Wow Chatty...someone really got you stirred up! I personally enjoyed the article. It was a nice change of pace. Aprill, keep up the nice work. There will always be someone trying to kick you square in the teeth even when you are just making a statement! The guy sounds like he was a total meat head!

As for sexism...heck yeah it exists! I once mentioned to my husband that I wanted a new watch. My husband made the remark of "why, the clock on the stove works just fine!" I thought it was hilarious myself. Naturally, I got the new watch.

As a female in a male dominated workplace, I see it frequently! It may not be so obvious, but sure it takes place. I know that as female I am the weaker sex. I am okay with that. Thats not to say that I am incapable of outdoing a male, whether that be mentally, physically or both. And dont even try to challenge me. I will drag myself through the dirt trying to do whatever that challenge may be. There are things that I am naturally better at doing verses my male counterpart, and vice versa!

Keep up the good work Aprill!

Personal? That's HI-larious!
Is there a grammar check?  Lord have mercy!

Personal Big J step above it....

Sorry Riverboat, there is a handicap reason for my errors without spellcheck and such. I will take my hits. If we truely had all the bells and whistles in this area, would help. Guess I could MS Word it first. But I do love this dust up. And I still have my bones to pick with the Advocate.

I don't sit here and toss those bones and mud at other people, unless I absolutely truely forget sometimes.

So many targets, so little time.

"Sorry. I have hired writers at domestic and global companies." Darn shame you didn't hire one to check your post. And the comment about protesting too much? Priceless!

Lookit, some people are just impervious to reason. That is what satire is for. But in this case, simply repeating what someone else said hit the mark. Reality and satire are often confused lately.

I can't think of a better way to put this, or a better man for the job, than H.L. Mencken:

"A man's women folk, whatever their outward show of respect for his merit and authority, always regard him secretly as an ass, and with something akin to pity. His most gaudy sayings and doings seldom deceive them; they see the actual man within, and know him for a shallow and pathetic fellow. In this fact, perhaps, lies one of the best proofs of feminine intelligence, or, as the common phase makes it, feminine intuition."

To make you all feel better, my significant other just told me if it involves sex he is all for it.

His only question was why wasn't the story written from the point of who what when where and why with the man. And then build the story from there. Maybe there was more to it that she ever realized because she could not keep her own personal emotions out of it as a good reporter should.

Hey BigJ how bout $200K more a year for not working at the Victoria Advocate. And am I a man, woman, transvestite, gay...who knows...the shadow.

Sorry, you still don't get it. But I am beginning to believe that there is a time warp to believe that this is a front page story so to speak.

I wonder what the top read books at the library really are. There is a world out there. Sexism can be addressed in a much more learned point of view instead of laughing at customer and playing the victim. Still remedial. And I see alas that nobody gets the value of real information. Sorry Aprill Still disagree with you and management. Should not have been printed. Never ever. Should have been written from a different slant.

Man, this thread has swung from one p*ssin' contest to another! Podunk, news2me.... I am waving a white flag and asking for a "cease fire"... please.

Chatty, your comments go far and above nasty! The article that Aprill wrote wasn't "news" it was a personal observation, and she gave her opinion of the matter. No, she wasn't making fun of anyone, she was freakin' angry that this person had the audacity to come into HER place of employment, that more than likely displays the federally mandated "We do not discriminate" posters, and had to listen to this jerk's cutting remarks and insults to women. If she had wanted to get even... hell, she would have posted his name, address, telephone number, and his photograph on the front page! In my opinion, Aprill showed more restraint than I would have.

I can't blame Aprill for being angry! Today, sexism, racism, bigotry and the like has no place in our society! Unfortunately, it still exists. I am glad that Aprill was able to use this experience to enlighten others.

As for accusing the Advocate employees of using drugs, well... puh-lease! (BTW, Good Come Back Aprill!) Chatty, you sound like a sophamoric tattle-tale, trying to get the "cool kids" in trouble because they didn't invite you to their party.....

"drinking kool-aid from Jim Jones"... that was a sickening remark! Totally inappropriate for this forum.

