I don't treat my children "that way" either. But I see many parents who do. My oldest child is going off to college and have had the chance to watch how other parents mold their cildren. We live in a very competitive area where parents begin to strategize how they'll get Suzy or Timmy into Harvard practically the day they see the pink "+". Their children must be stars: 1st chair flute, captain of lacrosse team, found a charity to feed homeless alligators, fluent in 5 languages, winner of Intel science contest, etc. I exaggerate but not much. Just because Ms. Sey's parents focussed their energies on one thing - it isn't different.

Parents who become so enmeshed in their children's lives always say, well, it is not me, this is what Timmy wants. And the children go along with it and probably believe it - what else can they do?

The fact that Ms. Sey's parents ignored the fact that she was depressed and probably suffering from anorexia says a lot about where they were coming from: it was all about their daughter's medals, not their daughter. I don't see how you can interpret that any other way.

I tried to make the point that this is not only about athletics not about gymnastics, not about swimming, or any other sport. It is also not only about children violin virtuosos, baby actors, child beauty pageants, or chess prodigies.

It is about how we treat children (yes, we) in our culture. So, banning gymnastics, whatever, begs the question.

At its heart it is about how we treat our children. As a mother, I find the lack of compassion for Ms. Sey on this thread is disturbing.

Re-read the article, put yourself in Ms. Sey's shoes. Imagine what it would be like to have parents who were so oblivious to you as an individual that they were incapable of recognizing that you were suffering and needed their help. To her parents she was a thing, an elite, medal winning gymnast, not a person. But that is how we treat children: as things. Ms. Sey's parents and coaches exploited her for their needs. We see this not just in athletics: academics, music, too. Parents rationalize - oh, this is what my son/daughter wants - when it is what the parents want.

When society as a whole accepts that it is okay for children to be treated as things, there only to fulfill adult needs, it is any wonder that some people cross a line and do horrible tings to children.

Everyone recognizes that when women are treated as things, there only to fulfill male needs, they suffer. Why can't we see that this is true for our children?

Think for yourself. I am so sick and tired of people like you parroting, without question, the line you have been spoonfed: "Obama is empty, no substance, socialist, etc., etc." How are you any different from the people in Soviet Russia who accepted, without question, the party line they were fed? You are not. Think for yourself. If you can't do that you deserve to be disenfranchised.

I did not just one day have an "epiphany" and decide to support Obama. I have been following his career and learning about him and his stands on issues since he came on the natinal scene. Mine is a well-informed decision. I have also educated myself on John McCain. I have made a well-informed decision not to support him. (And, there was a time when I was open to voting for him.)

An ill-informed, uneducated electorate leads down the road from democracy to tyranny. This is patriotism? I think not.

virtually no one was computer literate.

Not everyone would agree that Margaret Thatcher was the best PM Britain had. And, I find it difficult to believe that women who supported Hillary Clinton would have supported Margaret Thatcher. Clinton: liberal Thatcher: Conservative

George W. Bush: scion of old money New England WASPs, graduate of Phillips Academy, a private boarding school in Andover, MA; graduate of Yale University; graduate of Harvard Business School

John McCain: son and grandson of Admirals (the aristocracy of the military); graduate of Episcopal H.S., private boarding school in Alexandria, VA graduate of Naval Academy at Annapolis

You label Barack Obama "elitist" and many have applied the same label to Hillary Clinton, but if you look at their backgrounds, there are more similarities than differences:

Hillary Clinton: born in Illinois to parents who have roots in Scrantion, PA; grew up in middle class suburb of Illinois; attended public school; graduated from Wellesley; graduated from Yale Law School

Barack Obama: born in Honolulu, to a mother from Kansas; attended private (non-boarding) school, on scholarship; studied for 2 years at Occidental College; transferred to and graduated from Columbia University; graduated from Harvard Law School

It boggles the mind that anyone can say Obama is more elite than Clinton, their family backgrounds and education are strikingly similar. No, the elitists in this picture are George W. Bush and John McCain who come from privileged backgrounds that the vast majority of Americans wouldn't even dream of.

I am an Obama supporter but I admire Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama started out from humble roots and achieved amazing things - shouldn't we honor and respect both of them for this?