Letters to the Editor
melthough
Published Letters: 1342 Editor's Choice: 103
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Since when do girls exercise during gym class?
[Read the article: Exercise: It's good for kids' brains]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I spend most of the time sitting on the bleachers watching other people play competitive games I was no good at. In fact, despite the fact that I outdid all the girls AND boys in my school during the presidential fitness testing, I thought I was unathletic until I started training as a runner in my early 20s and realized I had strength, endurance and speed that somehow failed to come to fruition while watching other people play dodge ball.
I really, really hope that gym actually lets everyone exercise these days. If we find that it boosts test scores, then that's way more likely. Let's do a study for boys to find out how much activity they need to get the same effect, and then let everybody have that many minutes every day of actually exercising.
Then if we can just prove that other things that common sense tells us are good for our minds and bodies - like art and music classes - boost test scores too.... I hope someone is working on that.
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Whether Obama is Muslim is not a matter of opinion!
[Read the article: Howard Fineman, mind reader]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A reporter's job is to research and report the FACTS, not try to read other people's opinions about something that is a matter of FACT. FACT FACT FACT. AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHH!
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The 3 a.m. ad was not really an "attack."
[Read the article: It's 3 a.m. Who do you want answering the phone?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I wish people would stop saying that. It was a lame opportunity to show Hillary Clinton dressed up in glasses. If people were dumb enough to take her glasses into account when they voted, I guess we other Americans just have to live with it. That's what being part of a representative democracy entails.
What I have been wondering about this ad, though, is this. I wonder how much of the perception of Hillary as strong and capable comes from her partnership with a former president. Has anyone thought about how it might affect that perception if Bill, say, had a fatal heart attack before she took office? I do not want that to happen, of course. But the point is to do a bit of a thought experiment; do you still trust her to answer the phone if Bill isn't also in the room? Since I'm not a Hillary supporter, I can't presume to know the answer, but I'm curious what Hillary's supporters have to say. (Well, no. I'm curious what really happens in their minds during that thought experiment, but I don't really care to hear their answers unless they're going to offer them politely.)
Personally, I think Obama or Hillary Clinton would do just fine if that 3 a.m. call ever came. And I happen to think that an Obama presidency would make it less likely that such a call would come, since he has agreed to good-will talks with leaders whom we have traditionally given the cold shoulder. Other people obviously think differently, and I don't have a problem with that at all. The ad was not an attack.
As for the article itself, I think it is fascinating that some military leaders are supporting Democratic candidates because of McCain's infamous temper. While McCain certainly appears to be Teflon-coated on the lobbyist issue, I think he is being very careful to smile and chuckle a LOT, so he will not to have a Dean "scream" moment during this campaign. I wonder if we can stir the hornets' nest somehow....
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Women: the monolith
[Read the article: "Women are stupid!" The discussion continues]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There is a basic equivocation in the argument that women want to be taken seriously and then don't act serious. The "women" in question are not usually the same women. Is this not obvious to someone as brilliant as whats-her-name at WaPo?
Also, the same equivocation holds when people say that "women" make fun of men the same way and then don't like it when someone does the same to them. As I've said many times before, there is not a huge amount of overlap between women who consider themselves feminists and women who spend their day at the office giggling over "how men are like dogs" e-mails with their friends.
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Please. Make it stop.
[Read the article: Was Obama's skin darkened for Clinton ad?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have said it about the grain-of-truth accusations of sexism and racism before, and I will say it again. EVEN IF there is subtle racism or sexism being used against a candidate, it deserves no more than a collective eye-roll. In almost all of these situations ("shuck and jive," and "when she's feeling ... ... ... down" come to mind), there is no way to prove that someone was trying to use subliminal biases to advantage. I do not think either campaign should be directly making claims of or fighting battles against systemic, unconscious biases. Instead, the candidates should be themselves and SHOW US that they do not fit anyone's stereotype of what Black or Female "means." I hope Obama will not dignify this silliness with a response, and, based on his history thus far in the campaign, I don't expect him to do so.
BTW, I think it is good that Alex has addressed this, because I've seen people talking about it in the comments, and PART of his job is to discuss what people are talking about, even (perhaps especially) if people are being idiots.
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I don't care about her tax returns.
[Read the article: What Clinton once said about tax returns]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]But I do find it hilarious that she did this to Lazio and is now accusing Obama of acting like Ken Starr for a MUCH milder version of the same thing. He is not making a ridiculous, chintzy spectacle of it like she did. I thought the whole thing was pretty specious from the beginning, but this makes it interesting.
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@DaytonDem
[Read the article: What Clinton once said about tax returns]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not apples to apples, eh? Do you think comparing Obama to Ken Starr is apples to apples?
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Neaderthal mouth breathers?
[Read the article: What Clinton once said about tax returns]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm guessing that's not an exact quote.... Do you have one?
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:(
[Read the article: Ron Paul finally ready to drop out of presidential race]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Another media casualty. I didn't agree with him on a single issue except the war - in fact, I found him rather scary - but it's not the media's job to decide which candidates are valid.