First Lady Michelle Obama turning '50 and fabulous'

soundoff (5 Responses)

1. james moses
   

   awesome!!!

   January 16, 2014 at 3:29 am |
2. james moses
   

   One of the most enjoyable authors,, sharp, articulate, and sure to make you smile. Another Erma Bombeck in the making.

   January 16, 2014 at 3:33 am |
3. 7survivor12
   

   Truly a woman of inspiration to look up to

   January 16, 2014 at 3:51 pm |
4. Joanne Chesley, Ed.D.
   

   I enjoyed the birthday tribute that you gave our First Lady, but was disturbed by a final comment! I wondered why you referred to her beginnings as "came from nothing," when in fact, this is not true. You had already eloquently and accurately described the kind of family life she enjoyed as a child. We had already learned that she came from an 'ideal' nuclear family which was much like Beaver Cleaver's family. We had already been told that her dad remained gainfully employed, despite his illness, her family ate dinner together every evening, and the children performed with excellence in school. This is not exactly what I call "coming from nothing!"

   To arbitrarily apply such an inaccurate assessment of her early life ("came from nothing") says that you are not REALLY telling HER story, but the one that is in your head about people who come from the southside of Chicago. We must not allow ourselves to form rigid composites of people based on where they live.

   I hear this reference so often on Sundays when the sports reporters describe the lives of African American football players; their lives before football, described as 'coming from nothing', simply because they were reared by a single mom, or because they lived in federal housing.

   My husband grew up in southside Chicago (as did Michelle Obama), with both parents and 4 siblings, lived in public housing, finished Mt Carmel Catholic High School, joined the US Marine Corp, and earned his B.A and Masters Degree. He never refers to himself as coming from nothing.

   I would appreciate your considering this observation, in an effort to be more careful about stereotyping in the future.
   Again though, the program, overall, was well done and enjoyable.

   January 18, 2014 at 2:19 am |
5. Roscoe
   

   Good For Mrs Obama!

   January 21, 2014 at 7:50 pm |