Buyer’s remorse? I just don’t get it. For all the years that the conservatives have managed this country, liberals have had to fight to have their principles heard and almost always have had to compromise in order to get even the smallest increments placed into law, swallowing hard while the "fiscally responsible" conservatives prevented us from helping one another in ways that only government could. Yet, so many of today’s minority party rather say "no way, I won’t play," balkanizing the U.S., rather than work with our president and a democratic-majority that is bending over backwards to make sure the door is open to all. What does that say of this country? Of the democratic system? And you say you wonder why so many figure it can only be racism, a crass manipulation of people’s fears and prejudices? If not that, what? Nothing else makes any sense of it at all. 

Good for you and your town, James. Wish I could be there to see it all …

Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. My small town library, too, is under duress. We can’t let them disappear — they’ve been so important to so many. 

Interesting, isn’t it? That the only time we seem to be able to stop bashing and hating each other is when we all can hate someone else. And that’s what we call "patriotism." Don’t you see something wrong with that?

So nice to see you are being honored for your work. Congratulations, Ms Nevins!!

Thank you, Ms Coady. I think I will take a chance on the last two titles you described. Best to you …

Who knows? So far there is only one "personality" on the list that I recognize. The others might as well be stealth CEOs, all of them flying under the radar … I suppose those who read the financial pages would know them, but not me. So in my small world, the most powerful woman I know is my daughter — wife, mother, homemaker, teacher, daughter, friend … 

No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. 

What a day that was. And look what we’ve done, what we’re doing, as its legacy. No memorial yet. No new buildings yet. No end to destruction and death and war in Iraq in Afghanistan. All the innocents dead in the four planes — DC, PA, NY — and in the towers and Pentagon, and eight years later we somehow continue that awful sacrifice, but this time we are the ones who kill the innocents … 

"She was 17 and had a ten-year-old and a seven-year-old with her." Ms McFadden, did you find out what happened to these children? 

You miss the point, Irish. Did you listen to what he was saying? He wasn’t speaking against owning a house or wanting to succeed or becoming wealthy, nor was I. 

Just a thought about Letter #1: As a child who was left with a crazy mother, I feel compelled to say, don’t do it. If that woman is nuts and will by her words and deeds teach your children how to bring out the worst in themselves instead of the best, try for full or at least joint custody. If neither is possible, stay to support the children until they can figure out on their own what’s what, but do get some assistance (marriage therapy) so the verbal brawling stops — again for their sakes. You made a mistake; you mustn’t force your children to pay for it.

Thank you, Patricia. It means so much to know there are those who understand.