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Letters to the Editor Policy

Apparently Misunderstood

Well, they say you should never enter into a battle of wits with an unarmed man, but I couldn't resist.

The other shoe has finally dropped, and it only took 6 weeks. After not receiving any satisfaction from his personal phone call to me, I guess the Mayor and his someday son-in-law needed to vent their outrage at my opinion in a more public forum. So be it. That's what freedom of speech is all about.

I debated whether to respond at all, being that I had pretty much said my peace the first time; however, I guess I should clarify some things that apparently were misunderstood.

First, I didn't wake up one morning and decide to crusade against pregnant teens. The profile of 3 girls was shoved in my face via the mailing of the school newspaper to my home. The mistaken assumption was made by the participants in this article that the public would be as overjoyed as they were in their situation. When you publish something as volatile as that article, you will get all kinds of reactions, and not all will be positive. That is the chance you take. If you want only sweet remarks, don't put it out there for public comment.

Secondly, I did not attack anyone personally, nor even mention any names. That was done in the original article. My intent was to express my dismay at the glamorization of teen pregnancy, and in a High School newspaper yet! I meant my remarks to be taken in general, but utilized the three girls as examples. They weren't stated as "facts", but as a scenario. (If you're not sure what this means, look it up...)

Thirdly, I never expressed any moral judgments about their conduct or choices. I could care less when, where, and with whom someone has sex. If you fail to educate your children on how to become intelligent responsible adults, that's not my problem; it’s yours. But it becomes my problem when the result of this conduct becomes a burden on society, of which I'm a part. And if responsibility was being taken, there would be no need for ADC, WIC, Medicare, the Foster Care system, and the Early Intervention Unit right here on Church St. in New Milford. So don't tell me I don't have the right to speak up about this issue. It affects me and every other taxpaying member of society, just as much as it affects you.

Finally, I'd like to address a few of the statements in the previous letters. 1) If someone needs to be "educated" on how to use a condom, they have no business being a parent. 2) WIC is still Welfare. 3) If someone is still on their parents' insurance, they are not an adult. You can't have it both ways. 4) Abortion, adoption, or the raising of a child are all difficult choices. No one choice is morally superior to the other, so quit patting yourself on the back for making the "right" choice. There is no such thing.

Let me leave you with a quote from my father in law, a really wise man. "It's one thing for people to think you're a fool, but it’s another to open your mouth and actually prove it." 'Nuf said.

Sincerely,

Sue Abbott

New Milford, PA

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Letters To The Editor MUST BE SIGNED. They MUST INCLUDE a phone number for "daytime" contact. Letters MUST BE CONFIRMED VERBALLY with the author, before printing. At that time you may request to withhold your name. Letters should be as concise as possible, to keep both Readers' and Editors' interest alike. Your opinions are important to us, but you must follow these guidelines to help assure their publishing.

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