To the editor,
How horrifying it is to witness the decimation in Gaza. How extraordinarily unbearable it must be for Palestinians in the U.S., including university students, to witness the atrocities in their homeland and worry about the safety and survival of their relatives and friends.
They count over 50,000 Palestinians dead, the majority of whom are women and children; they count over 120,000 Palestinians injured; they see the land destroyed by bombs; they hear reports of rampant starvation and see emaciated babies and children on TV; they know the U.S. government is continuing to send military aid to Israel; and they protest.
Protesting the policies of the Israeli government does not make them anti-semitic, it makes them human. Freedom of speech, assembly and press are protected by the 1st amendment of the U.S. constitution for everyone in the United States, citizens and non-citizens alike.
The worries of international university students are now compounded by fear of arrest, expulsion and having their student visas revoked. My one hope is that universities will protect their students as they endeavor to protect their families and their homeland.
Respectfully,
Devon Hildreth
