During the past few years, conservative students on University of Wisconsin-Madison's campus have been getting their sea legs and embarking on voyages of right-wing monologues. Truth be told, conservative students are not rare breeds. They are just better about hiding their ideology from others. But Darryn Beckstrom (in her Fall Registration Edition 2005 opinion) is right about one thing: conservative students shouldn't have to hide, especially from liberals.

Part of being a liberal is recognizing that not everyone is the same. UW students come from various walks of life and have many different interpretations of those walks. My father, who was a conservative Pentecostal pastor, used to tell us that if you take one scripture and 10 different ministers, you will be given a minimum of 11 different interpretations of that scripture. Our varied paths lead us to varied transfer points in life. These unique stations of existence make life interesting and rewarding. Hearing the points of view of others helps to build a better community.

Conservative students should come out of the closet. Open dialogue between UW's many political and ideological perspectives can only serve to enrich the academic experience. I may not agree with Ms. Beckstrom on many issues, in particular her views on the United States president. However, I will always welcome a spirited debate with her and other conservative students. By exchanging knowledge, we will both grow in our understandings of the world.

In other words, conservative students will learn exactly why they are wrong about so many issues. And I will learn how to forgive them.

Robert C. Fyrst is a senior double majoring in sociology and political science.