To the Editor:

At least some Ingram House residents who signed Tony Brown's "pledge" did so under duress - feeling the very group pressure he attributes to those who did not sign. What did he teach those who quieted the voices inside themselves, that warned they were signing an insulting pact of disrespect and distrust? What did he teach them about maturity by following with the sarcastic, punitive letter by "John B. Firstyear," meant to bully everyone else?

Ironically, a kernel of wisdom slipped into the letter when the fictional John wrote his parents, "Remember you raised me to be an independent thinker."

Independent thinking is the best defense against peer pressure, drugs, drinking, date rape, scams, onerous contracts and many other bad things people can inflict on each other. Perhaps students were hesitant to put their names on that "pledge" because they weren't sure of exactly what it meant. Were they agreeing to no due process even in the event of a mistake, for example?

I caution all brand-new 18-year-olds: If alarm bells go off when you're about to sign something, don't. You are now at an age where your signature can legally bind you to anything from "10 free CDs" every week to fighting a war in another country.

Judy Bracher Carmichael
Bristol, Tenn.
Vanderbilt parent