Letters

QUOTE/UNQUOTE "Katyal's defense of an Al Qaeda suspect this spring was uncannily similar to lawyer (and second U.S. President) John Adams' defense of the British soldiers in 1770 after the Boston Massacre." TYLER STABLEFORD '96

Justice for All?

HATS OFF TO NEAL KATYAL '91 FOR standing up for freedom and American values before the Supreme Court this spring ["A Patriot's Act," July/Aug],

The Bush administration would like Americans to conveniently forget that our country was founded during a time of war, with "enemy combatant" Redcoats on our soil, invading our homes. It was exactly this period that convinced the Founding Fathers that we needed a strict code of freedoms, including protection against unwarranted searches and the right to a fair trial.

Katyal's defense of an Al Qaeda suspect this spring was uncannily similar to lawyer (and second U.S. President) John Adams' defense of the British soldiers in 1770 after the Boston Massacre. At the time many American colonists were swollen with patriotism and wanted to hang the British without a fair trial. Adams believed that the British deserved a balanced defense before a jury. He faced widespread disdain from his revolutionary peers, including his cousin, Sam Adams, and received threats against himself and his family. Later in his life Adams remarked that defending the British soldiers was "one of the best pieces of service I ever rendered my country."

Heartfelt congratulations to Neal Katyal, a true American patriot.

Carbondale, Colorado

THERE ARE THOSE OF US WHO would argue that illegal combatants have no rights and thus no argument is valid in defense of something nonexistent.

Centerpoint, New York

WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL THE clueless Katyal that Gitmo POWs have no rights? Your story would more properly be titled "A Traitor s Act."

Cincinnati, Ohio

Get Out the Vote

JUST AS OUR FOUNDING FATHERS moved to pass the Constitution of the United States with the foreknowledge that no precedent-setting document is perfect, responsible Dartmouth alumni understand that the majority of the alumni body seeks prompt action to enable them to collaboratively address important issues with President Wrights administration ["A New Constitution," July/Aug],

Washington politicians have no lock on filibustering. It is time to take action. A vote for the proposed constitution is a step toward a transparent operation of an association of alumni that is poised to provide the most thoughtful, broad-based counsel in the history of the College.

Lyme, New Hampshire

ALTHOUGH FRANK GADO '58 is A gifted writer, he attempts to be an even better manipulator when arguing against the proposed constitution. Using catch phrases such as "inner circle" (twice), "docile alumni body," "repeated the ploy," "clever scheme," "shuffling control" and "old council of old boys" to name a few, Gado hopes to scare alumni into believing there is a secret pact to control alumni trustee elections by a small group of alumni and the College administration.

There is no ulterior motive by the alumni governance task force (AGTF). This is a bipartisan group of alumni who have worked long and hard to develop a new constitution that is fair to all alumni and to the College. Alumni trustee elections are difficult to structure, but the new process is designed to find and elect the best possible candidates and to keep the process open to all alumni who might be willing to be considered for service.

Dartmouth is one of the few educational institutions that offers its alumni the opportunity and the responsibility to elect a significant number—in our case, 50 percent—of people who will set policies for the institution. Alumni who are interested in preserving this right should do two things. First, familiarize themselves with this new constitution and vote for or against it with an open mind. Second, when the next trustee election comes, they should participate in the voting process. I intend to support the new constitution, and I will vote.

Hanover

I FIND IT IRONIC, EVEN BAFFLING, that Frank Gado stands opposed to a new constitution specifically designed to give him, and other alumni who care enough to make their voices heard, a golden opportunity to finally get involved in the alumni governance process. If the new constitution is approved, he and other concerned alumni will need only 50 signatures to run as petition candidates for a seat on the assembly, the alumni liaison board, the nominating committee or the balloting committee— opportunities that do not exist at all under our current, much less democratic constitution.

Having been elected to membership on these bodies, Gado (and others) would be empowered to make certain that the pitfalls he imagines will be present under the new constitution are scrupulously avoided. Alumni have rightly been crying out for greater democracy, transparency and opportunity for participation. The new constitution finally provides the chance to truly get involved and make a difference, rather than simply continuing to lob verbal grenades from the sidelines. Gado and like-minded alumni should vote "yes" and go for it!

Norwich, Vermont

Editor's note: The writer is a member ofthe alumni governance task force.

Local Knowledge

I WAS PLEASED TO SEE DAVE ORR '57 featured in the July/August article on class reunions ["Campus"]. I roomed with Dave in 101 South Fayer weather our sophomore and junior years. At our 10th reunion I was surprised to find that my wife and I were assigned to that very room. When I mentioned it to Dave the smile on his face was proof that he had arranged the whole thing.

South Harwich, Massachusetts

Food for Thought

Two OTHER REASONS FOR LEARNING foreign languages that Professor Rassias didn't mention ["Speaking in Tongues," May/June]: One finally understands the grammar of English and can step out of the Anglo bubble customarily provided for Americans traveling abroad.

On a recent tour of a Middle Eastern country, I would have given anything to have been able to speak more than a few phrases with the natives.

When eating out, I repeatedly got things I hadn't meant to order. I once tried pointing to the falafel pita pocket a female tourmate had just received. This elicited a storm of semi-understandable English, something about "woman's portion" and (I think) the need for a man to eat a healthy meal. Without the linguistic chops to carry my point, I had to accept a falafel wrap the size of a mans forearm. I ended up eating a lot of "healthy" meals in that country.

Tallahassee, Florida

Dangers of Excess

IN "DRINKING IT IN" [JAN/FEB] AND in his book Binge: What Your College StudentWon't Tell You, Barrett Seaman writes on an issue with which I have been concerned for 25 years. The book describes the culture of drug and alcohol use in an anecdotal but accurate way. Binge opens up discussion, but in my view, we must decide that excessive drug use is bad.

The nonsmoking movement in airplanes, public buildings and other places did not move forward until everyone, especially nonsmokers exposed to smoke, became convinced that tobacco was poisonous. We do not have as yet that reaction to drugs and alcohol. Mature judgment on this issue should be part of the Dartmouth educational process.

After reading the March/April issue of DAM, I suggest that professors with those students who may be hungover and apparently then of limited educational capacity ["Campus"], assign two items of reading: Peter Jaquith's story of battling the chemical dependency demons to a draw ["D is for Denial"], and the moving eulogy to his son by Jim Bildner'75 in his Class Notes.

Minnetonka, Minnesota

Man Among Men

MY GRANDFATHER, A MAN OF Accomplishment, told me that Matt Bullock ["An Ivy League Pioneer," Sept/Oct 2005] was the most respected member of his class of 1904. In the early 1960s my grandfather took me to meet Bullock when both were in Hanover. Mr. Bullock was in his early 80s then and still physically impressive. (I estimate 6-foot-5.)

I was also impressed by his kind, gentle and respectful manner. I can understand how he would leave a most favorable impression on any he encountered and on the football field particularly.

Weld, Maine

QUOTE/UNQUOTE "Two other reasons for learning foreign, languages that Professor Rassias didn't mention: One finally understands the grammar of English and can step outside the Anglo bubble customarily provided for Americans while traveling abroad." DWIGHT KINGSBURY '74

Write to Us We welcome letters. The editor reserves the right to determine the suitability of letters for publication and to edit them for accuracy and length. We regret that all letters cannot be published, nor can they be returned. Letters should run no more than 200 words in length, refer to material published in the magazine and include the writer's full name, address and telephone number. Write: Letters, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, 7 Allen Street, Suite 201, Hanover, NH 03755 E-mail: DAMletters@dartmouth.edu Fax: (603) 646-1209