Jacob Martin’s meaningful piece, “A call for campus-wide attitude makeover” (10/4/13, p.7) refers to freedom “from the fetters of self.” Martin is right. That is essential to create a true community.

Poet W.H. Auden (1907-1973) blessed rules “that forbid automatic responses, force us to have second thoughts, free us from the fetters of self.” Teaching at CWRU since 1994, I have encouraged myself and others to make those rules our own.

Cordially,

Laura Y. Tartakoff
Department of Political Science