God Is Not 3 Guys

Ron Howes, husband of my high school and college classmate, Hazel Ehrnreiter Howes, tells the story. When Hazel was diagnosed with cancer this past Spring, all plans for travel were put away, we moved into the family lake cabin, making those 40 mile one-way trips to see the doctors. Tests and more tests, radiation treatments, a trip to the Mayo Clinic, where three doctors told us thyroid cancer was normally slow-moving, but this one was especially aggressive. When a CAT-Scan revealed a new mass that wasn't seen in the one taken just a month earlier, Hazel was hospitalized and radiation treatments were to begin again. It was at that point that common sense stepped in, with the medical team admitting they couldn't get ahead of this one, recommending Hazel be transported back to our cabin by ambulance.   A hospital bed was set-up in the living room with a good view of the lake, and nurses came in to help us attempt to keep her comfortable. I asked the doctor, "how lo...

In a StarTribune article analyzing the New York Times “1619 Project,” Katherine Kersten wrote, Man’s seemingly boundless capacity for inhumanity to his fellow man  is one of history’s indelible lessons. It is typical male-centered language, using “man” to mean “also women.” For centuries women have been expected to accept this without minding it. I mind it. So I revised it: Humanity’s seemingly boundless capacity for inhumanity to fellow humans  is one of history’s indelible lessons. I’m pleased that the StarTribune published my letter with this revision and publishes my other feminist letters. I thank them and other media for helping to correct what I call sexist language. The following comes from a book I find thoughtful and nourishing, but irritatingly full of he-man language. I changed it from male-centered  to woman-centered language: Important data comes to woman from the inner self. What happened, however, is that woman was taught to accept...