Margo - spot on advice. 

Beth - as far as letter writer #1’s woman friend he is marrying - who knows if he is really marrying her or not?  This might just be a story to keep from having to commit to dear letter writer.  He doesn’t sound like he has a lot of ethics.  Letter write 1 can’t solve the world.  She just needs to take care of herself.  That means she needs to take charge of herself and cease this affair.  Hint to all: When someone says they are marrying someone else, that’s the clue that you should NOT be seeing, having dinner with, sleeping with the guy.  This magical thinking that seems to go on that if I just hang around and give him what he wants he’ll change his mind and marry me is astounding.

My local paper, the Detroit Free Press, only home delivers three days a week now.  Somehow reading news on the web is not the same as reading the paper with my morning cup of coffee, sharing sections with my husband, circling items of interest, ripping out things to remember.  My favorite columnist from the paper is Mitch Albom.  A very talented writer, usually about sports, but just often enough about other subjects as well.  You might have read his book, "Tuesdays with Morrie."

I also respect and read Fareed Zakaria.  One of the most knowledgeable and thoughtful writers.  Not exactly newspaper - he’s in Newsweek - but he instantly came to mind when I saw the question.

Third would be Thomas Friedman.  He showed just how much influence a writer can have with his book, "The World is Flat" and the follow up "The World is Flat, Hot and Crowded."

My, my, everyone is so quick to jump on the wicked stepmother bandwagon (the shrew??).  There are always two sides.  The letter writer tells of the daughters’ love for the father but nowhere does she describe how they welcomed stepmother into the family, told her how delighted they are that their father has found happiness with her, tried to make her feel a part of their family.  I just heard their resentment that the stepmother had come between them and their father.

I don’t believe a direct confrontation will solve anything.  That may work in business but in my experience, in family affairs it just leads to long term resentments.

I would suggest the daughters examine themselves thoroughly first.  If they have, indeed, truly welcomed stepmother into the family, redouble their efforts.  Bend over backwards to be kind.  To exclaim over her great taste or her wonderful cooking or her thoughtfulness…whatever it is they can extoll to both stepmother and to their father.  Then, if, after a significant period of time working on their own behaviors and attitudes passes and stepmother is still acting as they describe, I would recommend having a conversation with her saying they are trying hard to welcome her into their hearts, describing how they feel when her actions hurt them and asking how they can better get along to all make the father happy.

I get somewhere between 100 and 200 emails a day at work.  It’s more expedient for me to check them regularly, like each hour.  I usually try to end conference calls a couple of minutes early so that I read emails each half hour.  Often my emails are "just in time" information for meetings I have during the day so I cannot wait for four hours or more before reading.

My personal email - I may read once a day if that.  My friends and family know that if it’s urgent they need to call my cell or send a note to my business email.

Perhaps we should have televised the shooting of Dr. Tiller and you can vote on whether it was murder.  Why do you think showing a very troubling act will change anyone’s opinion?  Women who need late term abortions are not getting them on a whim.  They are usually very difficult and painful decisions in horrible circumstances.  I would not want to be a woman in a situation like that, perhaps risking my life because someone has a theoretical position that they are pro-life and I could not have access to the medical care that would save my life.  And that same person thinks it’s OK to kill a doctor who was trying to help women. 

You have not walked a minute in the shoes of a woman who has had to make that terrible decision to have a late term abortion but bless those doctors who are compasionate enough to help women out rather than watch them die or deliver children who will suffer miserably and die.

Marjorie - then I am very sorry for your soul if you think that there was any justification in killing Dr. Tiller, who was doing something that is legal.  You cann’t consider yourself pro life if you can condone killing, no matter the reason.  You can’t just save the people you think are deserving.  What gives you the insights to know who is good and who is evil?  Be careful about casting stones.

I’m OK with someone declaring themselves feminist and pro-life, just don’t tell me I have to be pro-life, too.  Feminism is about allowing someone to be what they aspire to be, allow them to do what they think is right for themselves.  Too many pro-lifers want to legislate what others can and cannot do with their own bodies and lives.  That doesn’t work for me and I would hope not for feminists.

And if you’re pro-life, think about your stance on capital punishment, gun control, other issues that impact life.