So, do they have a list things that god did or did not create and which are evil/good? Driving a car = OK. Using medicine = BAD. According to the believers he created man, so doesn't that mean he created doctors? And, drugs are made my man, so by extension isn't there a bit of god's handiwork in their creation? Or, do they think that all of this is the work of the devil? I've never understood the shunning of medicine by these people. Not that these extreme religious folks are ever rational, but what is their reason for shunning medical help?

This article might be more interesting if the kids were high school aged. Sounds more like a really fun day care right now. There are parents with full time jobs who do this sort of stuff too. It just happens in the evenings and weekends.

I wish people in the O'Hehir's strata participated in helping to improve the public schools instead of taking their own out of the system. It's the same frustration I feel about liberal lawmakers who act concerned about public education, but send their kids to expensive private schools.

I find the defensive responses from the home schooled to be natural given some of the over the top negative comments, but it's a little humorous to read that you're all so accomplished and exceptional. That's wonderful for you, but your own experience doesn't negate the experiences that other people have had with kids who have been poorly home schooled. It seems that for every kid who is the product of home schooling by college educated parents who aren't only teaching their own narrow world view, there are 10 others who are being raised to be the next generation of the ignorant religious right.

It seems that some modern parents have this strange habit of acting as if they've found the secret to raising exceptional children and, of course, their own children are gifted and special. Trust me, your kids are only special to you and your family. I wish O'Hehir would stick with the movies. Smugness just seems to work better when reviewing independent features.

I'm another person who only heard about Jessica Valenti via the first post on Salon about her impending marriage. After reading some of her stuff she does seem hypocritical. I thought this comment from another letter writer hit the nail on the head:

I would love to see Ms. Valenti do some re-evaluation now that she herself is caught up in the wedding madness. Maybe she will tell us that she looks a little differently now at the people she used to sneer at. She's not particularly self-aware or introspective, though, so I don't hold my breath. and yeah she sounds hypocritical

All I can think is, just wait until she gets pregnant. I'm sure there will be another tempest in a tiny teacup.

"THAT is what the Tea Parties were about in 1776"

How are we supposed to take anything you say seriously when you don't even know basic history. The Boston Tea Party was in 1773 and there was one. As for the original Tea Party being about "morality" and "heterosexual marriage"... good grief, thanks for the laughs folks.

We watched a few episodes the first season and dropped it. Now I'm thinking it might be worth watching the first couple of episodes from this season and see if it really has improved.

As for this:

"provincial folks who tend to speak about their small-beans pursuits in the most grandiose terms imaginable"

Doesn't that pretty much describe every celebrity and quasi-celebrity who Twitters?

Please hire Susan Wood to write Paglia parodies. They're much more entertaining than the originals.

Were you drunk when you wrote your letter? It was unintentionally hilarious.

Heather, good job. Extreme sarcasm is really the only way to deal with the overblown media coverage of Oprah. And, you gotta love the name of her new cable channel, OWN. It speaks for itself.

Lynn you need to get out in the world beyond your tiny urban neighborhood. Come to Wisconsin, people love mommies here.

I don't have kids, but I can appreciate that parenting is a lot of work. The only parents who bother me are the ones who deliberately let their kids run roughshod over them. It seems like kids are more out of control than before and people notice. Not just the childfree, but other parents notice this too. I've heard many more comments from annoyed parents about other parents kids bothering them than I hear from friends without kids. Most of the people I know without kids don't spend much time thinking about kids and parents, let alone have any time to "hate" them.

By the way, Dora&Diego, I'm happy that you're happy with your choice, but you're the kind of person that makes people without kids nuts: "If the right opportunity presents itself, please, please, don't let your ideology get in the way of greater joy than you could ever win in a lottery." I really hope you don't say stuff like that to actual friends or family who are childless by choice. That's as obnoxious as "hating mommies".

If you want to believe that only people who procreate contribute anything to society, well that's your opinion. But really, your attitude is just as obnoxious as the more vitriolic comments in letters from non-parents.

At first I couldn't figure out why you were so aggressively defensive. Then in a subsequent letter you revealed that you're a dad who's the primary caregiver and it made more sense.