Here's an idea... take from it what you will: If you so loath Aprill's stories and the VA in general --- take your 50 cents elsewhere. Don't read it... don't come to these forums... you'll feel so much better and will not be compelled to spew your venom.

As for hurting Aprill's feelings.... naw, I doubt that. She looks pretty tough-skinned to me. She is, after all, a professional reporter and has probably dealt with worse than the idiot who came into her office, and you.

You ROCK Aprill!

Man this is great! Sexism cat fight. Mall glamour shots naivite versus the seasoned criticism of dwindling fecundity in an on line cage match. A titanic...err...uhhmm...amazonian struggle with grammar, spelling, the legitimacy of personal experience, and the integrity of the fourth estate hanging in the balance. Score? One mildly amused gentleman.

From Mary Tyler Moore to Tina Tequila in one generation. I guess some people just can't handle the change.

Darn power shortages! Can't they last longer? What's wrong with those people up north?

I've had a little catching up to do as I've spent my enitre day on Youtube. Chatty, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with a few of your little theories and poke a hole or two while I'm at it. Ok sure this wasn't an actual news story but your overlooking the fact that it wasnt placed on the front page, it was placed in a different section of the paper, so I highly doubt the advocate is suffering from poor mismanagement, as they placed this article in the section that it belongs in. Second, I think Aprill pointed out an interesting fact that people still judge one another based solely on race or gender even now in the 21st century. Sure she probalby couldve done more with the story maybe taken it a bit further, done her research a bit more, but overall I think she expressed an opinion both from a personal point of view as well as a professional one. Lastly, on to News2Me, I highly doubt that "hurting inside" warrants lashing out against someone just because of their gender. This fool revealed his ignorance in a public setting and paid the price. If you ask me, I'd say the punishment fits the crime.

My guess is that chattykatty....is one angry and chauvinistic man......I don't buy that this person is female; in fact if he isn't the person that April was talking about in her article then he is certainly his brother in mind and spirit.

April, I enjoyed your article.

Dear Maryann,

When I am a customer, I donot expect to rear the report from diapers to graduation. That is what she goes to school and internship for. If she is an intern at age 27, then we are in trouble for the rest of her writing life. Sorry. I have hired writers at domestic and global companies. The board of directors nor the clients ever would have settled for greenies that needed to grow up. You perform or your fired. So ask yourself. Why you have such low performance expectations for some to provide you with service. Do you eat off of dirty tables at a restuarant? Do you let the electric company provide service if and when they want to if you paid your bill? Same thing, if you buy a newspaper wouldn't you expect it to have quality articles? At least most of the time, not 25% of the time. And they seem to be written by the same people? And duh, the actual police officer has to write in and correct a story that supposed was correctly documented and quoted? So how after that with a law officer can you really believe her story is real? We are suppose to feel sorry for her because her feelings wer hurt? Wahhhhhhhhhhh. Grow up she is a professional and never never never should that article from her personal point of view about a citizen of Victoria be written if it true. If it is not the do the same thing they have started doing in at real newspaper offices. They fire the writers, they don't wait for them to grow up. Now I will go back in my shell horribly disgusted at the Victoria Advocate Management once again. As it is obvious they forgot they are in the news business.

Sorry power outage where I was or would have been back on. Let's see. April is the one who has written some brainless articles lately. Yet they are not her fault. The management approves them. The Advocate mostly does fluff.

As for the sexism. And you think I am cruel. You tell me if your mother ever taught you to laugh and poke fun of customers that may come into your business. Expecially if there are problems. I believe that April is telling lies, spreading cruel stories, and the Victoria Advocate is supporting in the belief somewhere along the way it will sell something. So what does that make the reporters?

So again April and the Advocate have used their podium to laugh at fellow Victorians and you don't get it.

Yea stand up for your personal stories. Get the grip that her berating would have had no place in a real city newspaper. So obviously the Victoria is turning into a (cough cough)gag rag. So think I am mean. I am just saying she accused one person of sexism and says she never has experienced and traveled extensively. Guess who is telling lies. You walk around a big city with all the religous differences in one week you experience it. I dare her to shop in some of the ethnic stores, could provide her a list. Great food, they don't like women and they should not be there. So it was a factual point. There are people in cities that would not accept her because of what she reveals. This is not my personal choice, it is their's.

