Comments

  1. Whilst I totally concur with the sentiments, I think this is a ‘made for the publicity’ placed article.

    In the bit at the end it says, “…I had the chance to speak with [the author] yesterday. Her son is doing fine now, the first in his family to graduate from college.”

    Sorry, but, a ‘letter’ structured and written like that wasn’t written by someone without a lot of education. As someone who has spent a professional lifetime analysing things produced by people with differing levels of education abd educational need, I don’t believe that there is any way that that piece was written by someone who didn’t go to college.

    No, it doesn’t particularly matter: except that I don’t like being ‘conned’ by dishonest representation.

  2. Interesting, given that I didn’t graduate from college. I have no degree, no qualifications whatsoever, but I am very successful in my chosen career.

    Not saying you aren’t right, I guess it’s a viewpoint thing. I’m happy to see the good, the upbeat message here, rather than focus on the detail and tear it down.

    Different viewpoints I know, we seem to have a lot of these BW! But hey, that makes the world go round.

  3. Difference being that your parents did, even if you chose not to. The youngster mentioned was the first in his family.

    As I said, I totally concur with the message; I just think one needs to be wary of media orchestration these days.

    And, discussion is always good.

  4. @Blue Witch: Think of it as a non-religious parable. It doesn’t matter if that specific story isn’t the exact first-person account of just one member of one family; it represents the stories of many families to paint a broader truth and ask important questions.

    I think things are not as bad here in the UK as they are (or were 10 years ago when that article apparently dates from) in the US, but it’s still a powerful piece.

    I’m pleased and still rather surprised at how far attitudes have changed. When I was born homosexuality was illegal, but 3(?) years ago, civil partnership legislation was passed with very little protest, even from the churches and press such as the Daily Telegraph. I know there is still prejudice and worse, but I think the tide has really turned.

  5. Cecily – but *why* is it OK to pretend something is written by someone it isn’t, to make a point? It’s not honest. If it’s meant to be a ‘parable’, or a distillation of experiences, then present it as such. This is the problem of the modern world – everything is a smokescreen, dreamt up by some media company/large organisation to present things in a better light. And people play along with it mindlessly, without questioning.

  6. Blue witch – the problem with the modern world is as you say,mostly media-led, but I don’t think people ‘play along with it mindlessly’ It’s just that it is usually the cynical who voice their opinions more forcefully. I also agree with Gordon that you don’t have to have had ‘a lot of education’ to write a letter like that. When the feelings are strong enough the words will come. As a teacher of ‘verbally challenged’ pupils I have been frequently amazed at what they have produced when the appropriate subject matter has been suggested to them. I have also known people who have had a LOT of education and can hardly construct a sentence, never mind an article like that – me for instance!

  7. There was a movie out in 1997 ago called The Twilight of the Golds, fabulous performaces and loved how the presented the subject matter. Really made one sit back and think.

  8. I rather agree with Blue Witch. The whole thing came over as something written to make a point, in its exaggerated manner. For example, the child who was so different by the age of six that his classmates called him “fag” – how many conservatively-raised Bible-bashing six-year-olds would know the word, never mind use it in context? Inner city children, sure, but in a conservative area of Vermont it doesn’t ring true. I’m not arguing with the principle of the thing, but it sounds contrived – especially with the college-graduating happy ending.

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