Several of the statements in Roland McLean’s column on July 27 were factually incorrect or grossly misleading.

According to Condoleezza Rice’s public Facebook post on May 3, 2014, the invitation to speak at Rutgers was not rescinded. Rice declined to speak, stating, “I understand and embrace the purpose of the commencement ceremony and I am simply unwilling to detract from it in any way.”

According to the Daily Northwestern student newspaper from May 27 2016, Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry removed himself from the running for the job of executive director of the Buffett Institute for Global Studies.

Although technically correct that Virginia Tech rescinded an offer to Jason Riley to speak, the president later reversed his decision and invited Mr. Riley back to campus.

Black Lives Matter is an organized social movement (unlike the skinheads) with named leaders and an official website. According to that website (http://blacklivesmatter.com/), the first guiding principle states that the movement is “committed to acknowledging, respecting and celebrating difference(s) and commonalities,” and the second states that members “are committed to collectively, lovingly and courageously working vigorously for freedom and justice for black people and, by extension all people.” In truth this movement goes beyond having tolerance for those with a different color of skin.

Mr. McLean uses a recent study from Harvard to state that, “The mass media and the Obama administration push the agenda of victimization of blacks by the police, disregarding the facts.” The very study he cites states, “On non-lethal uses of force, blacks and Hispanics are more than 50 percent more likely to experience some form of force in interactions with police.”

Many of the other statements in McLean’s piece are also questionable, misleading, and, in our opinion, representative of systemic racism. We believe strongly in freedom of speech and the right of all sides to express their opinions. However, we also believe in a thorough examination of facts in our community press.

Jordan Fields and Joseph Puglis

Glenwood Springs