Suzanne Gordon

The Gulf War has forced Americans to confront what many might prefer to ignore: the consequences of feminism. Suddenly young women as well as young men are being dispatched to foreign battlefronts. Motherhood no longer carries with it an automatic exemption; on U.S. military bases, there are children, some too young to walk, with both parents on duty in the Gulf. And although women are barred from combat by federal statute, the line between combatant and noncombatant is a fine one.

Re "Right-Wing Rhetoric Dominates the Issue," Commentary, Nov. 2: Suzanne Gordon and Isabel Marcus are furious that the media have labeled Barnett Slepian an "abortion doctor," yet see no wrong in calling the anti-abortion movement the "anti-choice" movement. This horrible, subjectivist fantasy should never have been printed. References to abortions as being therapeutic attempt to have us believe that an abortion is no different than an appendectomy. When are people going to learn? BEN ROTHMAN Culver City

Re "Right-Wing Rhetoric Dominates the Issue," Commentary, Nov. 2: Suzanne Gordon and Isabel Marcus are furious that the media have labeled Barnett Slepian an "abortion doctor," yet see no wrong in calling the anti-abortion movement the "anti-choice" movement. This horrible, subjectivist fantasy should never have been printed. References to abortions as being therapeutic attempt to have us believe that an abortion is no different than an appendectomy. When are people going to learn? BEN ROTHMAN Culver City

Thank you for Suzanne Gordon's article ("A Child's Lesson in Care-Giving," Aug. 15) on the inclusion of disabled students in the classroom. In order to communicate with deaf students, my own 6-year-old son Erhan, has been learning sign language in his first-grade class. I am convinced that it is facilitating his own reading and writing skills as well I have observed him signing spelling words for his 3-year-old brother and trying to teach him the phrases he learned at school.

Gordon's concern about the liberation of women is a worthy cause but her attack on "positive patriarchy" really stretches reason to the limit. Gordon's comparing "wild men," a harmless release of joy and emotion to "wilding," a destructive, criminal spree is truly taking an argument to absurd lengths. Robert Bly's men's movement is no more a call for misogyny than assertiveness training for women is a castration clinic. If we are to progress as men and women we must do so with reason and good judgment not with the rancor Suzanne Gordon seems to harbor at the expense of truth.

Three cheers for Suzanne Gordon for her article, "Nurses as Partners for Better Care" (Commentary, April 28). She succinctly captured the essence of the doctor/nurse lack of communication. This power struggle negatively impacts patient care. Everyone is the loser. A large percentage of the nation's health care could be performed by registered nurses. It has been estimated that 90% of diagnosis and treatment of a patient can be determined by active listening. In this way, predisposing factors and symptoms can be utilized to give improved patient care.

Thank you for Suzanne Gordon's article ("A Child's Lesson in Care-Giving," Aug. 15) on the inclusion of disabled students in the classroom. In order to communicate with deaf students, my own 6-year-old son Erhan, has been learning sign language in his first-grade class. I am convinced that it is facilitating his own reading and writing skills as well I have observed him signing spelling words for his 3-year-old brother and trying to teach him the phrases he learned at school.

In response to "Nurses Have Had It With Sexism," by Suzanne Gordon and Judith Shindul-Rothschild, Commentary, Dec. 7: I have had the privilege in the last six or seven years to have worked with a number of nurse practitioners. I have seen the American Medical Assn.'s and the California Medical Assn.'s escalating war against increasing the scope and authority of the nurse practitioners. The sayings that they are "only nurses," that they "lack the basic theoretical foundations of medicine" are slogans that obscure the reality.

Suzanne Gordon ("Perspective on Women" March 22, Commentary) misses the point about Hillary Clinton and spouses like her. I want to vote for only one person for any given office, be it man or woman. Both of the Clintons appear to be running for our highest office and I will not vote for a "Mr. and Mrs. Officeholder," or a "Mrs. and Mr."

I've just read Suzanne Gordon's article (June 21), and I've never read the case for pro-choice stated better. Her arguments express everything that any decent human being has ever felt. To this may I add one more reason. With all the millions of unwanted, uncared for and unnecessary babies in this world, why are we forcing people to produce still more? Society should reward, not censure, a woman who has the courage to say, "I do not want this child, I cannot care for this child, and I will not have this child."

In response to "Nurses Have Had It With Sexism," by Suzanne Gordon and Judith Shindul-Rothschild, Commentary, Dec. 7: I have had the privilege in the last six or seven years to have worked with a number of nurse practitioners. I have seen the American Medical Assn.'s and the California Medical Assn.'s escalating war against increasing the scope and authority of the nurse practitioners. The sayings that they are "only nurses," that they "lack the basic theoretical foundations of medicine" are slogans that obscure the reality.

Three cheers for Suzanne Gordon for her article, "Nurses as Partners for Better Care" (Commentary, April 28). She succinctly captured the essence of the doctor/nurse lack of communication. This power struggle negatively impacts patient care. Everyone is the loser. A large percentage of the nation's health care could be performed by registered nurses. It has been estimated that 90% of diagnosis and treatment of a patient can be determined by active listening. In this way, predisposing factors and symptoms can be utilized to give improved patient care.

Gordon's concern about the liberation of women is a worthy cause but her attack on "positive patriarchy" really stretches reason to the limit. Gordon's comparing "wild men," a harmless release of joy and emotion to "wilding," a destructive, criminal spree is truly taking an argument to absurd lengths. Robert Bly's men's movement is no more a call for misogyny than assertiveness training for women is a castration clinic. If we are to progress as men and women we must do so with reason and good judgment not with the rancor Suzanne Gordon seems to harbor at the expense of truth.

The Gulf War has forced Americans to confront what many might prefer to ignore: the consequences of feminism. Suddenly young women as well as young men are being dispatched to foreign battlefronts. Motherhood no longer carries with it an automatic exemption; on U.S. military bases, there are children, some too young to walk, with both parents on duty in the Gulf. And although women are barred from combat by federal statute, the line between combatant and noncombatant is a fine one.

Suzanne Gordon's commentary ("The Doctor Can't See You Now," July 6) parrots the wrongheaded popular notion that there is something inherently wrong with "managing care," but she has her facts wrong on the issue of preventive care--especially when it comes to Kaiser Permanente. Ask a patient who was diagnosed with treatable cancer after one of our screening tests if she is glad we were able to catch it early. Ask a member who came in complaining about stress if he's glad his doctor recommended stress reduction classes.