Dear Abby

   As Americans, we all too often tend to stereotype people. As soon as someone sees spinners on a car, they tend to think “gangster-want-to-be” instead of “honor student”. We see someone on a movie with thick taped glasses and instantly assume he is a “nerd”. Others will look at race and color to get their predetermined ideas of how someone should act. I am just as guilty as the next guy for stereotyping people and not giving them the benefit of interaction to show their “true self.” I do not know what the proper answer is to this problem but I do have my own thoughts about the whole thing. As a man of limited intellect who is trying to keep it simple, I say this; “If you don’t want the public to judge you on your appearance, then let your actions shine as your judgment.”


   I was reading Dear Abby today and was floored when I read the following article:

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I married four years ago. My oldest daughter dates my husband's brother and they're expecting a baby together, although they are not married.

Can you please tell me what this child should call me, my husband and our other children? We're confused about it and don't want the child to be confused about who's who. Any help you can offer on this will be greatly appreciated. -- TAMI IN PENNSYLVANIA

DEAR TAMI: You are the baby's biological grandmother, and your husband is the baby's biological uncle and step-grandfather. Your children are going to be aunts or uncles. Congratulations to all of you.

   Well, for starters, I can’t believe that Abby, who is usually an adviser with strong morals, didn’t lay into the woman for the OBVIOUS; YOUR DAUGHTER IS HAVING A BABY WITH YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW!!!!! What the hell people?? I immediately, as wrong as it may seem, envisioned two trailers side by side in a rural Alabama trailer park with both women on food stamps waiting for their government checks. Am I the only one here to stereotype this family? For the rest of you reading who aren’t sure whether this is really an issue, listen closely; This is NOT acceptable behavior by the mother, step-father, brother-in-law, or the daughter. We are not living in a time where God has asked us to replenish the Earth. Some things and people are off-limits. There are boundaries that should never be broken down and rules to follow that do not need to be changed!

   What do you think this child is going to endure during school? How hard do you think dating will be for this child? Peer pressure is already enormous and this could easily push a child to his/her breaking point.

   For some unknown reason, Abby has decided to spare this woman from any further guilt. So I have prepared the proper response.

  Dear Tami: It appears that sadly your daughter’s baby will not have a mother, grandmother, grandfather or father, as those are titles reserved for people with common sense, people that give a damn about what their children and other family members are doing. Because of your failure to institute any morals into your daughter, this child will more than likely live with more shame than that of a “bastard child” referred to in the Bible. Congratulations on screwing up your family! I hope that you will seek counseling for the other children involved, as they appear to be the only innocent ones in this One-Family-Circus. Maybe you will be lucky and the state will step in and remove your other children so they will have the chance to live a normal life instead of the confusing, shameful, environment that you have provided. The only other option I see for your family is to move to the Deep South where some small towns condone and accept these horrendous acts as “normal”.