OPINION:
I always feared that at some point manipulation by adults would contribute to the worst kind of behavior in the younger generation (“Columbia University cancels main commencement after protests that roiled campus for weeks,” web, May 6).
The Biden administration’s weak foreign policy, such as wavering support for Israel and appeasement to Palestinian supporters of Hamas in this country, including those on college campuses, is the main catalyst.
More than 1,200 Israelis were killed or kidnapped on Oct. 7, with 133 still being held as hostages. I have told students that the nationwide anti-Israel protests make no mention of these vital points, and that taking part in them means supporting the actions of Hamas. I can only imagine the disappointment of parents paying expensive tuition upon learning that their children are involved in supporting terrorist activities and the colleges they are financially supporting are hiring professors with confirmed antisemitic views.
It’s disappointing that Palestinian and other Arab students who have been given educational opportunities and scholarships in the U.S. are choosing express their appreciation by chanting “Intifada” and other anti-Jewish rhetoric. This cultural hatred makes voters such as me less sympathetic to Palestinians’ struggles.
These students and their supporters have little regard for the rights of others, as they have disrupted commencements at the University of Michigan and the University of South Carolina. I’d planned to attend the latter to support a graduating relative, and she is heartbroken over the cancellation. I’m beginning to understand why Arab countries such as Egypt refuse to accept Palestinians as citizens.
The naivete of college administrators and numerous liberal donors, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, as well as numerous politicians and media members claiming First Amendment protections, is alarming. My mother, who grew up in the Jim Crow era, is saddened to hear so many young people with so much hatred. She thinks the Rev. Martin King Jr. would agree.
At this point, university administrations have lost all credibility as providers of leadership on their campuses, so it’s up to us
to provide some type of guidance to these students — such as the message that participation in these protests will affect their future career options, and not in a good way.
GREG RALEIGH
Washington
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