To the Editor:
After reading Andrew Ryan's letter in the April 23rd issue of The Dartmouth, I felt that I must take up the challenge and say something. Mr. Ryan makes numerous statements with which I disagree, which is fine. However, as a human being and as a man who strives to be"good" I cannot read Mr. Ryan's statement that "... all men think like our brothers at Zeta Psi ..." without responding. The implication is that all men are some sort of ugly beasts ruled by their sexual desires. If, as Mr. Ryan states, "the women of Dartmouth are finding out that men are men," then I must not be a man. Since I am quite sure that I am male, I must disagree with Mr. Ryan's assumptions of what it is to be a man. A man does not have to be controlled by his hormones. A man does not have to focus on unwholesome thoughts and desires. I believe that any human being can exercise self control, and that learning to do so is part of becoming a mature adult male, or "man."
To me, a man is a person who has control over his emotions and passions, who is able to conduct himself with honesty and respect for others. This does not mean he is perfect. However, it does mean he has raised himself above the animal level that Mr. Ryan reduces us to. I do hope, somehow, that Mr. Ryan meant to say that we college men can improve on our current levels of maturity. Still, I can't sit here and let him reduce masculinity to gutter level. I expect more of us than that, and I'm not the only one.
