In response to Mike Curley's letter ("Letter wrongly assumes all PSU whites 'racist,' " Jan. 27):

The old saying, "It is better to sit there and look stupid than to open your mouth," has no place in a setting of higher learning, especially when it concerns such a serious issue.

We are all in college and therefore should be able to have dialogue without the thought that, if someone does not agree with you, they will call you a name.

Curley is a journalism major and as one, I am sure he knows that words are powerful. As a future journalist, he knows that his words will have an impact on his readers, like his letter had an impact on me.

Curley wrote, "I am sure Gray would agree that it is wrong to label all African-Americans as a group... ," and he is right.

But the rest of his statement troubled me: "... and to assume that they all smoke marijuana, drink malt liquor, and love watermelon and fried chicken." In 2004, it is wrong to perpetuate these stereotypes.

I don't know Curley, and I doubt that he is a racist. But from reading his comments, I have to assume that this is how he feels deep down about blacks, even if he does not realize it.

We all should want social change, but by giving life to racist sentiments, by putting them in your letter, you are hindering that process.