Letters to the Editor
Allie_
Published Letters: 1252 Editor's Choice: 109
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bad bust, but...
[Read the article: In defense of Larry Craig]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Okay, it was a bad bust. I've been saying for a week on Broadsheet that I think it was a bad bust.
But. This guy is a Republican, and to a Republican, being gay is a crime. Those neo-con Republicans who are in bed with Dominionists believe it's a crime that in a civilized country would be punishable by death. It's not possible to be an out and proud Conservative Republican senator. And "I am not gay," isn't really flying with anyone. Republicans may talk about how homosexuality can be cured, but most of them in their heart-of-hearts believe that glancing at someone's pee-pee and quickly catching yourself and looking the other way at the urinals makes you gay, end of story.
Aren't we allowed to laugh at someone who used his position of power to attempt true meanness against other people? Regardless of how good or bad a bust it was, isn't it delightful to think that he can't hurt anyone anymore?
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abused child running away from home
[Read the article: Isn't 16 a little young for marriage? ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]First of all, don't panic. She's running away from home in the only way she can. Once she's out from under, she's free to divorce the guy and have a life. Messy? Yes. But not as messy as sleeping in a stairwell is for a normal 16-year-old runaway.
The point at which you should have thrown your weight around was way back when your crazy relatives started abusing this child in the name of their religion. This is why I'm so strongly opposed to homeschooling - it takes away a needed connection to the real world which can save children who are otherwise living in a world with no light whatsoever.
(Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm a Christian myself. I don't think religion is abuse; I think abuse is abuse.)
If you had no children of your own, I'd say, sit down with this girl alone and tell her, "In two years you will be on your own. You can do anything you want to do and make any decisions regarding your own life. Maybe you will still want to marry this man, but you will be making that decision from a position of freedom and strength." Then, if she doesn't listen, I'd say try to make her wedding day as happy as it can be. Her chances of a happy marriage are slim indeed; her chances of a happy life, not necessarily correlated.
But you do have children of the same age, which complicates matters. To put it simply, your daughter is hanging out with a bad crowd. Research shows that peers have far more influence on teens than parents do. Her peers are far more dangerous than if they were taking drugs or playing hooky and you're right to be concerned. First of all, talk to your own daughter about why you think this is wrong. Don't use platitudes like, "You're too young!" Explain in concrete terms what options the girl is giving up by marrying. To do this, you're going to have to think them through sensibly yourself.
If you really feel this isn't going to help, the only reliable way to rescue a teen from a bad peer group is to move to another state and cut off contact completely. Obviously not an easy thing to do, since this is family.
Good luck to you, your daughter, and your niece.
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about the other issue
[Read the article: Isn't 16 a little young for marriage? ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I do think you should go to the wedding - it's very likely you can't stop it, and there's no reason to hurt this girl. But I don't think your daughter belongs in it. Say, "Our daughter is too young to be a bridesmaid." I think that will get the point across nicely.
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Mandarin
[Read the article: Why George Bush should study Mandarin]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Congrats to Mr. Rudd. He's a very rare sort. Bush can't even speak English. If he learned Mandarin, he could make a fool of himself in two different languages!
When my father was working in China, his Chinese boss told him not to bother studying Mandarin; that if he worked very hard for the next two years, he could learn to express himself as well as a two-year-old Chinese child.
I've studied a little Cantonese. Tonal languages are hard. It's hard even for someone raised speaking Cantonese to make the transition from Cantonese to Mandarin, much less someone raised speaking an atonal language. (One of my favorite Hong Kong actors is having a terrible time making the transition.)