Masks and civil disobedience

Letter to the editor in today's New York Times:

To the Editor:

Akosua Barthwell Evans, a 1968 protester at Columbia, states: “Times have changed, but I have a lot of respect for the protesters who are using peaceful means to fight injustice and who have the courage to take personal risks to try to make a difference in the world” (“Witness: Portraits of the People Living the News,” Sunday Opinion, May 5).

There is no courage in hiding behind masks as many of the recent protesters have done. There is no bravery in demanding that there be no punishment for breaking the law or violating campus policies and causing many others to feel intimidated or uneasy, as so many of the recent protesters have asked for in their “demands.”

Civil disobedience means one is willing to accept the consequences for one’s actions and let the chips fall where they may.

Nathaniel Helfgot

Teaneck, N.J.