Sky Patterson is unequivocally right when she writes that being a political minority on Northwestern’s campus is not equivalent to marginalization by our society, and she describes powerfully the differences between the two. She may also be right that there are Republicans who need to hear this message. But they are not at Northwestern.

I’m a fourth-year member of College Republicans, and my views have shifted greatly in the years since I’ve come here. My experience interacting with, and in some cases, advocating for, students with marginalized identities has opened my eyes to the ways in which students can experience oppression, both at Northwestern and outside it. But it hasn’t changed my mind about the proper role of government in society, and it certainly hasn’t shifted my strong and deeply held conviction that students at Northwestern would have a far richer intellectual experience if they experienced a greater diversity of viewpoints. My fellow College Republicans have views as varied as one political party could possibly experience, but no one has ever expressed a wish for conservatism to be seen as a marginalized identity. We do not view ourselves as such, and we don’t wish to be seen that way. Many of us strongly reject the language of marginalization and victimization, which we believe conflicts with conservative values; why would we want to adopt those phrases? Others, like myself, recognize the role of societal oppression in students’ lives, but also realize that our own experience does not compare.

I fear that students are distorting the call for more political diversity and respectful political discussion on campus, which has certainly been a view expressed by Republicans, into a desire to co-opt the language of marginalization and oppression. Patterson’s op-ed creates the impression that there is some sort of movement to adopt the marginalized title. I cannot say this strongly enough: This is unambiguously false. Expressing frustration and anger at Northwestern’s culture is not the same as saying that we’re marginalized. I have never thought of myself as a victim or as oppressed, nor have I ever seen any other Northwestern Republican voice this view.

We’re not asking you to condone racism and sexism, or to uncritically accept conservative points of view. Instead, all we ask is that you listen to us before shutting us out; that you seek out other points of view and opinions before hardening your own; that you consider the value of intellectual and political diversity in enriching your college experience. My time here has been greatly enhanced by listening to and carefully considering different, often diametrically opposed, political opinions, and all I want is for all students to be able to experience the same. We’re not marginalized or oppressed; we’re just students who are asking to be heard.

Lauren Thomas

Weinberg senior