'Not Protesting' 

Editor:

Regarding the Pro-Palestinian protests at Cal Poly, my perception is that there exists an arrogant, myopic attitude on the part of many of these protesters ("In Defense of the Occupation of Siemens Hall," May 16).

Protesting is a viable action and I fully support its value, but barricading and vandalizing the infrastructure is not protesting; it's a hostile and destructive and dangerous takeover. I lived through the Vietnam protests at my alma mater through the late '60s and early '70s and believed our voices, bullhorns, signs and mass gatherings were effectively "heard" by the powers-that-be. Many of those protesting during that era were not current with all the politics that brought us to Vietnam but they were certain they didn't support the so-called validity of the reasons given.

It's a no-brainer that the expulsion of Palestinians from what is now Israel was going to result in an unimaginable amount of resentment and violence. Offerings have been made to the Palestinians to control their populations, but when religion, culture and political ideologies collide, chaos, bloodshed and unspeakable atrocities fill the void. What's to be done? Netanyahu and his supporters vow to never accept a two-state solution. Trump, when he was president, gave him the green light when he stated: "A one-state or two-state solution makes no difference to me." So, yes, we are complicit in spite of the current pragmatic sentiments of many on both sides of the issue here and abroad who are paying attention with horror to the daily body count.

It just might be time to wake up and realize that the approach to the Israeli/Palestinian issue should not be the occupation and vandalization of campus properties, but through channels that will change the mindset of many of the central characters in Israel and Palestine. That being said, some incredible epiphanies are going to have to be born in Israel, the Arab world and in the western countries who are helping to fuel the annihilation of Gaza and the wholesale slaughter of its occupants.

Albert Curtis, Eureka