To the editor: It is evident that the tragedy that has struck the people of the Gaza Strip and Israel is no cause for ridicule. It is a serious and worrying situation. But the protesters have provoked ridicule. (“Mocking Gaza protesters as 'gluten-free warriors' was fun, until a mob at UCLA attacked them,” column, May 3)
Let's review:
- Pro-Palestinian protesters wore masks from the beginning (and yes, that's cowardice), as some were reported to have blocked Jewish students on the UCLA campus. This is not a non-violent protest.
- Graffiti on the walls of campus buildings with the message “from the river to the sea” is not violent. This is an obvious call for the elimination of Israel and a clear genocidal statement. Those statements echo Hamas's letter calling for the elimination of Israel.
- If these protesters are so concerned about civilian casualties, why aren't they calling for the dismantling of Hamas and the return of the hostages it took during its October 7 attack on Israel?
How about this sign: “Return the hostages. Dismantle Hamas. Stop this war.”
Alan Rubenstein, Encino
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To the editor: Columnist Lorraine Ali mentions comments by Bill Maher and Judith Miller mocking protesters.
Maher mocks campus protests because they seem to find nourishment in strange places. But really, does anyone still pay attention to Miller, a former New York Times reporter?
In the run-up to the Iraq War, Miller claimed that Saddam Hussein was actively trying to make nuclear weapons. Miller also had trouble admitting his journalistic errors, going so far as to say, “I was wrong because my sources were wrong.” Fact checking didn't seem to be his strong suit.
But student protests, especially those that turned violent, should bring back memories in this country. Why did university administrators invite police to their campuses when there was no violence yet? Then at UCLA last week, counterprotesters beat people at the pro-Palestinian camp while police took hours to respond.
Right now, “four dead in Ohio” is still running through my head. In the 1960s and 1970s, students protested an illegal war that sent young people back to the United States in body bags. In 2024, students protest the starvation and killing of people in Gaza at the hands of a corrupt official who would wipe the Palestinian territories off the map if the shackles of civility were removed.
Different decade, same story, and trying to deviate from the reality of the situation with ridicule is not fun.
Kathryn Louyse, Glendale
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To the editor: To quell potential violence, at the first sign of a protest, perhaps universities could mandate that only people with university IDs, other than delivery drivers, be allowed on campus. All others could be excluded as trespassers.
Wendell H. Jones, Ojai
