Letters to the Editor
AlecsMom
Published Letters: 637 Editor's Choice: 18
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AKA Smith
[Read the article: Why they stunted their daughter's growth]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]ITA. As an educator who has worked with children with Autism, Downs', Cerebral Palsy, and other students with varying degrees of cognitive impairment, I can only say that people who write in such a way simply have no knowledge of the population. The can communicate (using various methods, perhaps not speech) and they can learn. The growth steps are just far smaller than for the typical child.
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@dick
[Read the article: New debates about the oldest profession]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What I assume is that human beings are capable (unless mentally impaired) to control themselves and act in rational, proactive ways for their health and happiness. Prostitution is neither.
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@bignose
[Read the article: Why they stunted their daughter's growth]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There are many times in one's life that a person might be unable to care for themselves. This is the case with this little girl. Just because someone is ultimately unable to gain the skills of self-care and has very little cognition does not mean their life is not worthwhile. This child obviously has some sensation and response just as a baby does. She has a right to life and good one at that. The day we start determing who should live or die based on our own personal definition of what people have value is the day we take a big step back into time and join the Nazis. They shared your views in case you didn't know.
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Good for Ashley
[Read the article: For Ashley Alexandra Dupre, selling music beats selling sex]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's funny. This is an exploitative act also but it's one that ultimately gets Ashley where she wants to be and doesn't risk her health. She's no Mariah Carey or Alycia Keys but then neither are Britney Spears, Madonna or Rihanna. Given the very cheap quality of these tracks, Ashley actually appears to have some talent, vocal talent anyway. Song writing not so much.
I don't know why some people seem bitter about this girl profiting in a big way from this scandal. She clearly needs the money since her other job is gone and she will have to pay taxes on at least some of the money she did not declare as income. Her educational background is slight so I say make the money while you can girl, but in a legal way this time.
As for Spitzer's wife, she lost all grounds for outrage when she stood by him TWICE in a public setting. Once I can fathom. Repeatedly? No. She's now going the Hillary Clinton route of identifying with her man's behavior and legitimizing it. From what we've heard, she didn't think he should leave the governor's mansion either. Can we say "enabler?"
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Surrogacy
[Read the article: India's "womb rental" industry]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Surrogacy is problematic because it represents the advances of science absent many other highly useful constrainsts or standards, such as laws. In the US, there are states that ban the practice. There's no federal law that guides the practice and this makes it a very dicey proposition. Obviously, one can circumvent that problem by going to another country and hiring a surrogate there. That still doesn't address the key problem of exploiting poorer women.
In the US, we have numerous examples of sisters and even mothers performing the act of surrogacy for their family members. These stories are sweet and full of family devotion. There's nothing AT ALL exploitative about the act of surrogacy in these cases.
However, this is not the case with the poorer women from India. These women have limited options in life due to a variety of factors. Since having a baby is IMO as a mother, a beautiful experience, I don't find the act of surrogacy wrong in any way. However, the outsourcing of it to a clearly poorer country, where the wealthier couple will be virtually guaranteed none of the legal mess entialed in the US, is a disturbing note.
Yes, the women can improve their lives and those of their own children enormously. That is a positive aspect of it. From what I've read, the healthcare services during preganancy are good so their health should be adversely impacted. However, when one gives birth, regardless of biology, you have had a baby. I can't help but think about the women who are, in essence, giving their babies away for money. Do they think about that child's life after the baby is gone?
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Not Surprised
[Read the article: Getting ready for the long, long haul]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Hillary has obviously decided that she simply MUST be the nominee, regardless of whether she has a chance in hell of winning the popular vote, pledged delegates or majority of states. I live in NJ and I there is widespread reporting of Republicans switching to democrat in PA in order to vote for her in April and boost her flagging campaign. Amazing! Apparently the other side gets what Hillary herself seems to miss: she is a far weaker candidate against McCain than Barack Obama.
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@luckycat
[Read the article: Quote of the day]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The best alternative is that offered in Sweden as Kristof wrote about last week. Prostitution is illegal in Sweden as an "act of violence." However, the victim, the prosititute is not charged. The pimp and john (big difference from here) however face far stiffer penalties. This policy has brought about 2 things: First, a drop in prostitution. Apparently shame works to stop johns. Secondly, Sweden has experienced a drop in trafficking. This latter point is interesting since the Netherlands, a country with legal prostitution, has a problem with trafficked women and girls.
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@silenced
[Read the article: Quote of the day]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What a perfectly silly connection to make. The US already incarcerates people, for prostitution. You do get that, right?
The difference is that in Sweden, the prostitutes don't get arrested. See? There's one whole class of "criminal" that doesn't go to jail(burden the legal system).
OTOH- the johns do and at a far greater rate than they do now. As it stands now, prostitutes enter then penal system far more than johns. One pretty much will offset the other. But over time, as the Swedish model shows us, the johns, facing clear criminal & financial penalities and public shame, will begin to diminish their activities. See? REDUCTION in prositution, reduction in burdens to the system. More money for health care, education, etc..