Letters to the Editor | May 9, 2024

Should protecting freedom of speech trump all other interests on a college campus, or is there a limit? This question remains as the encampment at the University of Pennsylvania enters its second week. I understand that delicate balance, having worked in university administration and student affairs for 23 years.

Many forget that freedom of speech is not a free ticket to say anything you want without consequences. When the needle bends into harassment, the situation changes.

Penn is also a private institution of higher education, with an obligation to fulfill its primary function of educating students in an environment free from discrimination and identity-based harassment.

Penn’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors has misguidedly asserted that the university is quelling open expression by asking protest participants to confirm they are Penn students. Requesting IDs is a reasonable measure to confirm university affiliation and protect the safety of students.

Balancing the free speech interests of protesters with the civil rights and safety of all students on campus does not diminish free speech; rather, it ensures a safe and conducive learning environment for all students to engage in meaningful dialogue and debate.

Andrew Goretsky, regional director, ADL Philadelphia

Responding to Kyle Sammin’s May 6 column, I would clarify two points. First, the rioters of Jan. 6, 2021, never simply “ran out of energy and left” the U.S. Capitol, but they continued their rampage until President Donald Trump finally asked them to go home. Secondly, they were not aiming “just to make their point,” but they were actually striving to block the peaceful transfer of power after our democratic election. And so far from engaging in a peaceful protest, they threatened the lives of our congressional representatives and vice president while inflicting serious injuries on members of the police forces who fought bravely to protect those officials along with our democratic system of government.

Lynne Caldarone, Haverford

While news that the WNBA will begin full-time charter flights this season is surely a positive development for WNBA players and coaches, and for basketball fans, a small, sobering, inconvenient truth should be noted: The average annual salary of a charter pilot is around $120,000, while a WNBA player’s average salary is around $113,000. The phrase “necessary but insufficient” comes to mind.

Louis Greenstein, Pleasantville

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