Conservative Misunderstood

To the Editors of The Crimson:

Jake Stevens's recent letter to the editor (October 7) grossly misrepresented Conservative Club speaker Paul Cameron's proposed solution to the AIDS problem, as well as distorting the Conservative Club's reasons for inviting Mr. Cameron.

First, Stevens's allegation that Cameron advocates the summary execution of homosexuals could not be further from the truth. In fact, in his presentation, Cameron expressly rejected the "China Solution" of execution as morally repugnant. In fact, it was his repudiation of this option that moved him to consider the quarantine option as a drastic, but possibly necessary step to undercut the pressure for even more Draconian measures.

Second, the Conservative Club did not invite Cameron on the basis of his professional medical credentials alone. While not necessarily endorsing Cameron's viewpoint, the Conservative Club nonetheless felt that discussion of the AIDS issue, in the context of the grave threat to public health which AIDS represents, is a service to the Harvard community.

Finally, we find Stevens's comparison of the Conservative Club leadership to the Nazis particularly ludicrous and inappropriate. His suggestion, even though it be partially in jest, that the Conservative Club be quarantined reveals Stevens's chilling lack of tolerance for others' opinions. Stevens compares the Conservative leadership to Nazis, but it is he who through his manifest lack of respect for dialogue, represents the greater threat to democracy and free speech at Harvard. Thomas M. Clark '85   Vincent T. Chang '84