Letters to the Editor
Juliebird
Published Letters: 2096 Editor's Choice: 107
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anonymous
[Read the article: Groping toward gender equality]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]No, I am not saying that anyone has said we should turn a blind eye to rape in this country. (Although Ben Dover seems to suggest that with every screech of "Duke Lacrosse!")
I'm saying to the 4 posters that are claiming Carol Lloyd is Japan-bashing by bringing up this subject: dismissing the groping on Japanese commuter trains because Japan is deemed "progressive" with gender issues is as ridiculous as would be ignoring rape cases in the US.
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is mom a "legal accomodation"?
[Read the article: My new roommate arrived ... with mom attached!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If she is, then the LW has a legal right to know at least a little more than "she's a little sick."
If she isn't then saying "she's sick" isn't relevent.
I agree, there isn't a legal right to pry into someone's personal life. But, if someone needs to violate their terms of their lease to accomodate their illness, then an explanation (in part or in whole) seems less like prying. No?
A doctor's note doesn't have to disclose diagnosis, treatment or mediocation. It could bne as simple as "We recommend X's mom help her transition into her new home." or "X needs support at night from a trusted family member." or "While she recovers from her illness/injury/surgery/recent experience ..." And then there's a paper trail that protects both lessee and lessor. And if it's a con ... it's easy to prove they were attempting to deceive.
In my experience, people are willing to help when they feel they're being treated fairly. They are much less willing when they feel they're being conned.
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not all are chatty Cathys
[Read the article: Chatty Cathy, Taciturn Ted?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Given that just being enrolled in college courses requires one to participate verbally"
Having taught college for nearly a decade, I can rebuff that statement. Sure, students who participate in discussions make a stronger impression on me, generally gain greater understanding of the material, and tend to earn higher marks (participation being 10% of their grade). But plenty of taciturn students write beautiful and thoughtful papers. Others manage squeak by without being verbose or great writers.
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Allie & healthyskeptic
[Read the article: Junk food education]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I know it's *easier* to grab something from the 7-11, but my point was it's not *hard* to do the things I mentioned. One need not be a Julia Child or a Wolfgang Puck to create healthy meals. Somehow washing an apple has become too difficult, so we give our kids a bag of chips instead.
I think a lot of people are *afraid* to cook, or prepare meals or snacks at home because they think it's too hard to make something yummy. The whole "You poor thing. Let us do dinner for you" bit has been sold to us by the makers of all this crap.
And I agree: everything in moderation. Even if that means the occasional "froot snak" for my kids. I don't agree that bread, pasta and/or cheese are necessarily the enemy. A little starch is good, especially for kids that are burning energy faster than a power plant. The problem is when every meal, every snack, becomes sugar, starch, salt and "flavors", without the benefir of nutrients.
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What recourse?
[Read the article: Yesterday's ruling on NSA warrantless eavesdropping]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Can the plaintiffs be the entire US citizenry?
Do we need to fins someone who was arrested and charged based on th e wiretapping? How would we find them?
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presidential slam poetry
[Read the article: Rudy Giuliani, unscripted]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]or was he trying to emulate DH Lawrence's rhythms?
Does anyone else find it comforting that the Republican's best hope can'r count to 12?
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I survived
[Read the article: Air head]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]the '95 and '97 Chicago heatwaves when the grid failed (thank you Bakelite!) and we had rolling blackouts for days on end (and, oh yeah, lots of people died).
In '97 we had been on vacation on a lake, enjoying the breeze and the sun and the natural coolness of the water ... then we landed at O'Hare at 11pm and stepped out into 90+ temps.
Our 2nd floor apartment (we lived in a duplex then) had all the windows wide open. It was probably close to 100 inside. Our cats were about to heat stroke (we had to keep them in the tub on wet towels, pouring water over their fur. Fun!). And I have ever been so miserable in my life.
I praised God for giving us an air conditioner and the power to use it when the electericity came back on at 4am. Sometimes, embracing nature isn't enough. Sometimes you need ac.
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rebgaby
[Read the article: My sister! My daughter!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Turner syndrome (as others have stated) is not a hereditary disease. It's a random genetic mutation: girls are either missing 1 of their 2 x chromosomes, or part of one x chromosome, or some x chromosomes are incomplete (mosiacism).
Since the overwhelming majority of girls born with this condition (90%+) are completely infertile (no functioning ovaries), it would be difficult to pass this trait on. But in any case, it's not a genetic "trait." It doesn't run in families and having a child with TS does not make you more or less likely to have another child with TS.
Carol Lloyd misspoke when she used the word "embryos". The mom froze her undertilized eggs, which makes the daughter free to conceive a child that will have her (mom's) genes and her partner's.
But, even if we were speaking of embryos, I can't imagine how you conxlude "incest." It's silly. The whole point of the exercise is that the daughter has no eggs to contribute to creating an offspring. And while genetically speaking the baby she carried would be her sibling, since that baby would not be placed in her womb by intercourse with her father, it's no different than being a surrogate.