To the editor: California is aware of fault traces. They run beneath us, unseen till strain builds and rupture comes. At the moment, UCLA finds itself on one — dealing with a political earthquake that would shake the state.
The federal authorities has frozen greater than half a billion {dollars} in UCLA analysis funding, conditioning its launch on a $1.2-billion settlement, restrictions on admitting foreign-born college students and compelled launch of personal scholar and school information (“Listed below are the main points of Trump’s $1.2-billion name to remake UCLA in a conservative picture,” Sept. 15). These calls for aren’t simply largely unenforceable — they’re additionally chilling violations of free speech and educational freedom.
By tying funding to phrases no public college may settle for, Washington places lives in danger. It’s not theoretical; progress on most cancers therapies, Alzheimer’s care and extra will stall, with sufferers throughout California bearing penalties.
Like a fault line rupture that destabilizes a whole area, this ultimatum dangers shaking the cornerstones of California’s public well being and universities.
The tremors have begun. Now, we should defend our foundations — or look ahead to collapse.
Jeff Seymour, Westlake Village
This author is co-founder of the California Coalition for Public Greater Schooling.
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To the editor: Thanks for printing the extortion calls for aimed toward UCLA from President Trump’s administration. I’m not going to get into particulars of the hypocrisy of an administration accusing UCLA of violating civil rights because it rounds up individuals as a result of they resemble a selected ethnicity, opposite to what the 4th Modification of the Structure dictates. And I’m not going to linger on the concept that if affiliation is now proof of guilt, then Trump’s courting of a white nationalist and an antisemite at a 2022 dinner at Mar-a-Lago could be in query.
I’m merely going to spotlight one salient issue within the extortion demand, a method that I realized on the identical faculty that’s now being hit up for $1.2 billion. Based on the Los Angeles Instances, the ransom notice states that the administration can come again for more cash and make extra calls for: “The Trump administration says that though the proposed settlement would resolve present federal investigations of UCLA, it will not forestall authorities from enterprise future investigations, funding cuts or lawsuits.” In different phrases, the deal is just not a deal, however probably the primary of a cost in a safety racket by an administration that’s wanting extra like a gaggle of organized criminals and fewer like an administration serving its residents.
Fred Burgess, Camarillo
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To the editor: Absent from the article about Trump’s assault on UCLA was any point out of the extremely related Sept. 3 ruling by U.S. District Choose Allison Burroughs in Harvard’s go well with in opposition to the administration. Her ruling pertains solely to Harvard — and it’s value noting that Harvard is a non-public college and UCLA is a public one, making the conditions a tad bit totally different — however the situations nonetheless exactly mirror those Trump is attempting to impose on UCLA.
Fantastically written, reasoned and documented, and utilizing Trump’s personal phrases in opposition to him, Burroughs identified that Trump’s allegations of antisemitism are a mere pretext to impose unconstitutional restrictions on Harvard’s proper to determine whom to rent, which college students to confess and what to show. She rejected Trump’s try to dictate the ideological make-up of Harvard college students and school. She famous the worth of primary scientific analysis for America and that crippling science does nothing to cut back antisemitism.
I hope her ruling is giving Gov. Gavin Newsom, the UC Board of Regents and the UCLA authorized group the arrogance and braveness they should reject Trump’s bullying extortion.
Peter Coonradt, Redlands
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To the editor: “Justice calls for a shift in UCLA values” as a result of the Division of Justice underneath the Trump administration is aware of nothing of “True Bruin Values.” Effectively, right here they’re, as described on UCLA’s web site: respect, accountability, integrity, service and excellence. One who has no familiarity with these values can simply demand a shift. However there are millions of us UCLA graduates and much more beneficiaries of its analysis excellence who reside by these values and now encourage the Board of Regents to stay steadfast to our values but once more.
Vickie Ahumada, Oceanside
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To the editor: This motion by the Justice Division, most likely on Trump’s and/or Deputy Chief of Workers Stephen Miller’s direct order, is pure extortion. It seeks to shove a extremely conservative cultural shift down the throat of a significant liberal arts college. It establishes wildly intrusive federal controls at a number of ranges.
The place is the “freedom” of expression that MAGA adherents declare to worth so extremely? The place is the outrage about “cancel tradition”? Is each college going to should shift from range, fairness and inclusion to uniformity, inequity and exclusion and again once more each time occasion management of the White Home adjustments?
These calls for are an expression of sex-obsessed Christian Nationalism, submission to Israel and aggressive authoritarianism, approaching totalitarian management of schooling. It’s insulting, offensive and politically harmful. I might slightly see UCLA shut down than substitute MAGA fealty instead of enlightenment ideas of human cause, skepticism towards authority, particular person rights, societal enchancment and dedication to empiricism instead of dogma.
Gary Stewart, Laguna Seashore
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To the editor: So not solely is Trump and his DOJ making an attempt to extort $1.2 billion from a taxpayer-funded state college, however he needs to inform that college’s college what to suppose and educate? Sounds downright un-American to me, and as a type of taxpayers, I say UCLA ought to reject these calls for on the strongest of phrases. I might a lot slightly have my tax cash spent on legal professionals to defend the college than undergo this abomination. Trump ought to converse to the Israeli authorities about ceasing its slaughter of males, ladies and kids in Gaza slightly than whining about antisemitism at UCLA.
Artwork Peck, View Park
