"3.

114.

tendency, but it certainly is no crime.

A clear-cut distinction should be made between a orime (defined as an injury inflicted against society) and unconventionality. Breaches in convention may appear childish or ridiculous in some cases, but they certainly do not warrant the cruel and unusual punishments that are meted, far out of proportion to the act.

The cult of conformity itself remains to be questioned. The human race may be compared to a giant organ of a million musical stops, each potentially of great beauty. Yet our mores and customs will condemn the personality to such mutilation, changing him from a human being into a 'type', according to race, occupation or sex. Those who depart from the rules are punished for the 'crime' of not behaving like a typical Negro, professional worker or feminine woman. The homosexual world is as guilty as the rest, when they would confer the straitjacket of 'Butchhood upon its embryo members. Perhaps the time is not ripe to preach autonomy and creative living, for the Barbarian still walks among us as legacy from the past ages. May it be that sometime, in the not too distant future, a fifth freedom shall arise: 'The right to be ourselves!''

B.S., San Leandro

"I am much impressed with THE LADDER. It differs from other publications in that it is reportorial of things that you are actually doing. And the doing seems to be of value to your group and to whatever of the general public you can meet. Your programs are apparently well thought out and of great value from a group therapy standpoint. Keep up the good work and count me among

your friends."

A.B., San Francisco, Calif.

THESE ARE LETTERS EXPRESSING THE OPINIONS OF OUR READERS. IN THESE COLUMNS YOU ARE OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY WHAT YOU THINK AND FEEL. DO KEEP SENDING THEM IN!

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