To the Editor:

Re: “Loud and Clear,” Opinion, Feb. 23

I find it somewhat troubling, but unfortunately not surprising that the editorial staff of this paper decided to applaud the actions of NYU students at the end of last week. Students forcefully taking over a building should not be an acceptable form of protest, just like tearing down a display on the Arts Quad or burning copies of the Cornell Review are not appropriate ways to express your opinions.

The best leaders of social movements in history have been peaceful and non-violent, not those who “barricaded themselves inside with a list of demands,” destroying property and injuring security personnel along the way. NYU is completely in line by not rewarding these students by fulfilling their demands. Regardless of the validity of their message, it saddens me to see The Sun in support of means of protest completely in opposition to the academic environment where any person, pro-Israel or pro Palestine, should be able to feel safe from violence and suppression of their ideas.

Andrew Loewer ’09

President, College Libertarians at Cornell