Letters to the Editor
Rowyna
Published Letters: 105 Editor's Choice: 36
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fatness, controlled or uncontrolled?
[Read the article: Big momma's house]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think the underlying issue here is a question about to what degree a person who is obese has choosen to be so.
Are prospective parents in wheelchairs allowed to adopt? Are parents who have inhereted Type 1 diabetes allowed to adopt? Are colourblind parents allowed to adopt? Where do we draw the line between who should be allowed to adopt and who shouldnt when it comes to physical attributes?
You mention that: "To make things worse, Lannigan suffers from polycystic ovarian syndrome, a disease that can cause both fertility problems and weight gain."
In this case it appears that she is obese because of an underlying medical condition. How is that any different from a woman who was born without her right leg adopting? Both are physical handicaps resulting from inhereted medical conditions.
However, when it comes to 'fat people' we seem to be unable to decide if we should have sympathy for someone who has been handed the short-stick in the genetics lottery, or whether we should group them with smokers and alcholics.
Is being fat Lannigan's FAULT? Should she be punished by refusing her adoption request because she is fat as a result of her polycycstic ovarian syndrome? Or maybe she's just fat because she eats at McDonalds all the time.
Either way, it seems a bit rich to tell a prospective parent they can not adopt because of their weight, when millions of 'genetic' parents who are overweight are allowed to procreate at will.
And as a total sidenote to the poster above regarding Australia's history of the 'stolen generation': this issue is hardly related, and comparing the two seems completely irrelevant. Many countries have past or ongoing histories of removing indigenous children from their parents and putting them into state-run institutions, not just Australia. Just as many countries have laws relating to the weight of potential adoptive parents.
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there actually is some research about this...
[Read the article: To Pixar: We love it. But next time, could you add a girl?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There actually is some research about the gender of lead protaganists, especially in children's literature - market research.
Market research on the preferences of kids when reading children/young adult fiction shows that boys are more interested in reading and more likely to finish books with a male lead character. Girls on the other hand are equally likely to be interested in a book with either a male or female lead. I don't know why this is- it could be because women can more easily identify with both genders, or it could be that there is a social-bias towards making boys NOT identify with women.
Either way, the research shows that if you want your kids book to sell to both boys & girls (thus having more potential for overall sales), it is best to have a male protaganist. This isn't to say there shouldn't be strong female characters in the book (eg Hermione from Harry Potter), it just means that the main character/voice needs to be male in order to sell the story to boys.
In light of said market research, it is absolutely no wonder that pixar's movies all star a male lead. They want to pack the theaters with both men AND women, not just women. You can't really blame pixar for that...
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tell them to leave
[Read the article: My new roommate arrived ... with mom attached!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't know what kind of mother Carey had, but mine certinally wasn't the manipulative creep he describes...
I think whats important here is that you talk to them bluntly and honestly. You aren't obligated to be nice, nor should you be feeling guilty about your annoyance. The girl is sick. If she is so sick that her mother must attend her, then entering into a roomate situation was inappropriate. She should have sought alternative arrangements, rather than assume you would be fine with an extra, significantly OLDER roomate whom you had never met.
You should tell them point blank that while you are sympathetic that the girl is so ill her mother must stay with her, you feel that it is inappropriate for them to both stay at the house. Ask by what date the mother is planning on leaving, pressure her for a SPECIFIC date, and then hold them to it. If the date is unreasonable, tell them that you will not mind if they have to make alternative arrangements, and that you will be happy to refund her bond.
They are taking advantage of you whether they are aware of it or not. Make it clear that you feel the situation is unacceptable, and make them give you a concrete timeframe for the mother's departure. Mention to them that when you, and your other roomate's parents visist they have ALWAYS stayed at a hotel, and as such, you are uncomforatble with the mother staying there. Don't feel bad about it though. They may think you are a jerk, and incredibly rude. The truth is, however, that THEY are incredibly rude for simply assuming that this situation would be other than in imposition upon you. The roomates illness is not your problem. If it is so grave that she needs 24/7 assistance, then she should not be living with you. Don't let them make you feel bad.