Letters to the Editor
micro ms.
Published Letters: 283 Editor's Choice: 12
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Annoyed, but...
[Read the article: Hey, Obama boys: Back off already!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As much as I am sick of the Hillary/sexism discussion, this is honestly the only article I've seen in Salon that has any legs.
I've ended up arguing with a number of different males about Hillary, and I didn't even vote for the woman! It isn't that what they say is sweepingly sexist, nor do they lack nuanced reasons why they aren't voting for her, but they fall back on these very angry, personal attacks that are very sexist in tone when discussing her. Terms like "bitch" and "ball-buster" come into play as well as rants about her either overstepping her bounds or overstating her experience as first lady.
The bottom line? There are Obama supporters behaving badly out there and the fact that some of them are doing so in a sexist way bears scrutiny. On the other hand, Clinton supporters are also behaving badly (just read the letters here) and an even greater % of her supporters claim they'd vote for McCain before Obama. How, when the two candidates are really so very similar to one another policy wise, anyone can rationalize a switch to McCain baffles me. I'd like to see more data on those voters; age, gender, etc. Is there a particular demographic out there that cuts off its own nose to spite its face?
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Could we behave any more irrationally?
[Read the article: Hey, Obama boys: Back off already!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Stop reading. Stop typing. Go look in a mirror and repeat these words:
"Hillary Clinton is not the perfect embodiment of all democratic ideals"
"Barack Obama is not a political messiah"
"Hillary Clinton is not the antichrist"
"Barack Obama is not a racist, anti- American plant"
Do this as many times a day as you have to until you are able to contemplate the candidates with some level of emotional detachment. I never cease to be amazed at how people are so willing to self-polarize. Why, when we enter the political fracas, must we inflate the candidate we've chosen to the level of an unflawed god? Why must we demonize their opponents? It's childish, it's intellectually lazy, and it doesn't lead to better, more informative political campaigns.
Next time you bemoan the state of American politics, remember that we are just as guilty as the media in turning this process into a vacuous circus. Grow up. Go campaign for your candidate, talk to your friends, get out the vote, but cut the frothing, hyper-emotional rhetoric. It isn't worthwhile.
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I hate repeating myself, but it bears repeating. Perhaps if we all took a deep breath, debates on both sides would be based on merit, not knee-jerk paranoia or name-calling.
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@brightstar
[Read the article: Beyond Vagina-dome]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Now THAT was funny! Even my husband thought it was hysterical. I mean, we all know and love Brightstar for his insightful opinions on women, but this is a true classic!
Between the plethora of ridiculous nicknames for the penis, the fact that many men actually name their sexual organs, and that fellows such as Mr.Spitzer and Mr. Clinton made gigantic messes of their lives on behalf of their dicks, I am convinced that the entire male population is completely free of their penis! Or thoughts of their penis... or penis like thoughts.. Heaven forbid people view the massive collections of Egyptian, Greek and Western art and view all of those images of phallus as anything other than what they are. An appreciation for the geometry of the pole!
Seriously, you have to stop, I'm laughing so hard I think I pulled something...
To quote Robin Williams "Sure, men have two brains, but only enough blood to use one at a time."
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This Isn't Either/Or
[Read the article: I like him but he's weird about money]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As someone else mentioned, the LW is just as judgmental as her bf. She spends a good chunk of her letter pointing out all of his shortcomings and failings (as she sees them, although I think spending my hard earned cash on new clothes to be a total waste, so…).
It seems like the LW is really asking where her relationship is going. Is it going to stay largely casual or are they going to get serious? If they can sit down and have a rational discussion about things make some compromises (He cleans up and backs off, she saves a bit more) and accept their differences, then there is hope for a sustainable relationship. If they can’t, I’d say they’ve got a limited shelf life.
That being said, the LW (and some of the posters’) comments about money are freaking me out! Only paying for the size of the window in your nursing home? Not concerned about retirement at 55? Are you nuts? Barring catastrophic mental or physical illness, you have a good shot of living past 80, and of being independent for most of it. Do you honestly think you’ll being working right up into your late 70s? Hit a food pantry or soup kitchen and see how many elderly are there because they “out-lived” their savings. You get the food you are given, and you shut up and eat it, so forget about your dietary preferences. As for nursing homes and elder housing, cash in hand is everything. Quality costs big bucks. There is a lot of subsistence living and squalor out there for elder care and unless you plan on being too demented to notice, you don’t want to get stuck with it.
Pay attention! There is an epidemic of senior poverty in the U.S. and women are being hardest hit because of their lack of savings and their life spans. Forget not being able to treat yourself to a new shirt or your favorite food. You’ll be wondering about treating yourself to heat in the winter. Seriously LW, your bf might be over the top, but he really does sound like he has your best interests at heart. Even if you don’t stay with him, you’d do well to learn a little from him.