Letters to the Editor
nanmorgan
Published Letters: 12 Editor's Choice: 2
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Is fear mongering bad by definition?
[Read the article: Hillary Clinton gets serious]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In response to rjgwood's call to end fear mongering, I believe that Americans have much to fear that is legitimate. The question is, what do we fear, and what are we going to do about it? We have a right to fear our enormous deficit, our political standing in the world, our escalating health care and environmental crises, loss of civil liberties, and much more. I agree that the Bush administration used our fears to enrich special interest groups at the expense of the American people. Our nation's press, Congress and many American people supported this administration's bullying tactics as it diverted us from really solving these problems. Yes, I agree that fear can blind us. But, vision is not just about protecting the self-esteem of our hopes for the future. If faced realistically, fear can also wake us up to where we are and how far we are from our hopes for the future. I will support any president who will help us to face our fears and resolve our problems in a humanitarian and a civilized fashion.
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Another concern about amnesia
[Read the article: Obama's double magic]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]JDMF and Xavier are on target. Having worked in a white community that finally hired African Americans, I've seen the easy step white guilt takes towards wanting to appear non-racist. Unable to make the sacrifices necessary to resolve self-induced problems, I've seen the disillusionment and anger that follows. Our problems will not be magically taken away by leaders of different colors or genders. We have crippling debt, a dismal world opinion of us, environmental and social care disasters, and a government hamstrung by moneyed interests. We all have work to do to truly transcend our present situation.
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INTP's and turning over new leaves
[Read the article: Our house is so messy my husband's threatening to leave]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have two points. First, I am an INTP also, AND the family's cleaning Nazi. Not that I'm a neat freak, but I'm less willing to live with household messes than the rest of my family (who are decidedly not INTPs). While I recognize some elements of my personality in the www.intp.org description, humans have some agency in how they deal with these traits. We are not automatons.
Secondly, Yes, I agree with everyone else that you need to clean your house for your own self-esteem, set an example for the kids, and to challenge your husband to invest positive/nurturing energy into the family, but I would urge you to get counseling at the same time. Don't fall into the trap of "rewarding" yourself with counseling when/if you ever get to the house. The very act of facing the most obvious symptom of your instability over the state of the house will bring to the surface other "hidden" problems. There are red flags for this all over the place in your letter. Your self-flagellation and your husband's threats are opposing viewpoints, almost on opposite ends of the spectrum. Something has driven you both to polar extremes. Generally, it's healthier to find out sooner, rather than later, that you both really want to find common ground and make your marriage work.
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Point the finger where it belongs
[Read the article: Clarence Thomas is not a sellout]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Let's remember that Clarence Thomas was set up, by a Republican administration, to replace Thurgood Marshall, a bane to the Republicans. Thomas is a problem for black rights, not because of his personal incompetence, but because a racist nation is using him to support a racist agenda. To expect every black person to behave better than human is short-sighted, and ultimately, self-defeating. Let's hold the right social group responsible for black oppression. Whites created racism, and whites need to be held responsible to fix it.
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To Arlo Figg and oops! sorry we ruined your lives. . .let's move on now
[Read the article: Clarence Thomas is not a sellout]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If might makes right, then the U.S. is in trouble, because we are losing our world power status. History matters, because without acknowledging past patterns of abuse, we are doomed to repeat them. Witness our willingness to trounce on the weaker nation, Iraq, just to control their oil. The U.S. has, since it's inception, been willing to step on weaker people, and has not yet lost the habit. Our willingness to step on weaker people finally came to bite us in return. Let's learn from the past, not to self-flagellate, but to grow up.