There is elitism also and April desplays it her position over the vistor at the Advocate. It should have been a none story.

The woman writes inept articles. The management is drinking koolaid from Jim Jones and approving drivel. They have shown they can pull it together and write great stuff instead of fluff. So why don't they do it. She could have made this a great article about men versus women as to who dos what, but she made herself the story. If she really went to school and earned a communications degree --that is what they tell you not to do. And yes, I have a communications degree....that is what it is so sad to see management of what use to be a great paper years ago, to as much value as as a gossip rag or less than toilet paper sometimes. Yes she pushed my button.

thanks bighorn for your comment. god bless. i am going to bed now. and i agree, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. amen

Wow! Walk away for a few days and look at you guys! I thought I had been nominated and elected chief dinosaur! I come in a distant third or worse in this crowd.

April, sorry to take your "story" as "tongue in cheek", but I had to laugh. Poor fool didn't even realize he was talking to a woman? You're plenty of woman....er..lady, and the guy is an idiot. Don't let 'em get you down.

As for the associate haters, commentators, ranters, morons, and fools on this board....Treat everyone as you would like to be treated, and the world will be a better place....

Tuff guy Sailor (as predicted) continues with his hatefulness.

the guy who came into the Advocate certainly doesn't have it right. I'm currently dating three different ladies in three different counties and they are all smart, hard-working and frisky. This guy should get a life.

Sailor exemplifies sexism as he thinks he has to defend Aprill. Sailor, I know you think you’re a military stud, but I also have over 10 years in the military and you don’t intimidate me with your vitriol.

speaking of ugly comments - see sailor below

OK Aprill, I actually initially enjoyed your article. But as the day progressed and comments got so ugly (me included), I tried to look from another angle.
My vote is that this guy has some sort of mental instability (probably depression).

Whatever happened to freedom of speech?

There was no laughing. I decided to write this column after the anger I felt at being so swiftly disregarded by someone simply based off my gender. I had never felt discriminated against before like this and it got me thinking how much I owe to the people who came before me and fought for equality.
Trust me, News2Me, it's no laughing matter when someone makes you feel less than what you are based off something you can't change. Sexism and racism are still alive and in my opinion, it's something that as a society we should be talking about and addressing.

OK Aprill - do you want to share us what a good laugh you and your colleages had as you decided to write this news article?

With all due respect, News2Me, how can I be protesting too much when I simply addressed each statement you made against me?

Aprill says… It was not my intent to "trash" this man. And I was not seeking to cause him embarrassment.
Aprill, I think thou doth protest too much.
Please check your humanity at the door.
The “nots” often indicate true motives - My intent was to "trash" this man. And I was seeking to cause him embarrassment. Food for thought

Loved the article April!

News2me,
It was not my intent to "trash" this man. And I was not seeking to cause him embarrassment, hence I did not put his name in the column.
To me, the man seemed perfectly sane and lucid, minus his obvious ill feelings toward women. My intent with the story was to use a personal experience I had to raise awareness that sexism is still around in our society. Granted, I wrote it in what some would call a non-traditional way, but some people like variety.
And if the man did not want to be in the newspaper, then he shouldn't have asked to talk to a reporter. Everything he said was all on the record by the very nature of the meeting.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Southtexas: the Klu Klux Klan is a terrorist organization and should be called one.

CG23Sailor: 2 six packs of Security experiance (sic) mean nothing.

You simply like to put people down and can’t even spell the experience you claim to have – DORK.

I wonder why the guy went to the Advocate (instead of a counselor). He was obviously upset and maybe depressed. Maybe paranoid (don’t know). Does have he have a legitimate mental illness due to obvious poor judgment (don’t know). Aprill has trashed this man in the press (which I think is sad, as he was already distressed). I do not see how this is a news story when you mention "uterus and lobotomy." There are two sides to every story - what is this man’s story (I suspect it is a sad one). There by the grace of God go I. I do not think making fun of someone in distress is funny. And now sailor, your turn, go ahead and trash me more as you have already done in your post below. I can only imagine the good laugh Aprill and her colleagues had regarding man. "HAHAHA - what a nut job !!!"

