Garrett Hardin
399 Arboleda Road
Santa Barbara, Calif. 93105

February 4, 1969

Dr. Joshua Lederberg

Department of Genetics

Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, California 94305

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

Thank you for your courtesy in sending me a clipping of your
column on the question of the "Right to Breed." I do not think I
will, at the present time, take advantage of your invitation to
write a rejoinder for the Washington Post. Your critical points are
quite well stated, and not easily answered. JI will have to give a
great deal more thought to the matter before I am willing to say
anything in response.

Lia ey<

In brief, of course, there is a semantic point at issue: the
propriety or the wisdom of using the word "coercion." I deliberately

chose this rather inflammatory word because I think I sense a wide- L
spread public suspicion of gentler words, I think the people have ye
had enough of the Madison Avenue approach-—of using words like > S

"persuasion" to disarm defenses. Admittedly, the use of the word “

"coercion" almost predictably causes a reflex attack on the concept

of "policing"——-which I note in your column. Nevertheless, for
reasons that I detailed in my essay, I think the only effective
measures must necessarily be coercive ones. All taxes are coercive.
Their effectiveness depends on effective policing, or (in a more
peaceful, stable society) on the implicit threat of policing. I
think it is regrettable when somebody introduces, in the present
social scene, the word "police" or any of its derivatives. But

there is no law against introducing such a word-——and if some insist
on introducing it, the rest of us must simply face up to it honestly.

Sincerely yours,

CE La

Enclis.
GHjJ