Left-wing hijacking 'Occupiers'

Re "UCD protest tells Katehi: Resign" (Page A1, Nov. 22): As with most of the political discourse in this country, the focus of this movement is being hijacked by the most radical fringe of society. The Occupy debate has mainly centered on the legitimate concern about the growing disparity between rich and poor and the "Wall Street" financial institutions which maintain the status quo.

Activist professors, Mark Merin, the ACLU, and their radical left-wing supporters are determined to turn this into a fight about police brutality and free speech. As stupid as the pepper-spraying action was, this will just turn more Americans against the Occupy movement. Most people feel that public "camping" should be banned and don't see how a UC chancellor is to blame for the arbitrary actions of a single police officer. May cooler heads prevail.

– Paul Denzler, Lincoln

Defense of police mind-boggling

Re "Police acted reasonably" (Letters, Nov. 22): It is very disheartening to see letters in The Bee in support of the vicious action taken by UC Davis police last Friday. The videos speak for themselves – violence was perpetrated against a non-threatening group of people by the police.

I don't care who the victims were, what their ideology is, or who is viewing this, it is simply stunning that anyone could agree with what occurred. Those who support this violence against the students (or this type of violence against any group of people) have lost their moral compass.

– Patrick Huber, Davis

Katehi, police chief must go

Re "Inquiry of UC cops ordered" (Page A1, Nov 21): Because of her gross failure of judgment, Chancellor Linda Katehi's students were brutalized and UCD has suffered incalculable damage to its reputation. The bad judgment persisted for most of a day as mealy-mouthed statements came from the administration. Katehi must go, and so must the UCD police chief.

– Peter Kazaks, Ph.D. UCD 1968, Davis

Wait for all the facts

Re "UC must make amends for use of excess force" (Editorials Nov. 21): In Oakland, Mayor Jean Quan unduly criticized the Oakland Police Department for their actions against violent protesters. Now it seems the UC Davis Police Department is being thrown under the bus based on a video.

The video shows a police officer pepper-spraying seated protesters. It does not show what action the officers took to get the protesters to comply before the incident or what the protesters may have done. Besides verbal commands, pepper spray is the lowest level of force an officer uses to get a person to comply with lawful orders.

The actions of the police do not seem excessive. The press and government officials have a duty to get the facts before rendering judgment.

– David Halley, Winters

Aghast? Not really

I was aghast at the vicious, brutal and inhuman treatment of the UC Davis protesters. No, wait! They were asked to leave; they were told they would be forcibly removed and then they were peppered-sprayed.

They weren't dragged by their hair; they weren't beaten with batons or hit with truncheons. So used to living in the digital game world, playing angry birds on their iPhones, the new generation can't accept the reality of real-life consequences.

– Joe Dobrowolski, Fair Oaks

Costly show will boost fees

Re "UC struggles to balance free speech, campus safety" (Page A1, Nov 22): What parts of "free speech," do "civil rights" attorneys Mark Merin and Jeffrey Kravitz or columnist Bruce Maiman fail to understand? Are "protesters" the only ones with the right to speak or assemble? Nobody held those students down and "forced" them to be pepper-sprayed. Nobody infringed on their right to free speech, or to protest or to "peaceably assemble." I've been pepper- sprayed. You can still talk. You can still breathe. You can still "peaceably assemble." But, your ability to attack others (or should I say "occupy" others), including those assigned to clear the tents, is greatly diminished.

Guess what, students, your fees are going to go up because of this "show," and because of subsequent actions by folks like Merin and Kravitz. Now might be a good time to demonstrate at their offices, so that they might better understand the definition of "peaceably assemble."

As UC Berkeley, philosophy professor John Searle rightly opined, "nobody was killed, nobody was hurt and no major disruption of university activities occurred." Sounds like everybody won except for taxpayers, that is.

– Richard W. Copp, Sacramento

Free speech for police

If the loonies blocking passage on the UC Davis campus is "free speech," then the police pepper-spraying them is their free speech way of saying, "Excuse us, but many people need to get by and you're blocking them."

– Emory John, Lake Shastina

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