The revenge of failure
Sir: My disagreement with Mr Raven's 'Personal Column' of 9 February could not be more abso- lute. Furthermore, as a former grammar school pupil, I take particular offence at his insidious deception of focusing attention upon the less emo- tive institution, the grammar school, in an argument which propagates the more offensive and arrogant of public school prejudices. Let all the guilty step forward. This country is governed and managed by products of either the public or the grammar school system, and, to adopt Mr Raven's opening metaphor, it is they who write the rules, and weight them, if not in favour of themselves, at least to the advantage of their own offspring. Naturally, it is the unsuccessful who feel aggrieved —and, were the analogy with rules and contests strictly appropriate, their complaints might with justice be disparaged. But the entire foundation of the article was the assumption that the com- petitors in life's game of chance are free to choose whether they will participate. This premise is palpably false, and correspondingly Mr Raven's attitude is vehemently to be deplored. As one who has adopted 'the laborious life of a don,' I do not feel outraged that the masses have to put up with second best and create gods for themselves to adulate, nor do I see what earthly right. Mr Raven has to feel outraged either. His column might, with equal propriety, have been entitled 'The vanity of success.' Fie, Mr Raven. has virtue, then, ceased to be its own reward?
Weriry iroAXaxis inn carrarares!
Ian F. Fletcher Department of Law, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
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