To the author of "Conservatives are the group in the closet" (April 8 column): First, I will say your column is well written. Thank you for your opinion. However, you make generalizations that are not representative of all liberals. I am liberal. I am not gay, but I do not condone discrimination against homosexuals. I participated in the Day of Silence, but I certainly do not scream at or "name call" any conservatives. I enjoy open, reasoned discussions with conservatives, many of whom are good friends.

The phrase "that's gay" may not silence homosexuals. Referring to homosexual students as "faggots," however, is certainly a means of silencing them. Would you make your sexuality known if you would be called "faggot"? No; you would feel silenced. Here, it is the conservatives who are calling people names.

I share this because it happened in my residence hall. There are conservative students who displayed your column on their door; they have not been silenced. However, a homosexual student on the floor has had his whiteboard altered and his event advertisements destroyed; this as an attempt to silence him.

Finally, there are campus organizations supporting conservative views, such as the College Republicans and College Libertarians. John Stossel, a libertarian, came recently to speak about the "Enemies of Freedom."

Wednesday night the Objectivist Club sponsored a pro-war speaker in a speech titled "How the 'peace movement' created modern terrorism."

We must not silence anyone, conservatives included, but it is equally important to recognize that a real silencing of liberal students occurs on campus everyday. Please do not ignore this reality.