Letters to the Editor
ML
Published Letters: 29 Editor's Choice: 7
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Stop Kidding Yourself
[Read the article: I wish my stepchildren would go away]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think Cary has dropped the ball on this one. I think the answer is much easier than you think, but you may not have the courage to face it. You resent these kids, and you have quite a bit of animosity towards their mother, your husband's ex-wife. Your letter is dripping with apologies about how these kids are normal kids, and really good kids and also about how their mother isn't carrying her share of the burden. Based on your letter, you want your husband and your home to be for you and your biological child and you don't want to share him. Having these kids from his previous marriage around is a constant reminder that he had an intimate relationship with someone else before you, and he has the offspring to prove it. Add to that that you don't particulary like or respect this other woman and you have the perfect recipe for what you're feeling. Some advice: love your husband and your child, and accept the fact (as hard as it may be) that he is not your alone. He has children from another marriage and they have every right to enjoy his company, his guidance and support, and his love. You may not love these two kids, but you need to respect their places, and understand yours. Be willing to compromise. They're just kids, and very little kids at that. You are the adult and you need to behave like one.
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Ever Heard Of Birth Control Cuts Both Ways
[Read the article: A man's right to choose -- a second take on Dalton Conley]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This issue has always troubled me for precisely the reasons outlined in the original article: a woman makes a choice, and a man has to live with the consequences. I agree that the husband/boyfriend shouldn't have the right to either prevent or force a woman to have a child. It's her body, she's the one that has to decide to carry it to term or not. However, it isn't fair that the man in the situation is then forced to financially support that child if he didn't want to become a father. If a woman chooses to have a child and the man doesn't want it, that's her choice but also her responsibility. As for birth control, both parties - not just the man - share that responsibility.
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Hooray - She's Back
[Read the article: Dancing as fast as she can]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I see the voices of dissent are many, but I for one am glad that Camille Paglia is back. I hope Salon sees many more articles from her, and on a regualr basis. Camille is a lightening rod, invoking strong opinions both for and against her positions. I don't always agree with her, but her knowledge and wit are always refreshing. (And a word to the unnamed feminist in letter one: Camille was right, Dworkin lost - and thank God. I went to an ultra-feminist college and read every , EVERY book by Dworkin - I had to. Her philosophy of bitter repression and vindictiveness was required reading in practically every discipline, from Anthropology to Film Studies. We largely have Dworkin to thank for the toxic atmosphere of 1980s and early 1990s gender politics, which still infects the pages of Salon.) As for Madonna, she's not the greatest songwriter in the world, at least for me, though I do enjoy much of her music. What is most captivating about her is her determination and sheer creative energy. Madonna has been producing number one albums for over twenty years, and that's a pretty impressive feat whether you like her music or not. I understand the criticsms aimed at her latest album, but at the same time I think we might expect too much from her, and place an unrealistic burden on what she is expected to deliver. Being a huge fan of early David Bowie, I have to concede that though I think he is a far more serious and interesting artist than Madonna, she has been more consistent - turning out album after album with every one worth a good listen or two.