He sounds like he is hurting inside

News, yes, I do have actual quotes. And it wasn't an entertainment piece, it was a column, which does use opinion. But I can assure I was not being overly dramatic. Other people in the newsroom heard this guy talking to me as well.
This is pretty much verbatim how the end of our conversation went:
Me: “So, exactly what is it you want me to write?”

Him: “Take your pick.”

Me: “My pick of what?”

Him: “Any of the ways these militant feminists are trying to take down men.”

Me: “Umm...”

Him: “You know what? I cringed when I saw you were a woman. I want to talk to a male reporter. You don’t understand, and I just don’t trust you.”

For space sake, I didn't quote exactly what he said against women during the earlier part of our conversation. I decided to sum it up for brevity sake.

Since Aprill has not actually quoted the guy, and since this was an entertainment piece (and not a news piece), I suspect Aprill over-dramatized his sentiments (for the entertainment value).
Aprill, do you have any exact quotes to share with us?

My deepest regard go to Aprill, a sad day it will be once we start listening to mindless lunatics such as the one that walked into the advocate.

Can't woman beaters get a break? Yeah, how about a broken wrist you piece of filth, you disgust me.

Podunk, let me just say that I have to agree with part of your most recent post... but i disagree with some other parts. Here is what I agree on: YES! It usually takes extreme circumstance to get a court to award a father custody when it is OBVIOUS that he is the better parent. I think in most cases where custody is disputed, the judge needs to order social investigations into the circumstances of BOTH parents before making a decision. I agree that abandoning your children, whether mother or father, you deserve to be classified in the same catagory! I have a different interpretation of some of the words you are using:
deadbeat dad = a non-custodial father who offers no emotional, physical or financial support to his children. (He pretends they don't exist.)

Trophy Wife = the 20 something year old 2nd or 3rd wife of a mid 40's - 60 yr old man, (usually upper-income) in who has never had children, has a perfect body, and facial features, but little between the ears. The "Trophy wife" is usally younger than the man's children from his previous marriage.

Scrub = An unemployed man (or woman) who leeches off of a woman (or man), refuses to work,even though is capable of doing so.

Arm Candy = the male equal of a trophy wife.... Well built, sexy, attentive, young, virile.......

In the cases of trophy wife and arm candy, I see no problem them as usually the older spouse is happy

Also, news2me, the whinning comment was another thread and my posts today have been deleted as well! I guess we've all had an overdose of b*tchy flakes today.... I'm sorry my comments set you off

I confess, when a poster mentioned whining this morning I flipped a lid. Aprill can defend herself (as she has with humor). ChattyKat is entitled to her criticism. I see alot of personal attacks here and none have been deleted (except mine). Oh well, I am not too old to learn new tricks.

I don't care what chatty has to say, I made my comment on the article, I don't dabble in post-dramatized excitement. Chatty has the right to her opinions, but once it crosses the line and into personal attacks I see nothing really wrong with what she may think until it goes to that level of hate.

WOW, we really have some mean people in here today. Podunk, as much as I hate to say this, you do have a point about the double standard. Every situation is different. There are alot of women out there who abuse the system and their ex and use the kids to do so. I for one do not and don't look at the forced child support on my ex as stealing it. We were married 9 years, had 2 boys after being married 5 years. He wanted kids,I did not. He became an alcoholic, and abusive. I had to leave for our safety. I supported us for about a year on my own. I lived in house where you could see through the walls, and barely kept food on the table. My kids did without alot until the OAG caught up with him. He has a good job and good insurance. I depend on that money to provide for my kids. I need the health insurance for my kids, a single doctor visit on average is $75.00. I can assure you, it goes to them. I don't have fancy clothes or manicured nails.

"this wasn’t my first trip to Crazyland with a member of the public."

hmmm......

Coming from a member of the media, that is telling in so many ways. Do tell, what other wisdom does the Ivory Tower have for the proletariat?

