Dear Abby: Family Political Debate Opens Chasm Between Daughter, Mom

Dallas Morning News ^ | 9/13/01 | Paulne and Jeanne Phillips

[madprof98]

No matter how much our revulsion at terrorism from abroad draws us together, there are real and deep divisions among us here, and we are going to have to keep addressing those too.

[curmudgeonII]

Sounds like the daughter has more moral integrity than the mother and Abby put together. And good for the uncle while I'm at it.

[Starrling]

What actually caused the chasm is the daughter's moral stand. Mom needs to quit blaming the uncle.

[steenkeenbadges]

"Explain that you are not in favor of killing babies, but that you feel it is important for a woman to have the right to choose. "

To choose what? The uncle got it right and the Mom's upset because she can't explain it away with slick political doubletalk. Kids can see right through to the real issues.

[GhostSoldier]

Her uncle thinks the way he does, and you love him in spite of it.

How generous of her......

[ClancyJ]

Guess they think the uncle should have lied to protect the mother in her opinion. The mother made her choice - the choice to vote for the ability to kill babies. Is she supposed to have no consequences for her decision too?

Reality and truth hurt when some are faced with it.

[ClancyJ]

Guess they think the uncle should have lied to protect the mother in her opinion. The mother made her choice - the choice to vote for the ability to kill babies. Is she supposed to have no consequences for her decision too?

Reality and truth hurt when some are faced with it.

[Artist]

This Dear Abby is for real. My jaw hit the floor on this one.

[11th Earl of Mar]

I think Mom is just upset that she is will not be able to indoctrinate the child as easily as she thought possible.

And if Mom is pro-choice, will she allow her daughter to choose a different position?

[SamAdams76]

Why bother with this silly column? The letters are heavily edited, if not faked altogether and the "touchy-feely" responses are always predictable and from the liberal side of the fence. You could probably program a computer to generate this column.

[Mamzelle]

Notice what is NOT mentioned in this story? There's no Daddy in the picture. That might explain why the daughter worries about abortion, since she could be seen as "inconvenient" herself.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

I really didn't believe this one was real (I'm not a reader of the women's pages, anyway). But if, as you say, it IS real, I think it perfectly exposes the hypocrisy of the "Feminazis". If you can't explain your moral position to an intelligent 12-year old, then it is quite likely that you don't really HAVE a moral positon. Just expediency and personal convenience.

[TexRef]

...I was so shocked I hardly knew how to defend myself.

That's because the murder of babies is indefensible.

Interesting how the innocent children understand that there is no such thing as a "fetus" -- it is a baby!

[Gil4]

Explain that you are not in favor of killing babies, but that you feel it is important for a woman to have the right to choose to kill babies

Hey, it was implied anyway. I guess twelve year olds can't rationalize as well as adults.

[KSCITYBOY]

Mom's a stupid selfish person. I'll adopt that kid any day.

[Right_Wing_Mole_In_Seattle]

I forgot about the subject until we were on the way home and my daughter asked me how I could think that killing a little baby was OK.

Out of the mouth of babes...

Stay strong kid.

[SAMWolf]

"Explain that you are not in favor of killing babies, but that you feel it is important for a woman to have the right to choose...to kill her baby. "

Yeah, that will clear up the issue Abby!

[workerbee]

As solidly pro-life as I am, I think the uncle was out of line.

The girl is 11 yr. old and as abhorrent as we find her mother's beliefs about "choice", it is not right (at that age) to undermine her relationship with her mother. IMO, it would have more appropriate for the uncle to state simply that he disagreed with Gore on the abortion issue. Anything beyond that should have been discussed with the mother beforehand.

I would be just as angry if the situation was reversed, and someone had told my 11 yr. old child that they voted against Bush because "he hates women and wants them to be oppressed by men."

Flame if you want, but I'm going off-line for a while.

[thingumbob]

Good for the child!...Children always see the world in simple terms...and yes the child does have more moral integrity than the parent.

[Gumlegs]

Notice what is NOT mentioned in this story? There's no Daddy in the picture. That might explain why the daughter worries about abortion, since she could be seen as "inconvenient" herself.

With NOW's recently-announced support of post-partum abortions up to seven years after a child's birth, it's only a matter of time before it's politically correct to go after the 12 year olds. The kid has a right to worry.