Editor,
Across the country, college campuses are seeing a troubling rise in charged and sometimes aggressive pro-Palestinian rhetoric that has contributed to an unbalanced, often hostile environment. This issue directly affects our region; thousands of students from our communities attend UC campuses and universities nationwide, and the climate they encounter matters deeply to the families who send them there.
Colleges should be places where complex issues are examined with rigor, empathy and respect — not environments where intimidation, harassment or ideological absolutism take root. Yet activism increasingly crosses the line from protected expression into disruption. During Cal Day, for example, protesters prevented the chancellor from speaking for nearly 20 minutes, leaving visiting families to witness disorder instead of the values of a premier institution.
There is also a growing inconsistency in how free speech is interpreted. Certain narratives are fiercely defended under the banner of “rights,” while counter-perspectives are quickly recast as harmful.
Rejecting such tactics is not about suppressing debate; it is about preserving the principles that make higher education possible: safety, civil discourse and intellectual integrity. Universities must draw a clear line between peaceful expression and actions that glorify violence or isolate entire communities. Students deserve campuses where they can learn and question without coercive pressure.
Families also play a role by helping students build the courage to think independently and ground their views in personal conviction and critical reasoning. Protecting these values is essential for universities nationwide and for communities like ours in San Mateo County.
Richa Awasthi
Foster City
The letter writer is the former mayor of Foster City.
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(1) comment
Thanks for your letter, Ms. Awasthi. I’d recommend passing legislation, with penalties, for UC campuses who allow rhetoric to rise to unbalanced, hostile environments. Sure, we can call out UC campus (and others) for their behavior but what’s going to stop them from continuing? We need to follow Trump’s tactic of withholding funds or enacting other penalties for the behavior of some of these campuses. If not, expect the rhetoric to become even more unbalanced, if not more hostile. Meanwhile, I'd recommend parents and potential students look to other colleges.
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