Letter to the Editor: Bruins must evaluate political discourse with care, compassion

In a letter to the editor in Wednesday’s issue of the Daily Bruin, David Horowitz followed up his inflammatory posters with gross accusations about two UCLA student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Muslim Student Association. As an outsider to our campus, perhaps Mr. Horowitz can resort to fear-mongering and allusions to ethnic stereotypes without needing to live with the impact of his words. But as Bruins we are better than that. As Bruins, we recognize the need to engage in compassionate debate and reasoned analysis without name-calling and demagoguery. Others may try to coarsen political discourse, but I am confident in our students’ ability to elevate it. Despite attempts at provocation, I urge members of our community to embody our True Bruin values and our commitment to respecting the dignity of all members of our community.

Maria Blandizzi,

Dean of students at UCLA