To the Editor:

I write to correct to Davi Bernstein’s description (“Yale professors doubling as thought-police,” 12/2) of the response to Glenda Gilmore’s editorial posted in the online discussion forum. “One poster called her a ‘slut,'” he said. In fact many more called for far worse responses: hate speech so offensive that no newspaper could print them.

I propose that the Yale Daily News screen the online postings before they are posted to ensure that they are not “objectionable, false, or poor taste” (the language on the masthead).

As long as the News’ posts first and reads later, anyone writing a letter to the editor leaves him/herself open to scurrilous attacks in the online discussion forum. I feel strongly enough about this issue to write this letter but I can fully understand the decision of anyone who chooses not to deal with the News until it changes its hurtful policy.

The end result of the Yale Daily News’ current policy? Fewer people contributing to the exchange of ideas on campus.

Valerie Hansen

December 4, 2002

The writer is a history professor and director of graduate studies in the history department.