To the editor,

You’re going to have to trust me on this one; there are more than zero conservatives at Case Western Reserve University. I can’t provide anything more than anecdotal evidence for their existence. They might have good reason to be reluctant to stand up, and they do not owe it to anyone to be counted to determine their worth. Nonetheless, I know and admire several of this rare breed. Much to the chagrin of the Radical Student Union, there are some capitalists, bible-belt conservatives, libertarians or war hawks living among us. Why, then, does the political movement of the student body as a whole seem entirely liberal?

Suppose me this; a conservative student opens up The Observer each week to see half a dozen liberal writers spray antipathy at Congress. Chalkings around campus advertise revolutionary meetings and general resistance, and their friends post pictures from protests across Cleveland. They can only look on as the Undergraduate Student Government advocates for a “sanctuary campus” by an almost unilateral vote. Liberal student groups outnumber conservative groups by count and attendance. Is this student likely to espouse the free market, restraint in social progress or empowered state governments then?

I count among my friends several who feel the heavy glare of the liberal majority on their back. They see conservative or moderate viewpoints shouted down regularly, and then do not stand up to defend themselves. They’re not even as conservative as many might think; maybe they just want reduced entitlement spending or tighter immigration controls. There’s plenty of space to argue these topics, but startlingly little debate.

No one at CWRU wants to make America a worse place, and I’m convinced that if we focus on what conservative and liberal alike can agree upon, much progress can be found. Appreciate the similarities, talk through the differences over a meal, and be generous with judgement on perceived slights. They probably didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, so never forget that we’re all on this boat forever. To be prudent in changes to CWRU, to ensure that the spirit of democracy and plurality survives, conservative voices on campus must be heard.
Steve Kerby