Letters to the Editor
sgeorge1971
Published Letters: 41 Editor's Choice: 9
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The Real Question...
[Read the article: Life: The disorder]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...is how did our hero's friend acquire a year's worth of Ritalin? Even with a prescription, this medication is classified as a controlled substance and in most states you can only get a prescription for one month at a time. No refills.
While the arguement that we are over-medicated for questionable disorders is a valid issue worth exploring, this was a glib, ill-researched, blog entry, and should not be misrepresented as journalism of any kind. I wonder if Salon takes responsibility for the lack of fact-checking and editorial oversight of the author.
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The Pendulum Swings
[Read the article: The stay-at-home mystique]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I am not a SAHM. Not even close. I'm a single mom with a 10 year old son. I don't work just because I am the sole source of financial support for my family. I work because if I didn't I would throw myself off a bridge. That's who I am. That's who I'd be if I didn't have my son. And when taking care of him overlaps my work, I take him with me. Because he's part of who I am, too.
But just because I work outside the home, I don't stand in judgement of those who don't. Children benefit from having a balanced household. And balance often means that you cannot work 50 hours a week at a day job and keep the house clean and check the homework and spend time with your kids and take care of yourself and your relationships. There's enough work there for three or four people, nevermind two. And as any good manager knows, it's important to deligate responsibilities. You can pay someone to raise your kids, which is not always financially beneficial for your family, or a parents can opt to stay home. Those are the only two options I'm aware of in our culture.
Everytime I read one of these "opt out" pieces I notice that the women opting out are around my age, (34) give or take. And I think, these are the girls I grew up with. Their mothers were that first generation of "have-it-all/all-at-the-same-time" feminism. Yuppie moms with big shoulder pads on their power suits, and fluffy tie-like things and their Reebox sneakers, and their Carly Simon "Working Girl" anthem. These opt-out women are the daughters of feminism.
A lot of those moms burned out. A lot of those parents divorced under the strain, financial and emotional, of trying to have it all concurrently. Their sons and daughters suffered the fall-out of that unbalanced living. These were the latchkey kids I hung out with, and when they weren't taking care of their younger siblings, they were making dinner and folding laundry. Everything costs, and having it all at once costs a lot. Some of these kids grew up, looked at their own kids and decided the cost was too high.
Life is not a one act play. We don't have to squeeze everything we want to do into one day, or one year, or one decade. We can choose to do one thing now�and do it well�because it's important enough to warrant that attention. Then, later, we can choose to do another thing and give that the focus and love it deserves. Today, these women are choosing to raise their families. Tomorrow, they may start businesses or write books. And because they can opt to do one thing at a time, there may be better kids�and better books�as a result.
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The Real Story
[Read the article: I was conned by JT Leroy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Is not that Frey and Leroy are despicable liars, but that their lies were what established their celebrity. What is wrong with writing a tale of abuse and drugs and sexual deviance and calling it a novel? Is there no honor in fiction?
From what I understand, the quality of the writing is not the issue. The outrage is that the authors perpretrated a hoax to gain entry into the world of coastal literati and the literati is pissed off. What they should be is embarrassed. Our culture has been poisoned by the proposition that true art can only be produced by the truly f***d-up. Craftsmenship, skill and vision are not prerequisites to success in the fine arts, and here, in literature.
True, there are the Warhols, the Basquiats, the Pollocks of the world, but for the most part this falsehood has resulted in talent wasted on self-destructive living, celebrity apportioned to creatives of questionable talent and a cult of personality.
The people who celebrated Frey and Leroy would have tossed their work in the circular file had they identified themselves as a frat boy and soccer mom. Those people are as responsible for these hoaxes as the writers themselves.
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Thank you
[Read the article: Republicans gone wild]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]For tracing this story back to Newt Gingrich. I've been watching him lately, working his way slowly back into the public consciousness. Aligning himself with Senator Clinton, of all people, and speaking of healthcare and ethics and other issues he worked so diligently to torpedo his first time in power. I hope the American people have not forgotten that he is a lying hypocrite and ineffective leader, but I'm lacking faith in our judgement lately.