Letters To The Editor
October 19, 2011 - MidWeek
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Del.icio.usNice change
What’s with the tag-team duo of Susan Page and Jerry Coffee lately? Instead of spewing shrill far-right conservative positions, they’ve been both civil and unpolitical in recent columns, and I must say that I’ve enjoyed them, including Mr. Coffee’s column about the serenity of river rock sculpting and Ms. Page’s most recent column, “Changing Attitudes To Find Peace.” Keep it up, please.
Dale Lee
Honolulu
Self-defense myth
Derek Scammon’s recent letter in response to Bob Jones’ column on guns and the Second Amendment reminded me that having a discussion about the benefits of gun ownership is like talking religion it is all theory.
I got my first gun when I was 10 and was a student of martial arts for nearly two decades. But in neither case was I delusional enough to believe I was safer because of it. The more I learned, the more I realized that it takes constant training in simulated combat conditions to use the skills effectively in emergencies. Casual gun owners do not have this kind of experience and are more a danger to themselves and those around them than to any potential assailant.
So let’s stop spreading the self-defense myth. My biggest nightmare is to be in a crowded area when someone opens fire and have dozens of other people draw guns and start shooting.
James B. Young
Honolulu
A woman’s work
I did not see the movie I Don’t Know How She Does It, but I disagree with the statement made by the movie reviewer. In her interview, Ms. Chambers posits that a similar movie about an “overworked and hassled” working father would not attract an audience, a discrepancy that she describes as “verging on sexist.” She goes on to explain that “everyone’s busy” and unlike the movie’s title, “everyone does it” (not just women).
To me, a similar and equally flawed argument would be to say that movies focusing on discrimination against disadvantaged individuals are prejudiced because everyone experiences discrimination. As a working mother of two, I struggle with juggling the demands of work and home, particularly given culturally defined expectations that my professional responsibilities should never detract from my primary role as wife and mother. As feminists have been saying for years, working mothers have a “second shift” when they come home every evening, and many women are burdened with feelings of guilt because we question our effectiveness during both shifts. Until the day when men feel similar societal expectations, I will gladly support any movie that tries to acknowledge and celebrate the unique reality of women’s lives.
Tracie Davis
Aiea
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