Student safety on campus is a valid concern. So, it’s dangerous for all students when a few allow themselves to be exploited by some off-campus extremists who use one neo-Nazi speaker to cast a cloud on the Pacifica Forum.
For five years, Pacifica has been the target of local Eugene Zionists who want to silence programs that are in defense of Palestine and critical of Israel. I remember from having attended in early years. Were programs ever critical of Israel’s militarism? Yes. Were they anti-Semitic? Absolutely not.
The hidden critics of Pacifica are intimidators who use lies to suggest Pacifica is a danger to minorities. Yes, an isolated individual has on rare occasions expressed isolated statements of bigotry. But they do not reflect policies or beliefs of Pacifica.
The real danger from reactionary charges of bigotry is to freedom of expression. Pro-Israel extremists have done this and continue to do it by deluding some students into paranoia.
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