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• Wednesday, August 9, 2006 06:20 AM

  You hit the nail on the head, Rebecca

  (Up-front disclosure: I've never been a mom, never wanted to be.) The greater society does seem to have a "fetish" or obsession with pregnancy (in all its trimesters) these days. On the one hand, it is refreshing that some moms and dads are more open about expressing their love for their children. For example, I like seeing one of my brothers-in-law hugging his early-teenage son and telling him he loves him. On the other, one can't help but feel we're treating pregnancy as either a handicap or something that requires the involved individual be put on a pedestal.

  I've seen "pregnant moms only"-designed parking spots at supermarkets and even at a gym near me (suburbia)...right next to the handicapped spots. I'm all for the handicapped spots--I've even called the police on able-bodied jacka$$es who take those spots out of ignorance and laziness. (Boy, do most of those folks get pissy! One tried to run me over. Perhaps they do have a disability after all...)

  If a woman's pregnancy constitutes a handicap, and I understand some do, then let them get temporary handicapped tags. But to coddle women just because they're pregnant seems ridiculous, whether here or in Tokyo, particularly when there are people every day who are often more deserving of consideration.

  P.S. If I'm a little cranky today, it's because I'm facing the very immediate possibility of putting to sleep a very dear 17-year-old boy with cancer, who happens to be a cat (at least in this life).

  —RatherBRidin' Read RatherBRidin''s other letters
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