Punishment Will Fuel Intolerance

This is a note in response to Gavin Steckler's article titled "To Two Harvard Students" (February 24.) In it, he tells the story of how he and two friends, all gay, went for pizza at Tommy's and were harassed by two apparently straight, possibly inebriated and intimidating students.

In response he has decided to report them to members of the administration for disciplinary action as "a matter of standing up for [himself] and other gay people...who could just as easily be threatened [by harassment]."

First, I think that the fact that Steckler and his friends were subject to abuse is awful. There's no excuse for it. Everyone has the right to an opinion, but to harass others because they live their life in a way you may find objectionable is unacceptable.

What I object to almost as much as the harassment, however, is the way Steckler has chosen to deal with it.

Beyond my grammar-school instinct which says to me that telling on people is just no good, it is my strong belief that no real progress will come of the administration punishing these two people. They will likely only get more angry and less tolerant, and they will not reflect on what they have done.

If, on the other hand, Steckler and his friends sat and talked with these guys, I think they could significantly alter their perspective. In my own case, knowing gay people and hearing about abuses they've suffered has really opened my mind. I now recognize how wonderful loving relationships are took me a while (and some gay people who were generous with their time) to come around.

Outside of my immediate family, the environment I grew up in was largely intolerant of gay relationships. I heard jokes about "fags" every day, and I told my share. Maybe with a little help, those who harassed Steckler would rethink their positions.

Am I being to naive? I don't think so. To Steckler, I would simply say that being courageous and taking the high road by talking with these guys will probably do a lot more good than making examples of them.

Maybe they will be afraid to harass again, but their feelings and capacity to hurt people won't go away. --Joe McCannon '99