My comment on the following Op-Ed:
New York Times
A Complicated Question
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/opinion/06dowd.htmlNew York Times
A Complicated Question
We are asked here to consider Elizabeth Edwards' motives; the piece calls them into question. It is difficult to judge her motives without reading the book, the Time article, and seeing her Oprah appearance. My instinct says to avoid being judgmental considering what she's been through; to do so risks seeming to minimize her pain and condone his behavior. Frankly, any public embarrassment he suffers as a result is deserved; he best grin and bear it. His self-destruction and public excoriation should serve as a warning and deterrent to men (politicians) who would contemplate similar behavior.
In the end, Dowd did seem a bit hard on her; I'm not sure why.
One statement that confused me: the criticism that "She may be smart, but she doesn’t seem to know much about men." It seems to imply that she doesn't understand that men are going to be unfaithful given the opportunity. If that is a correct interpretation, I resent such generalizations about us "men." Not all of us are like Mr. Edwards in this way.
Finally, in addition to the suffering of Elizabeth and her family, and the ending of an at least somewhat laudible political career, perhaps the biggest loss in my mind is that of a champion of the poor. There aren't many, sadly. Low income Americans need more allies in places of power...