Wow. Talk about people still living in the 1900's. This is so sad. And let me just say for all you people who want to criticize her for not experiencing sexism until the age of 27, I am gay as you all know and I have never experienced blatant gay hate before; a real face to face experience. I have been exposed to it, but never really experienced it enough to form an opinion about it from a personal viewpoint. We all know it's bad, but to experience it first hand is a whole other feeling.

I commend her on this article. And to be quite honest April, I wish you could give me this man's name so I can go over to him and smack him upside the head for disrespecting his Mother, his Grandmother, his Daughter (if he has ever had one, but then again what self respecting woman would want to bare children with such a bigot, a downright ignorant piece of trash) The way he spoke to you makes me wonder if his fetus just suddenly started growing on the side of a rock in the woods, or underneath an old rotting tree in the forest underneath a bridge. I mean he must not have come from a uterus to say those things.

I hope this guy knows that he is the king of the scum that is on the bottom of every wife-beater's shoes, the dirt that's caked underneath every little girl's fingernails that has to deal with these boys and young men using them and abusing them. He makes me sick. I wonder what his Mother thinks of the things he said....

GrumpyKatty, be nice. Aprill rocks! Don't read her stories if you don't like her style. They have clues on sale at Wal*Mart, get down there now.
My dad raised 4 kids on his own, and never got a penny of child support by the way.  But some dads are just sperm donors.

Chattykatty,

What you wrote is really extremely uncalled for, especially when you go on to do the same you claim Aprill has done. Yep, what you describe Aprill's writing as pretty much describes your own "diatribe."

If you have read any of her writings for the last several months, you would know that her style is evolving. She has done some quite serious topics on her blog on keeping children safe, and as a parent, I appreciate those.

Aprill obviously has a talent for humor. While I have to admit I haven't always agreed with everything she's written, you would do much better to criticize her writing rather than.... her picture, or her personally. Come on!

nothing for pick me up Mondays ?

ChattyKatty,
Sorry you didn't like the article. However, I actually have traveled extensively, in the U.S. and abroad. And this wasn't the first time I noticed sexism, but it was the first time I personally encountered it, face to face.
As for the dope and drinking, the newsroom has cut back on that a lot in recent years. Now we are just down to Margarita Fridays and Opium Wednesdays.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

April if you made it to 27 without noticing sexism, baby that explains why your stories don't display the experience and breadth of knowledge that the public wants. Am not sure where your head has been. But you and your body must have been stuck in the mud and never ever traveled very far any where or in any other country. Get a grip baby, wait to you meet some who believes in Islam. You are chattle property and if that is your picture with what you display it makes you less than nothing. Now that is great sexism. Being in the news business you should be more aware of the world and your surroundings. Instead you just did a stupid diatribe like the man that walked into the Advocate.

I can't believe that the Victoria Advocate has stuped so low as to print your bubblegum trash. Those editor meetings must be full of drinking and dope at this point. This last week is quite evident that the management of the paper are loosing their media profesionalism.

One note on the child support: I pay mine. Second note: I get my kids when I can. Last note: It is never enough for a woman scorned. Some women just can't let go of their past relationships. They will always find a way to interfere with the exiting parties life in one form or fashion. Maybe, just maybe this guy is going through what some of us have to endure with an unruly scorned ex? Lastly, let the ex find out that their kids want to come live with you instead of where they are now. DRAMA to the enth I promise you!

Your last comment did speak volumes as to what kind of a person you are!

STEALING from my ex?!?!?!! Don't make me laugh! And no, the money I get from him does not go to some kind of parental enjoyment. It goes into a trust so that she will have the money to get her college education if she so chooses.

In 1993, when our divorce was final, I received from June through December, a total of $574.00 in government assistance. After that, I stood on my own feet! And he did not pay support until 1996 when the OAG went after him.

And you're right, Podunk, this is off topic... sort of...

txbohemian, you are the prime example of an outstanding father! You could have neglected your responsibility by saying: "raising kids is women's job" and left your kids to someone else since the mother obviously didn't want them... But you stepped up to the plate and were a man! Congratulations on reaping the rewards of 2 wonderful, well rounded morally upstanding children! That is a sign you raised them right!

My ex has, by his own choice, missed the best years of his daughter's life!

