Sophie Cocke’s article, “GOP surrogates rally at UH event for Trump and right-wing ideas” (Star-Advertiser, Sept. 21), turns reality on its head.

She said the two speakers invited and funded by the Hawaii Republican Party were victims of threats and attempts to prevent them from speaking. What Cocke woefully failed to report is that at an event promoted by the Republicans as a “free speech” campaign, their speakers belliger- ently prevented dialogue from occurring by verbally abusing anyone who dared to ask them for scholarly evidence to back up their anti-immigrant, white nationalist arguments.

Universities are places of learning and of learned exchange of ideas — not a place to have mindless, often hateful stereotypes accepted without challenge.

Yet, instead of reporting on the many times when people asking questions were belittled, shouted down or even physically intimidated, Cocke simply quoted the Republican Party line that this event was organized “at a time of increased campus censorship by snowflakes with their safe spaces.”

We need journalists who will ask hard questions of those who openly mock students and faculty at the University of Hawaii who tried to do exactly that.

Nandita Sharma

Kaneohe

Click here to read more Letters to the Editor.