Politics Should be Open to Public Comment

To the editors:

Re: “Unfunny Girl,” column, Oct. 25.

Charles Drummond’s ’09 thesis is that non-politicians should stay out of politics. While I generally agree that when you purchase a service, that service should come without extra ads, saying that people of some professions should not meddle in public affairs which concern them is repressive and reminiscent of Plato’s Kallipolis. Given the nature of politics—the common good—a person famous for something is entitled to use that fame to improve the world. Much is made of partisanship and its evils, but the truth is that there is nothing wrong with supporting a particular party because it supports one’s own issues! The evil of partisanship is when a person says, “I support the (blank) Party because I am a (blank).” Using the means available to you to pr omote freedom, fiscal responsibility, stem cell research, civil rights, or other issues of import is a noble thing to do, though it should be done with propriety.


MAURO C. BRAUNSTEIN ’06

Cambridge, Mass.

Oct. 25, 2006