Delight & darlins64,Let's not forget the pendelum swings both ways. My first wife also thought her personal life was more important than her kids and husband so she runs off w/her boyfriend/lover. And after our divorce she was supposed to pay me child support and I never saw a dime!!
 
Yes, I, a man, got custody of my TWO children, the youngest being 8 months old. And this is correct, I did say months, not years, which means I had to go through all the potty training, late night crying, etc... The oldest, my daughter, was 2 1/2 yrs and a tremendous help then and all through raising them. I'll admit I did have much family (mine) support throughout their upbringing.   She quit seeing the kids about a year after we divorced.   This was fine with me.  Eventually I terminated the exes rights as a mother, which she wasn't anyway.
Of course I'm a big headed father and I have to say I got two of the most intelligent, respectful, moral filled, mid-twenty year old kids I couldn't be more proud of!!

news2me, first of all, my exact comment was as follows:
"Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:54:13 CDT
News2me and Podunk, I don't know why the 2 of you continually have to be so mean, nasty, negative and all out rotten."

Then you went on to insinuate that I have mental health issues??? That's not a personal attack when you don't know me at all.

Podunk - FIRST of all -- when I was married to my ex, we, as a couple, conceived this child. It was a mutual decision. When we got married, I took my vow seriously. I was a good wife to him and a good mother to our child. HE decided that I wasn't enough for him and wandered out of the marriage. HE decided that we should divorce.

Now, he wants to play "daddy" when it is convienient for him, but he wants to just have the good times....but he doesn't want to have to pay for it....

You pointed out that it is enough for the absent parent to pay for the child's food, shelter, clothing etc... during periods of visitation. But the Texas Family Code sees it different.

This just in! Woman gets offended by some guy! Surely, this news deserves an entire article in the local newspaper.

n2m... I think the question was or it was pointed out that both you and podunk had set out to be mean and nasty to darlins64... And I've seen you 2 do this to other posters as well... then when people fight back, you don't understand it...

Yeah, that guy sounds like my ex-husband too. Notice ex- for a reason. Sexism is still around, not like it used to be though. I know all about the child support thing. Thank goodness for the attorney general or I would never get a penny. My new, wonderful husband is not like that at all. His ex gets her child support delivered by him, the day he gets paid. He has seen what I have to go through and never wants his kids to do without. My ex- is down to only seeing the kid 2-3 times a year, now. His personal life is more important.

Isn't it just like a women to overreact at the smallest thing. Everything went down hill when we let them out of the kitchen. Next you will want to vote. :)
(Yes, I am kidding... My wife would have already killed me if I was serious.)

News2me and Podunk, I don't know why the 2 of you continually have to be so mean, nasty, negative and all out rotten. See, Aprill, here is a prime example of sexism right here on this forum!

The Texas Family Code stipulates that when a couple divorce, and one parent has primary custody of the couple's minor child or children, then the absent parent, if deemed capable of earning a living, must contribute to that child/children's support. About 20 % of that person's disposable income. But I'm bitter and a free loader because he has to pay 20% of this child's support.... where do u think the other 80% comes from? ME! That also includes being there when she's sick, sad, happy healthly heartbroken, in love, and all the other ups and downs!
What have you done for your kids lately?

Hello my dear Aprill,

I understand. I am going through the same thing in my newsroom, except instead of your situation it is actually an editor. Which drives me insane, considering I won an APME award for design and they didn't. And yet, my designs tend to always have something wrong with them. And funny enough the male designers are picked to go to redesign meetings were the female designer (that would be me) has to stay in her seat and twittle her little thumbs.

Needless to say, I'm polishing off the resume. This is too much. I have tried to fight this, but to it is a no win situation.

and if it helps, I'm coming down there this weekend, and I got your back!

if the shoe fits, brother john

Who is getting a free ride Podunk? Certainly not me. I guess if you call receiving $171.00 a month in child support rolling in the dough, then yeah, I got a free ride. Other than that "windfall", I just "played" around with 2 jobs to support my child and made sure she had those un-necessary little things like food, shelter, electricity water, clothing, shoes, school supplies, medical health coverage, etc.... You must be one of those dead-beat dads who think all women are evil and must be destroyed!

