Abraham Lincoln had even less experience than Obama when he became President. Yet, he has gone down in history as one of our greatest presidents. Not saying that Obama will fall into this category - just pointing out that "experience" is only one factor in judging someone's qualifications. Further, it is not about quantity it is about quality. Lots of people are "experienced" but are complete duds. Intelligence, wisdom, competence, good political instincts all go into making a good leader.

You are right, however, Obama must convince you and other voters that he is the right person for the job. And, lucky for you, there is a wealth of information about Obama on the internet - some reliable, some not. For a summary of Obama's positions, proposals, and record** his website is a good place to start. There are policy papers on every major issue There are speeches - you can watch the video or read the text. Contrary to "urban myth" there is a lot of substance in his speeches. On the internet you have access to news reports, opinion pieces and many other sources that can help you evaluate Obama. But your responsibility is to approach him with an open mind, think outside the box when it comes to "experience," and take the Obama bashing that comes from McCain and his operatives (including the covert ones) with a grain of salt.

My formerly Republican brother-in-law who believes strongly in fiscal discipline and leans center right, is voting for Obama and has even maxed out on his donations. He said that the country is in such a bad mess that he is willing to take the "risk." Plus he thinks that McCain and the media have really overstated Obama's alleged lack of experience. In this case the devil you know is not the right choice.

**For those of you who say, "What record?" three things: if you care to do the work you can find that he has a pretty good record in the Senate; when Obama came to the Senate in 2004, it was controlled by the Republicans, any democrat had a hard time accomplishing anything, let alone a junior Senator from Illinois; and John McCain is 20+ years older than Obama, of course, his record is longer - does that mean we should always vote for the older candidate - that's silly.

Didn't Bill Clinton kick Jocelyn Elder out of her job as Surgeon General when she talked about masturbation? I was taught that masturbation was a sin but now that FOX has said it's good for you they'll have to revise those old Sunday school texts. "Oh, Mr. Dobson! Mr. Dobson! any comment?"

I feel compassion for Ms. Sey and I hope that she can achieve peace of mind one day.

Some therapists advocate "sharing" as the way to move on from trauma. Many others do not because 9 times of 10 it makes things worse. Here is a perfect example.

Ms. Sey directs her anger at "armchair fans" because she has not yet come to the place where she can direct it where it belongs: her parents and the other adults who stole her childhood and thought it was just fine that she "was practicing 12 hours a week by the time I was 7...[and]... moved away from home when [she] was 14, trained 40 hours a week while attending high school, endured untold abuses by overenthusiastic coaches who weighed [her] twice a day to make sure [she] didn't inadvertently get fat during my seven-hour practice." Or the parents who "ignored [her] depression and starvation, assuming [she] was happy because [she] won medals," after she broke her femur.

All the comments here that dump all over Ms. Sey reinforce her self-loathing. When she published this piece I know she hoped against hope that she would (finally) get love and comfort. She didn't. Even the "supportive" comments echo what she has heard from her parents and coaches since she was 7: basically, "You are an 'elite athlete' or you are worthless." I wish Ms. Sey the best and hope that she can mourn her loss, take the past out of the present and move forward to lead a full and satisfying life.

Several years ago he switched careers and became a largely self-taught software development. This summer he retired after a successful second career in the software field. Technological savvy has nothing to do with age. My father is a very smart guy (he has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from major league U.) who has spent his entire life learning and growing. That is what it takes.