This post is 100% serious and I am not trying to be sarcastic or obnoxious. I consider myself to be a left-leaning feminist and so do many of the women (e.g. AKASmith) who have stated here that they will either vote for McCain or abstain. I honestly do not understand how a vote for McCain, how 4 or more years of Republican (mis)rule helps women. I can think of several specific reasons why a McCain presidency would be very bad for women. I would be interested to read what specific reasons left-leaning, feminist women have for believing that a McCain presidency would be good for women. I really can't see how "punishing" Democrats advances women's interests. And I am serious - I really do not understand and I would love to understand. Can anyone explain? (And, as smart and savvy as Hillary Clinton is, even she would have a hard time figuring out where all you folks are coming from. And I also think she'd have a hard time understanding why you all are willing to sabotage everything she's worked so hard for all her life.)

Narcissistic and manipulative people can never be "humiliated" or "punished" (as one poster said RW was trying to do to her mother) - it is simply not in their DNA. It is not in their nature to recognize any faults in themselves, to ever admit that they have done wrong. Unfortunately, children of such parents will always seek "closure" - will try time and time again to get their parents (for their are many narcissistic fathers, as well) to recognize the damage and hurt and it never happens. (The best we can do is accept this as a loss, mourn it and move one - easier said than done.)

As the daughter of such a parent (my mother) I know this. The major difference is that she was not a "great woman" like AW (except in her own mind - grandiosity is a hallmark of narcissism) but ordinary people can be narcissists and manipulators. (Although being a narcissist and manipulator probably helps one to be a "great women" to be able to lead only an "external life.") Why should alleged greatness give anyone a pass for hurtful behavior? If RW were just the ordinary daughter of an ordinary mother would anyone be criticizing her if she wrote a memoir of her childhood? I doubt it, more likely than not they would have some sympathy and compassion for her. But because she has portrayed an icon of feminism in a negative light, she is denounced and, indeed some of the writers here clearly seek to "punish" and "humiliate" RW for her sins.

I find the lack of compassion and sympathy for Rebecca Walker on this thread disturbing. But not surprising. We really don't like children in this society. More than any other segment of society we treat our children as objects: we sexualize them; we ignore them; we hurt them - physically and verbally; we dehumanize them by pampering them like pets; we put them under tremendous stress to perform for our greater glory; we resent them as impositions on our lives; we warehouse them in crappy schools and, ultimately, we don't give a shit. God forbid anyone should call us out on it. And we certainly don't want to hear from adults who were abused and neglected in childhood - who dare to speak out. So, we tell them to shut up, to stop whining, to grow up, they are spoiled, ungrateful, brats, etc. Why? Because we're the ones who need to grow up - mature people have compassion for the pain of others and are not afraid to admit that they have faults, have made mistakes. I think the animosity directed at Rebecca Walker is because her story may remind some of us of the pain of our own childhoods and the fears that we have (or will) inflict the same pain on our children. And we just don't want to go there. None of this really has anything to do with feminism but rather with how we as a society value our children. Or don't.

We should all be so lucky to be as happy as these people were able to be. How shameful that the son's and the staff's squeamishness got in the way of that happiness. But the truth is that we are all very uptight and squeamish about sex in this country. Sure, sex is everywhere, sex sells. However, for the most part, we see only a very sanitized picture of sex - fantasy sex: beautiful men and women with perfect bodies, not a wrinkle, blemish or flaw in sight having mind-blowing sex. With this disconnect between fantasy sex and real sex, no wonder we are so disgusted by the idea of real, healthy, loving sex between ordinary people. Sex is for all consenting adults whether 25 or 95. How tragic that we let our the idea that real sex is disgusting get in the way of other's happiness.

Of course this is our business - if you believe that we should examine a candidate's character. Not paying one's debts - especially when one has more than enough money to do so - is dishonorable and evidence of poor character.

"[I]t became necessary to destroy the town to save it."

February 1968, Attributed to USAF Major Chester Brown regarding the destruction of the Mekong Delta town of Ben Tre

The tortured logic of fear mongerers like Newt Gingrich is mind-boggling: to defeat the enemy we must destroy ourselves!!!