I think RammyH has already spoken quite eloquently on my behalf - nowhere in my post did I say anything about white racism - I made two points that involved "white" people: one, that Ms. Berman, based on her post, likely does not have a cultural understanding of the value system being instilled by Morehouse administrators - (she could have talked to a current student or alumnus to get this perspective, even if she disagrees)

two, like it or not, Morehouse grads have to learn to adapt to the majority or "white" culture if they want to function in corporations, graduate schools, professional schools or any other endeavor

the Morehouse administrators and public school principals (with the uniforms I referenced) are indeed, not blaming white racism, but instead are doing the opposite by asking black people to be accountable for themselves and it starts with public appearance

my post only address the do-rags and saggy pants that Berman seems to think are ok for "Morehouse" men because I respectfully disagree with her - I won't even get into the women's clothing because that's a whole other issue and I have no clue where to start

I have never met Judy Berman and know little about her, but from her post I can guess this much: she is white, middle-class, a poltiical-social liberal and cultural bohemian - therefore, we get the lack of understanding as to why Morehouse is trying to regulate attire - personally I have mixed feelings about a dress code in college, after all student are technically "adults" - but what Berman has to understand is that in the eyes of the Morehouse administrators, blacks have little to no "margin for error" when preparing for the American workforce - for Berman, her college clothes were simply a fashion choice that she abandoned when she grew up - but for some blacks, attire comes with a mindset that says ghetto thug and that will be the impression they make on the larger society -

ideally, we could assume that these kids will automatically throw off the do-rag and saggy pants after graduation, but the world is not ideal and you'd be surprised about the mindsets of even educated blacks

moreover, Morehouse likely expects its students to serve as role models for teens and even younger children - that is a weight of expectations that Berman could not have fathomed as she traipsed around campus (probably Brown U.) in her bohemian freedom

Berman reminds me of white liberals who are aghast that both parents and educators in predominantly black and/or Latino urban school districts demand that students wear uniforms - in the mind of the Bermanite, the schools are forcing conformity and treading on freedom of expression - but these parents and educators recognize a strong symbolic gesture of the uniform: we are here to learn, not have a fashion show and argue over who has the nicest sneakers - Berman probably attended school districts where learning as priority #1 was taken for granted so it didn't really matter what people wore; since our world is not ideal, the "right to express yourself" is a luxury in urban schools rife with violence and social dysfunction

before I get attacked, I'm not comparing college kids to second graders - but the principle is the same: blacks have to present themselves with dignity and class at all times if we are going to move up the socio-economic ladder - we don't have the luxury of simply making a "fashion choice"

okay so Wanda is the first black lesbian to have a LATE NIGHT talk show, but Whoopi Goldberg has been on the View for a couple of years now - so the author is only correct about the "late night" part

I assumed that Rachael Ray already had children. Admittedly, I've never watched a whole show or read the magazine so my knowledge of her is limited. But my understanding was that she designed convenient, yet healthy meals for busy working parents that the whole family would enjoy.

i.e. "I've got an hour between getting home from work and picking Timmy up from hockey and taking Molly to dance and I don't want to keep giving my kids McDonalds, so lets use that Rachael Ray recipe - we don't have the time, money or taste for that fancy Bourdain/Giada/Nigella foodie stuff"

If I'm wrong about the premise of her show, then someone please correct me.

Given her cultivated image of "harried working parent", I suppose some are surprised that she doesn't have children. Therefore, that may be why the reporter asked the question. I suppose it's kind of like finding out that Simon Cowell hates popular music and only listens to opera in his free time.

Maybe I've completely missed the point here, but I don't think Cynthia McFadden is driven by some pro-child fetish agenda designed to demonize those who don't have children. I have family members who are childless (some for health reasons, some by personal choice) and I respect their choice.

I respect Rachael's choice also. Before writing their rants against Cynthia McFadden, did anyone on the board stop to think that her question was more about the perceived disconnect between Rachael's public image and her actual life?

I know the author is an adult who can make her own decisions but I understand why people are a little freaked that she let this blind date into her home so soon.

13 years ago when I met my now-wife, she had young children. It was weeks of dating before I got past the foyer of her home. I respected her decision in that regard because the protection of her children was paramount. Now we have had two children together and if I get struck by lightning tomorrow, I'd hope that she continued to be prudent when she started dating.