December 10, 2024
Dear Faculty Senate members,
We are deeply troubled by the attack on Regent Acker’s home in the early hours of Monday morning this week, a frightening escalation of earlier vandalism. This week, someone smashed the front window of Regent Acker’s home and spray-painted his wife’s car, scaring the family inside, including their young children.
The spray-painted message suggests that the assailants feel justified in an act of political violence against an elected representative because the Board of Regents has denied requests to divest from companies implicated in the production of weapons used against Palestinians. We reject this reasoning. Violence begets violence. Treating any human as a virtuous sacrifice to greater goals is still a crime. It is cruel and inhumane, and involving children makes it particularly upsetting.
The most fundamental condition at any institution of higher learning and any healthy democracy is that we must address political conflict through open debate. Even when faced with disagreement or apathy, we must deal with problems through sustained verbal argument, reasoned opinions, and demonstrated facts. Protest is a legitimate tool to voice dissent, but violence is not.
We express deep concern for Regent Acker and his family.
Sincerely,
The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA)
Approved by SACUA on December 10, 2024