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Americans need to call out religion extremism

Letters

To the editor: Pete Hegseth has made it clear he believes women have no place in the military. Recently, he expressed  agreement with an evangelical religious extremist, Doug Wilson. Wilson and Hegseth state women should not have the right to vote. These men theorize that males should always be the head of the household and should cast their vote on behalf of the family. This white Christian nationalist view asserts, though there are over 200 Christian denominations throughout the U.S., this is the correct interpretation of the Bible. This sort of extremist thinking is more closely ...

A doctor in training with a family in crisis

Columns

Dear Annie: My daughter “Theresa,” now 46, always wanted to be a doctor. I divorced her father when she was 4 and her sister was 2-and-a-half. When it came time for college, her father refused to help, and I couldn’t afford to pay for it as a single mom. Determined, Theresa joined the Army and used the GI Bill to earn two undergraduate degrees while working full-time as a medical technician. She then earned her Master of Science with scholarships and loans. During this time, she got married and had a son, now 7. At 39, while pregnant, she applied to medical school. She used ...

When being the ‘go-to’ friend becomes too much

Columns

36-year-old woman who’s always been the “go-to” friend for emotional support. I don’t mind being there for people -- I genuinely care -- but lately it’s starting to wear me down. My closest friend, “Julia,” has been going through a tough time with her marriage for the past year. I’ve spent countless hours on the phone with her, listening, offering advice and even rearranging my schedule when she’s had a breakdown. At first, I felt honored she trusted me so much. But she never even takes my advice! What is she going to me for guidance for if she’s not even going to ...

When your child shuts you out

Columns

Dear Annie: I’m a 48-year-old gainfully employed man living in Denver with my wife of many years. Our marriage, while respectful and supportive, has evolved into more of a platonic partnership over time. We are navigating a difficult season as parents. My daughter, who just turned 18 and attends college, is spending her summer in Seattle. Despite my deep desire to see her and reconnect, she has made it very clear that I’m not welcome there. She has threatened to move out or cut off communication entirely with both her mother and me if I try to visit. She refuses to speak to me, and ...

Confidence without oversharing

Columns

Dear Annie: Thank you for your strong and thoughtful letter about keeping relationship details private. I have noticed there seems to be a kind of unspoken “girl code” that makes some women feel it’s perfectly acceptable to ask personal questions about someone’s sex life -- as if those boundaries don’t apply among friends. I have always found those conversations uncomfortable, and I often felt unsure how to gracefully shut them down without sounding rude or overly guarded. That’s why I really appreciated your advice. I loved your simple and elegant response: “I never ...

Why do we do stupid things

Columns

Have you ever done something stupid? I have. And each time that happens, I vow to quit doing stupid things. So far, that hasn’t worked. The MX170 is our planter tractor in the spring. This time of year, it’s got the loader on. The loader tractor gets used for all sorts of tasks around the farm. I was using it down by the bins last week. I was in and out of the cab and left the door open when I went to do other things. A couple of hours later, I was mowing. With the steady rains we’ve gotten this summer, mowing never ends. Anyway, I mowed my way down toward the bins. I was ...