Editor:

I read with great interest the letter in the recent TSL from the revolutionary thinker who is proposing the secession of our fine colleges from the City of Claremont. Having given a good deal of thought to this idea I have only one question: why stop there? Imagine the freedom we would gain if we were no longer bound by the restrictions imposed upon us by The United States of America.

In the Democratic Republic of the Claremont Colleges (DRCC), we would be liberated from the bothersome rulings of the FDA and whoever it is who enforces copyright laws. We would be able to adjust the drinking age in light of the practices of our community (I would suggest a maximum somewhere in the thirties; there are few things more disturbing than the thought of a drunk professor.), and the next time our neighbors upset us we can simply send Camp Sec off to make war with the CPD.

This proposal is far from complete. There are still many questions left to resolve, such as the appropriate status of off-campus students and the development of special visas for prospies and visiting scholars, or the actual position of the Dean of Students under the new regime. I might also suggest the eventual annexation of several of the eateries in Claremont Village, as it would be unreasonable to expect the active and vocal future citizens of our little utopia to remain long satisfied with a government that expects them to live by Pan Geos alone.

Of course, some may question the economic viability of a country whose sole export is arrogant young people incapable of peaceably resolving the conflicts that arise when groups of individuals with different lifestyles and viewpoints come together on one planet. But I say, screw’em.

Sincerely,

Sarah Trefethen, ‘03