Read at The Mercury News