As a student who is very supportive of initiatives to make our student body more diverse, I agree wholeheartedly with Vincent Capanelli II, Nicholas Abramson, Rebecca Langer and Aviva Fink that discrimination against and intimdation of conservatives at Brandeis is disturbing and unacceptable. Democrats and progressives must make a collective effort to ensure that these types of incidents don't take place in the future.That said, progressives cannot resolve the problem on our own. Last semester, while running for Student Union Vice President, I was slandered by prominent conservatives on campus, who called me an "ardent opponent of Israel" for no apparent reason. What was particularly disturbing about this incident was that I am an active Zionist, indicating these people's lack of respect for diversity of opinion. Meanwhile, this semester, the Brandeis Republicans have flooded the campus with signs quoting Ann Coulter, who is, frankly, a racist. After the election, the Republicans have put up signs gloating about President Bush's re-election: what purpose, other than inciting Democrats, these signs were intended to have, I cannot imagine.

If these Republicans want diversity of opinion at Brandeis, they would do well to follow the example of my conservative friend Herschel Hartz, who in The Justice expressed his thoughts on the need for all of us to come together. Or of another conservative friend, Jon Sherman, who (though I disagree with him on many political issues) eloquently expressed his views on BTV.

An important part of ensuring that diversity of opinion can survive on our campus is for all of us to be respectful of others, regardless of whether or not we agree with their beliefs. Progressives have a tremendous role in accomplishing this--and we, as a whole, are far from maintaining this respectful attitude--but we can't do it without conservatives also making an effort.