Dear UF President Kent Fuchs,
Indivisible UF, a student group, was appalled by your announcement earlier today about Richard Spencer speaking at our university.
Imagine our surprise, after watching the events unfold in Charlottesville, Virginia, that one of the instigators of those violent events will be allowed to speak at UF. Although we agree that we must respect everyone’s First Amendment rights — even those who we vehemently disagree with—we cannot fathom allowing the views of someone who calls for violence to be catered to here.
You mentioned in your letter that UF values respect and inclusion. We have to ask, in what way is permitting Richard Spencer, a known instigator of racial violence, in line with those values?
In summary, we respectfully request that UF prohibit Richard Spencer from using our institution as a pulpit from which to spread his message of hate and to incite violence within our community and nation.
Sincerely,
The students of Indivisible UF
Sophia Eikenberry and Jeremy O'Brien are UF sophomores and co-founders of Indivisible UF.
