Letters to the Editor
larrfirr
Published Letters: 257 Editor's Choice: 33
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Forgiveness?
[Read the article: My parents disowned me because I'm a lesbian]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I was taught in Catholic school that God would forgive you if you admitted your mistake and repented (resolved to do better). Since then I have learned the predominant religion in the US teaches that one only has to believe in Jesus. Anyway my approach to forgiveness is the one I learned.
Being a good parent means loving your children even though you disapprove of them. My mother told me, even if I was a serial killer she would still love me. What these parents did was beyond the pale.
The LW should rise above any resentment and offer any help, including money to her sister to help her parents but keep away from them until they will admit they made a mistake. I know I would feel no guilt in at their death, I hope she can do the same.
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Jesus and tradition
[Read the article: The battle to ban birth control]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Reading this article which points out that the same people who oppose abortion, oppose contraception and day care, and I bet gay marriage too, it hit me how their aim is to preserve the traditional family structure. Bascially saying the purpose of existance is to procreate and raise children, i.e. humans exist to create more humans and uphold the status quo. Now, this is not such a strange concept, but I never saw Jesus as someone whose purpose was to uphold the status quo, preserve tradition and hold procreation as the greatest goal of human life. Maybe these Bible-thumpers should read their Bibles with an open mind.
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Treating him like an adult
[Read the article: What is my role in my boyfriend's recovery?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The LW's boyfriend told her that her drinking in front of him was no problem. He is an adult. He is a responsible person. After all, repsonsibility is one of the main thrusts of AA.
The LW should definitely attend Al-Anon, and occasionally open AA meetings. If she has a problem herself, I think this will make it clear to her.
And just for the record, my partner has been sober nearly 20 years, and at his requests I do not drink in front of him nor to I have any alchohol in the house. This gets annoying because I want to use wine in some recipes, but he says he doesn't want alcohol around, so that's that. I drink occasionally when he is not around, although I gave up drinking to intoxication many years ago (I had my head in a toilet bowl at the time).
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Leather pants
[Read the article: If my wife dressed better, would gay guys stop hitting on me?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As a gay man who has been around for many years I need to get this clear. In my experience, gay men do not particularly favor leather pants. Leather vest -- gay. Leather chaps -- very gay. Leather harness -- off the scale. But pants, well no more than straight guys. You see, leather pants don't show off the basket very well.
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More Fluff
[Read the article: Let's have a revolution! Does July 14 work for you?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This has to be one of the stupidest, pointless things I've read in Salon. I expect to read hard news and well reasoned opinion, but instead I get this proposal that you can't possibly be serious about. I guess dreaming about a day of peace and love is a good diversion from looking at the worsening situation our country is in.
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So what's new?
[Read the article: Beyond blaming whitey]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This book tells Black people to eat better, get exercise, get an education, stay away from crime, organize for workers rights and generally take responsibility for themselves ... So isn't this what everyone from Oprah to Cosby to Jesse Jackson has been saying? In fact aren't these just the lessons of life everyone should follow, and the same lessons self-help gurus of any race have been teaching for centuries?
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This is almost funny
[Read the article: Bush does something right]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have to chuckle to myself. George W Bush, saying both sides of this argument are too extreme and stating a moderate nuanced position. This from the man who said you are either with us or with the terrorists. Maybe Bush will learn something from this, that everything isn't black and white, that each side has some things right and some things wrong. Maybe I'm wrong, but it is a nice thought.
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A real outbreak of ED?
[Read the article: Do loose chicks sink dicks?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Something they may not have considered is the data gathering method. In the past any young man would have been just to embarassed to admit to what was called "impotence". Now, not only is it more acceptable but there is a cure. But further than this, Viagra etc. are used recreationally by those who have no real medical problem but just want to enhance their sexual prowess. This may be why doctors are seeing a sudden increase in young men reporting erectile dysfunction. My understanding is this condition is is not verified by any test but only based on what the patient reports. Pretty easy to fake.