Reader questions ghosting by social media connection
“Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ... . ” — From the First Amendment to Constitution
DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve really connected and hit it off with a new friend I’ve been chatting with on social media. We have exchanged numbers and have been texting every day. The conversation flows smoothly. However, I’ve been noticing a pull back. He started to take several hours to respond to my messages and then suddenly completely stopped. I waited a couple of days before sending any more messages. I then sent a message asking if everything was going well, and I received no response. My initial feeling was hoping that nothing bad happened to him, but my gut tells me that something fishy is going on. What are reasons you could provide -- if any -- for a person to just cut off communication so abruptly. -- Cut Off
DEAR CUT OFF: My guess is that this person has a spouse or significant other and either got caught or woke up to his reality. Your best choice is to leave well enough alone. If he ever does come back, challenge him hard on his sudden absence. You deserve an answer, but stop waiting for one. ••• DEAR HARRIETTE: I must respond to the recent column regarding the writer who was concerned about the new laws restricting abortion in places like Alabama and Georgia.
Aside from incest and rape, should the control over one’s body perhaps begin before one gets pregnant? Women write and speak on this subject as though pregnancy just happens, when in fact there are numerous birth control options out there -- not to mention abstinence.
Along those same lines, once a woman is pregnant, it is no longer just her body that is affected by a decision to abort. The writer pointed out, “time and time again, we have seen Christianity used to promote violence and hate.” This is absolutely true, but I would protest that such violence is based on the evil desires of mankind, and in no way represents the doctrines of Jesus. Indeed, His heart must be broken by such travesties committed in His name.
That said, does the writer -- who claims to be Christian -- not recognize the violence involved in abortions? An unborn child is either torn limb from limb in the mother’s womb or burned to death in the mother’s womb -- the very place the child should be safest. Does this not also break Jesus’ heart?
Lastly, how can it be illegal in this country to destroy the egg of an eagle since it is known that it will become a fullfledged eagle if allowed, but legal to destroy a child in the womb -- at 6 weeks gestation, obviously a human being in the making? -- Another View
DEAR ANOTHER VIEW: Thank you for voicing your opinion, which, I know, is shared by many. This is a challenging topic, to be sure. There are no easy answers. While I absolutely do value human life and believe in using birth control as well as the practice of abstinence, I understand that the world in which we live and the stressors upon women in the sexual and reproductive arenas are significant.
I am not going to enter into the religious argument. I will leave that for you and the thousands of others who share your view. I will never begrudge someone his or her religious principles. But I also believe in the division of church and state, and I do not believe the state should get involved in religious issues.
My perspective is about safety and fairness. It is about reproductive rights. Today, men are supported without question when they want Viagra and other such drugs to increase their virility. Women are increasingly denied control over their reproductive rights. There’s something wrong with this picture.