To the Editor:
There is a difference between empty rhetoric and persuasive logic. It is incumbent on the Dartmouth student body that it distinguish between the two when dealing with the type of propaganda that Jon Sussman pushed on us in his letter to the editor in "The D," Oct. 16.
Mr. Sussman hides behind murky phrasing and roundabout structure to conceal the fact that his arguments are patently ridiculous.
Mr. Sussman expounds much energy denouncing a system he is in no way compelled to support or patronize. More disturbingly, though, several concrete flaws are at once obvious to the shrewd reader of Mr. Sussman's letter.
It would be absurd, perhaps, to suggest that the Greek system exists solely as an entity of good citizenship. It would be even more wrongheaded, however, not to take the messages of "Greek Week" at face value.
While community service and good grades are nearly universal constants within the Greek system (as evidenced by the advertisement that Mr. Sussman so unconvincingly disparages as "divisive"), there remains a dearth of evidence to suggest that all participants in the Greek system are necessarily united in their misogyny and abuse and degradation of women.
So while Mr. Sussman would rather have us hug trees, light candles and sing songs in denunciation of the Greek system, I propose that it would be far more mature to encourage the Greeks in their effort to reclaim an image that has been sullied (deservedly) by a small group of ignoble individuals.
Meanwhile, I'd appreciate if Mr. Sussman would tell us how good grades and good deeds "divisively" differentiate the Greeks from the unaffiliated student body.
