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As a retired Student Affairs Vice President at a public university in the State, I applaud the position taken at UF to allow peaceful demonstrations, but to draw a FIRM line about threats to any individual or culture. I don't agree with the "Culture War" interpretation of it, but that's less important. Such statements should have been promulgated by universities across the country right after the Oct. 7 attack. If university administrators couldn't anticipate what has ultimately transpired on their campuses, they shouldn't be working there. If I had still been working on Oct. 7, I would have been in my president's office the next day promoting, and even writing, a strong statement condemning HAMAS, but clearly spelling out the limits of demonstrations and threats to anyone from either side, and the STRONG action the university would take against violators. Every university Judicial Code in the country contains a statement prohibiting any "threat to the health, welfare and safety" of anyone on the campus...including student groups. And universities shouldn't be hesitant to us it! It only takes quick action and the suspension of the first few violators to send a strong and clear message to others, but one has to have the courage to stand up and do it! And for those non-students who are always involved, a few quick arrests has a way of quieting them as well. Unfortunately, the 3 university presidents who testified before Congress were an embarrassment! They didn't know their Judicial Codes and certainly wouldn't take a strong stand. And look what they got...2 driven from their jobs (legitimately)...and nothing but criticism and shame for their campuses. University administrators across the country were slow and weak to respond and it's led to the current situation of on-line classes, cancelled speakers and commencements and not only disruption of the universities, but society as well. I lived through the campus uprisings of the 60's. There was a lot to be learned! As Andrew Jackson once said, "one-man-with-courage-makes-a-majority." Unfortunately, too few of them on our campuses.

Richard Correnti