Dear Ann Landers,
less you for having the courage to suggest self-gratification to the 48-year-old woman whose husband hasn't touched her in two years. I am nearly 80 now, and my youth flashed be-fore my eyes when you said you didn't want to hear from any clergy saying it's a sin. When I was 13, our preacher gave me a book to read. It said boys who masturbate would become bald, diseased and insane, lead a life of crime and end up in hell. When my sexual urges became overpower-ing, I did indeed indulge in what they called in those days "self-abuse" and suffered tremendous anxiety and wretched feelings of guilt. Every morning, I woke up wondering if I had gone insane during the night or developed some outward sign that would let the world know of my "unpardonable sin." That terrifying misinformation carried over to my adult life, and it took a long time before I could be a loving husband. Now that I am older and wiser, I see what horrendous damage was done to the youth of our day by hypocritical clergy who surely must have experienced the same urges in their younger days. Hurray to you for having the courage to say it in print and remove the burden of guilt suffered by millions of healthy, normal people, both young and old. -Raleigh, N.C.

,