Letters to the Editor
MarieA
Published Letters: 264 Editor's Choice: 19
-
Home Ownership - the American Dream?
[Read the article: Obama casts out the mortgage lenders]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]We have gotten a lot of propaganda about home ownership being the American Dream, as sold to us by business courtesy of the U. S. government.
Home ownership (or property ownership) is all very well and good, but, as has been noted by contrarian economists, home ownership is not necessarily right for everybody.
Home ownership can be an expensive proposition. With taxes, insurance and maintenance, you're talking about a significant outlay of cash which you may not recoup.
More importantly, it holds people down to a particular place. If you live 30 minutes from your job and the factory closes, you may not be inclined to drive 2 hours to a different job. Or you may be reluctant (or economically unable) to move to a city with jobs because you own a house you can't get rid of.
One of the wealthiest middle class man I know rented a lovely home for more than 20 years, then made a smart purchase of a retirement home in a highly desirable resort area.
Home ownership isn't always the right thing for everyone.
-
A-courtin'-we-will-go -- but not all home schoolers!
[Read the article: Isn't 16 a little young for marriage? ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]While this "courtship movement" is abhorrent to many of us, it is a sub-cultural phenomenon that will likely be diluted over time, much as cultural communities such as the Irish, the German, the Scandinavian have become watered down.
Those of us who hate this practice need to be alert for inroads into the greater culture and into statute, but must take care not to make these people feel persecuted, or they will entrench further and become more fundamentalist and militant (and yes, they can get worse). Tolerate these rituals just as you would a quinceanera, for example.
A note for those who would paint all home schoolers with this brush. Many, many home schoolers do not affiliate themselves with religion and do not impose lifestyle choices on their children. (And also note that the "courtship movement" is not restricted to home schoolers; it is deeply involved with the abstinence groups in public schools.)
-
It's Criss Angel
[Read the article: Hit her, baby, one more time]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Angel. One l.
-
Maybe it's just me, but been there, done that
[Read the article: And the Buffy goes to ...]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]First, the network mismanaged the marketing of the show, making it seem like it was just about football. Then they screw around with the schedule, which is the reason why major network TV is dying.
I did watch a couple of episodes. Likely it's a personal problem, but I felt I'd lived that life (growing up in a smallish town at a school obsessed with football). While the characters were appealing, I couldn't get into it. I could tell it was one of those shows you had to commit to and I just couldn't quite do it.
I would never have given this show a second chance without Heather's rabid devotion to it. I came to appreciate Battlestar through Heather and usually agree with her. So I might love FNL if I really, really gave it a chance, but I can't. Don't make me.
Sorry, Heather. Lots of great shows have died. It's sad, but we must pull ourselves together and move on.
-
Now hold on a minute, pardner
[Read the article: Texans turn against Bush's war]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Bush Country" (i.e., Texas) has never been a monolith supporting G. W. Yes, there is something of a Republican majority and yes, some circles have been and still are rabidly pro-Bush and pro-Republican (sometimes beyond the scope of reason), but he never had 100% support.
Texas is a very large and widely diverse state. Don't confuse with loud support with unanimity.
How about painting with a slightly narrower brush.
-
What about ever-expanding "police forces"?
[Read the article: Taser nation]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Another contribution to this issue that no one in the media has mentioned is the growing number of "police forces" in this country.
Every college, every public school district, almost every agency of local, state and federal governments has armed people with police powers.
No one actually knows how many there are. Some years ago, Thom Marshall then of the Houston Chronicle tried to get a count of the number of agencies with their own police forces and was unable to get an accurate count, although he got up to about 140 separate police forces, as I recall (some agencies wouldn't confirm--thanks public servants).
The tasering incident is a good example. Here there were what, 6 7, 8 officers taking down this guy, which means that there were probably more officers that weren't on camera. All this at a lecture with maybe 200 people at best.
This is not just excessive force--it is excessive police forces.
Consider the implication of that.
-
Opportunity Lost
[Read the article: Don't ask, don't tell, Iranian style]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It is extremely unfortunate that Americans in general and Columbia University in particular wasted a golden opportunity to engage in real dialogue.
Instead of laughing at Ahmadinejad's answer re homosexuals, better to have asked a follow-up question: What do you mean?
Did he mean "there are no homosexuals in Iran" or did he mean "homosexuality is not publicly practiced" or did he mean "we kill all the homosexuals so there aren't any"? Is Sandip Roy correct when he says labeling makes it so, thus no label (sounds credible to me)?
We are so determined to paint Ahmadinejad as a madman, a dictator, a Middle East Hitler that we don't listen, we don't engage.
This leads to exactly the same kind of mess we're in with Iraq.
Shame on Columbia.
-
Not that you can't be an Xtian and be secure, but ...
[Read the article: My Christian daughter says I'm going to hell]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Isn't is highly likely that some of the daughter's concern arises from the kind of insecurities children of divorce so often have, thus making her more vulnerable to being swayed by the certainty displayed in church and by her mother?
And, yes, church is a community, a community of acceptance (if you belong). So, take her to church. It won't kill ya (I'm an atheist who's gone to church).
Get her used to your acceptance of her beliefs (they are her beliefs anyway). Then swing her around to some other churches, sure, but get on solid footing with her own church.
Don't try to dissuade an evangelical; just present an open-minded (or at least apparently open-minded) view. There's a good chance that her fascination will wane.
If not, at least you've established something of a truce that you can maintain into adulthood.
Otherwise, you're creating a bitter divide.