Clinton not getting her due respect

8/19/2009

Two Aug. 11 articles caught my eye. One was a news story about Hillary Clinton s trip to Congo, where she was asked what her husband would think about an international matter. The writer (a male?) went on to say that It was not clear why Mrs. Clinton reacted with such umbrage, and she quickly regained her cool.

Well, perhaps those who live in patriarchal societies, or those who are bound by some antiquated paternalistic rule, would have trouble understanding her annoyance at this silly question, but any woman who has achieved any success in this world knows why she reacted this way.

Of course she was annoyed, but she did not let the remark dominate her town hall visit. And, by the way, why isn t Secretary Clinton given her proper title as secretary of state. Why do reporters continue to call her Mrs. Clinton as if she were an appendage of the past president?

The editorial Wearing the pants applauded Lubna Hussein for her refusal to plead guilty to wearing pants, which apparently violates tradition (not law) in Sudan. I applaud her too.

Far too many ignorant and fanatical government and religious leaders deny women equal rights, (or any rights at all), and the more people stand up to these pathetic and backward male-dominated cultures and institutions, the sooner things may begin to change. As a nation, we are rightly outraged when foreign women suffer at the hands of ignorance.

However, Ms. Hussein is applauded while Secretary of State Clinton is chastised. What does this reveal about American society? Unfortunately we aren t quite as enlightened as I would hope in this new century, at least not in our own backyards.

Leslie L. Jan

Bowling Green

I worked for the Toledo YMCA for several years. In my time with the Y, I was given the opportunity to grow professionally and personally. I went from being a lifeguard and swim instructor to a coordinator of a successful aquatic department.

How was I able to be so successful? Because of people like Jody Alexander. Yes, Jody is Mr. Alexander s daughter-in-law, but honestly who cares? Jody is good at what she does and is well known in the YMCA world.

As a YMCA trainer, I know it costs money to hold trainings and send employees to be trained. The Toledo YMCA has done that for many of its employees. I know firsthand because I was one of those employees.

I moved away from Toledo not because I wanted to leave the Toledo YMCA but because I was getting married. The whole time I worked for the YMCA, Jody Alexander was one of the people who helped me become successful.

The Blade should be ashamed of the picture it tried to paint of the YMCA, but isn t that typical of this newspaper? Members and community members who have had their lives changed because of the YMCA will know the truth. Continue to support the YMCA because it does do great things for the community. The YMCA in Toledo was the place I ll always remember as the start of my career and I ll always love and support what it has done and will do.

Ann Lofton

Cincinnati

Regarding the recent report about obesity taking a toll on American health care, as a registered nurse, I believe obesity is a symptom of a health-care system that does not do enough to support basic health of individuals.

Individuals who are overweight or obese have limited options in the way of support from health-care providers to lose the weight. Most health-insurance companies do not cover lifestyle change weight management services. Individuals will get pills to manage the diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia that is most often directly caused by overweight and obesity because our current health-care system supports this model of care.

It is time that this changes. Incentives need to be directed to keeping people healthy and preventing obesity. And most importantly, as 70 percent of Lucas County residents know, it is imperative to start treating overweight and obesity as a disease that requires long-term lifestyle management.

Rita Sowinski

Holland

Again, our government helps big business and hurts the common citizen. Those of us who are unemployed could not buy a new car regardless of how much the government subsidized it. But we might be able to buy a good used car which could get us to job interviews and hopefully that new job.

Perfectly good used vehicles are being destroyed without giving us a chance to get rid of our 13-year-old clunker with 150,000-plus miles that gets really bad gas mileage, not to mention the oil it burns.

This was a chance to help everyone. The subsidy savings could have been passed down and made good used cars affordable. It would also help achieve the goal of improving overall gas mileage and pollution reduction by retiring the oldest and clunkiest of the nation s fleet.

Now, dealership employees are having a blast blowing up engines in cars I wish I could have bought, or at least gotten used parts from to keep mine running.

Thanks, Mr. President.

Vincent Morgillo

Northwood

Except for some cosmetic differences, Democrat and Republican are one and the same. The powerful banking industry supports both sides. It was a banker who said years ago, I care not who makes the laws, as long as we control the money.

Rep. Ron Paul s House Bill 1207, which has more than 250 co-sponsors in Congress, would audit the Federal Reserve. This will be a first step in the process to take back control of our monetary and political system. Now that s a change we can all believe in.

Ron Heringhauser

Brownstone Boulevard

To those of you who do not want health-care reform: I am sure you feel the way you do because you currently have health insurance. Just consider if you were unemployed, unable to get private insurance because of pre-existing conditions, too young for Medicare, and didn t qualify for Medicaid.

This could happen to you at any time. It is time for everyone to have health-care coverage that lasts a lifetime.

Mike Harnisch

Perrysburg

I read with interest the Aug. 3 letter in the Readers Forum about Jack Kelly s column.

The letter writer would like The Blade to replace him because, in her opinion, he does not meet modern journalistic standards.

Whose standards is she speaking of? Hers? Because he has a difference of opinion from her?

We still live in a free society. That is why she is able to give her opinion, as he should be able to also. It seems some people think if your opinion differs from theirs, you are being incompetent or illogical.

The letter writer needs to learn the difference between reporting (facts) and journalism (opinion).

Jessie Geis

Holland

After looking over the compensation packages for the top employees of the YMCA/JCC and the Farr golf tournament, it appears that the term nonprofit organization has become an oxymoron.

George Weidner

Barrows Street