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Sir: William Mader's emotional conclusions regarding Poland's treatment of Jews demand contradiction. Let us retitle the article "Third Exodus," since the first, as a result of persecution in virtually all European countries (save Spain), was to Polish sanctuary. Beginning with the "Jewish Edict" of 1264 and its nationwide reaffirmation in 1334, the Jews in Poland enjoyed unparalleled freedom, to the extent of effectual self-rule.
If Poland, according to the author, is ridding itself of Jews more effectively than the Germans did, then a consolation prize should be awarded to the loser, for heaven knows, they tried harder.
ALBERT M. MICHEJDA Burnsville, Minn.
Motives and Methods
Sir: Your article on eccentrics [March 14] was desperately inaccurate and deficient in both its approach and conclusion. There is a great difference between the eccentric and the radical activist in both motive and methods, a point that you may have been attempting to make when you wrote "Genuine eccentricity generally stops far short of pathological conduct." Madalyn Murray O'Hair, Sirhan Sirhan, Thoreau, the current student radicals, Timothy Leary and Ralph Nader all are radical activists, not mere eccentrics as you have labeled them. Their motive is to change existing social mores or political trends by means of spectacular acts covered by the news media, whether these acts be legal challenge or murder.
On the other hand, John Zink, Korczak Ziolkowski, Clint Wescott, and Jim West (to name a few) are truly eccentric. Surely none of these men are trying to convince anyone else of the advantages of their own particular ways of life. They are simply "people who consistently follow their own seemingly exotic standards" and are clearly not bidding for attention. Consideration must be given to the motives and methods of the individual in relation to existing social standards and how he wishes to affect them. If he wishes to affect them at all, he is not merely eccentric, but is in fact a radical activist.
R. FRANK WIEDEFELD Tampa, Fla.
Sir: Edward FitzGerald, famous English translator of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, was one of a family of eccentrics, of which his eldest brother John was the most colorful. John was possessed of some kind of religious mania that caused him to wander around the countryside seeking an audience. His conduct in church was most amazing. Entering a pew, he would take off his shoes and stockings, then empty his pockets on the pew beside him and listen most attentively to the sermon. If anything the preacher said appealed to him, he would let out a shrill whistle that was heard all over the church. "England," writes Santayana, "is still the paradise of eccentricity, heresy, anomalies and humours."
(THE REV.) HARRY TAYLOR Portland, Ore.
Sir: Did you miss the point? Only the rich can afford to be eccentric. Everyone else is nuts.
W. A. FORESTER Eugene, Ore.
On the Square
Sir: In regard to "hip Harvard" and student "refusal to learn what they don't want to learn" [March 14], perhaps as a Harvard product and sociology professor I may comment.