Oh, and while I was "raking in the child support" living high off the hog, and was there for my daughter 24/7 - 365 days a year, Daddy was off to the gambling boats in LA, with his "girlfriend" of the week, forgetting it was HIS weekend for visitation.... Oh yeah, what a life!

Wow, this guy has some issues! I'm glad you kept your cool, that makes you the better person.

I really enjoyed reading this, especially the humorous parts. Hope the guy likes his news article, but I'm sure it's not what he expected.

southtexas wrote:

"...just as stupid as the man hating feminists, the white supremists, the Klu Klux Klan Members, and those that follow the teachings of Jeremiah Wright."

I feel a little discriminated, you left out LULAC and the NAACP!!

April I do enjoy your journalism. You have a unique writing style which makes the stories interesting and easy to follow. Unlike some of your fellow journalists that I have to re-read a few times to try and figure out what they are attempting to get across to the readers. And it's not just in the VA, it's country wide!! Maybe it's just me!

Aprill, I have ALWAYS enjoyed all of your articles. Maybe because I am slightly illiterate, I've not seen your grammatical and spelling errors.

I am sorry that you have had to deal with an obviously derranged individual. May the bird of happiness poop on his head!

mimi312, I hear ya sister! My ex husband's child support was recently increased for the first time in 10 years.... and he accused the Attorney General's office of discriminating against him because he was white! (I'm caucasian, the AG's rep was caucasian, the judge was also caucasian.) The jerk went so far as to say that if the case had been heard in East Texas, where he is from, the support would have been substantially decreased, because the judges up there are tired of women bilking their ex husbands. Go figure

Everybody knows sexism and racism no longer exists.

OMG! that man sounds exactly like my ex husband! I hope it isn't. I thought he moved far, far away from here!

The grammar issue at the beginning of the article seems not to have a connection with the sexism this author had to withstand from that yahoo. The man mentioned in this article should be transported back to the middle ages, but unfortunately, my time machine is broken.

However, I would like to point out that anyone in journalism is in the profession of communicating and using proper grammar and punctuation should not even be a problem. Either the journalists should brush up on their writing skills, or the editors need to actually edit.

TAXPAYINGREGISTEREDVOTER.....GET A LIFE! What kid is going to be unduly damaged by a little poor English in the newspaper? And people who split hairs over spelling and grammar are lucky indeed since they apparently don't have anything more pressing that is bothering them....like life threatening diseases, plant eating pests, rodents in their attic, etc.

And dear sweet April....Bless your heart you are lucky indeed to have reached the age you are without meeting a true male chauvenist up front and personal.

They are out there and they are stupid...just as stupid as the man hating feminists, the white supremists, the Klu Klux Klan Members, and those that follow the teachings of Jeremiah Wright.

Someone recently sent me this article and I thought it might be appropriate....sometime we forget how few years have passed since women were awarded even the most basic rights.

LEST WE FORGET

by Connie Schultz of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.

Susan B. Anthony worked for suffrage for 40 years; she died before she was able to vote. My mother was born in 1919, which means that my grandmother had several children before she was able to vote. That may put this all in perspective.

I've never heard this story before, quite this way..... it is an eye-opener. This is the story of our Grandmothers, and Great-grandmothers, as they lived only 90 years ago. It was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote. It is a privilege to vote!

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The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night,they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs with their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why,exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie
'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient. My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too.

When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use--or don't use--my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn. 'The right to vote,' she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'
Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women.

However you vote - - - --- - just vote.

Connie Schultz of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.

I enjoyed reading this article. I guess it's true, you just can't make some people happy.

I agree the sexism is totally out of line. All I ask is that the reporters for the Victoria Advocate cut and paste your articles into MS Word. Then PLEASE do a spelling and grammar check prior to publication either online or print. It isn't that hard of a task to master. Please remember that some parents encourage their children to read the paper to practice their reading skills.

The world of text messaging is doing enough damage to the English language, please don't help the matter.

P.S.

If you had done this, you would have realized it should have been “a gentleman” and not the plural “gentlemen”. Get it?