Salutations Headmaster Nolan,
My name is Alexander Perry. I am Neil Perry's cousin. As I have come to understand, both from talks with my dear cousin and the mutters my family exchanges with itself, Neil was one of your top students as well as an active participant in many of the school's extra curricular activities. So, I'm sure that he is as gravely missed there as he is in my family's hearts. At least, that is the presumption I was under until receiving your letter. My parents, Neil's parents and the rest of the family were very touched. Most of them had tears in their eyes, especially when you apologized for our "unexpected" tragedy, our poor confused loved one being mislead and tricked into a dangerous and reprehensible life style. I don't know what you included after that, I had to leave the room so as to not laugh at the hypocrisy dripping from your pen. Of course, I meant that figuratively; since I recognize your writing as well as your secretary, and it was her pen not yours. Back to my point though, Neil was not some sheep that was simply lead from his destined path by an incompetent teacher. Neil was a young man and an aspired leader who found his passion.
But let us pretend, like children still in grade school, that Professor Keating was just an incompetent teacher. And let us pretend that my dear cousin was so vulnerable and foolish to be tricked. Is it not your job as an educator to prepare your students for life? Why was my cousin not prepared for the chance someone might deceive him? Life is not all about books and discipline and people are not as uniform as you make them out to be. As you have experienced in Neil's death, and I'm sure before as well, it only takes one person to change things. So what is it you are preparing your students for?
And furthermore, if my cousin was not so inclined to think for himself, as you suggested in your letter, do you really think he would have been better off? Please, explain your thinking this, because I can not begin to imagine it to be true. If we go back to our pretend scenario, wouldn't Neil have been safer from the things you believe Professor Keating was encouraging him to do, if he wasn't programmed to be so heavily affected by the things his superiors think and say to him? I do not wish to consume all your time or waste anymore of mine, because it is clear to me you have not and will never change your view on the world. So, I will finish this letter with two more thoughts and two more questions.
Question one: If you won't teach the students of your school to think for themselves, who will? I attended your school several years ago. You may not remember me. I was silent as the dead with about as much personality. Now, I'm at Yale, another success story to boast to potential parents of future students. I was not prepared for the environment here. There are so many people bubbling over with personality and passion, it was just jaw dropping. It took months for me to find my own Professor Keating. Her name was Professor Kirby. She inspired her students to do more than just memorize facts and mull over page after page of logical inquiries. My passion, mine and mine, alone is what I have learned to let drive me and I'm the more successful for it.
Finally, for fear this letter is starting to run long, you claim to be the best pre-college learning institute in North America, but how can you make such claims if you don't inspire and push your students to be the best students, he best men, the best thinkers and the best human beings they can be?
Sincerely
Alexander Perry
V.P. of the L.D.B.
In Omnia Paratus