Fear and Loathing in a Presidential Salute
Dershowitz: “I was upset listening to the remarks of Megha Vemuri at MIT’s commencement”
I was upset listening to the remarks of Megha Vemuri at MIT’s commencement. Her statements include antisemitic views, and many Jewish students and alumni — such as myself — feel threatened and excluded by her and the atmosphere on campus. A speech about the current situation in the Middle East that doesn’t mention Hamas, Jews, or Oct. 7 is a perversion of the data. As an MIT student, she should have learned that ignoring selected parts of a complex problem can amplify her bias into simple antisemitism.
She asked that graduates turn their Brass Rats to the outside world and take responsibility. I am doubtful she will look outside to the fear that she has fomented and take responsibility for the damage she has caused.
Free speech is critical to universities and MIT has a poor history around these freedoms. A 2022 report by Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found that 40% of 195 faculty surveyed believe that it is not clear that the MIT administration protects free speech. But, that is not only recent policy. As a student, I was charged for showing a film and argued extensively with the administration to try to change content based censorship policies (as is well documented here in The Tech).
Speech can often be offensive, but the right to express horrible views is still worth protecting. Back in 1977 Nazis wanted to march in Skokie, Illinois, at the time a home to many Jewish Holocaust survivors. The ACLU successfully fought to protect their right to march. With that perspective, I hope that Ms. Vemuri is not further punished for her offensive words, and instead that they just help to demonstrate the double standard that is applied against some groups and not others.
Her words are similar to those reportedly of the killer of a Jewish couple in DC several weeks before her speech. And days after there was an attack, with a yell of “Free Palestine,” against Jews on a peaceful walk calling for the release of the hostages held in Gaza. Perhaps Ms. Vemuri didn’t look outside MIT enough to realize that her words could be heard as a call to burn Jews in Colorado?
I believe in her right to speak words that hurt me, both as an individual and a representative of the class of 2025. Nevertheless, I fear that her words will only act to validate more antisemitism on and off campus, as well as to encourage further the federal administration’s inappropriate actions against MIT and other universities under the guise of preventing antisemitism.
I hope that Ms. Vemuri will accept responsibility for her hateful speech, yet I hope that the only direct effect on her is limited to damage to her reputation. Speech like hers should not lead to silence and fear, but instead needs to be called out for the antisemitic message that it is grounded in.
Hate will be Ms. Vemuri’s enduring public message about MIT.
Adam Dershowitz ’89, MS ’91, PhD ’98 was Course XVI. He is now a Senior Managing Engineer at Exponent where he uses his expertise in aircraft and spacecraft systems to consult on accidents and other system failures.