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Dear Berkeley Students: An open letter (Public Comment)

Alexandra Grayner, UCB Class of 2007
Thursday February 02, 2017 - 09:50:00 AM

Most of you did not participate in the violent and destructive acts on Wednesday evening, and many of you are just as angry as me -- a concerned alumna. Nevertheless, in the coming weeks and months, you will have the unfortunate experience of being associated with these acts simply because you are a student at Berkeley.  

Your job now is to foster the environment on your campus where the violent behavior we witnessed last night is unacceptable. This is your university, so protect it. And not just from violence. You must also protect the free speech that previous generations of Berkeley students fought for -- on the same Sproul Plaza that burned last night.  

Do not be the infamous campus that shuns conservative ideas -- even if they are repugnant to your core values. Hate speech is the burden of free speech. And however disconnected you may feel to the events of last night, it is your responsibility to prove to Berkeley alumni that you will be the guardians of our free speech movement.  

I suggest you do so by inviting Milo Yiannopoulos to speak on campus. This would demonstrate the students’ continued commitment to free speech, and you can always have a peaceful protest outside.