Family privacy

In response to Sally Kalson's column on Elizabeth Edwards ("Attacking Elizabeth," May 17), I am one of those people who is very disappointed in Elizabeth Edwards and people like her who choose to air their very private family problems in a very public fashion.

In the past, I was very impressed by her, but her recent appearance on Oprah made me wonder if maybe she's just not thinking clearly. Maybe the combination of too many bad things happening to a person has managed to compromise her ability to articulate her beliefs in a rational way, which, as I see it, is just one more reason to keep it in the family.

I think it's common knowledge that spousal infidelity can be devastating to the spouse who has been cheated on, but what about the children? Everything that they know about love, commitment, loyalty and family has effectively been destroyed. They have no control over either parents' behavior in cases like this, yet does anyone ever ask them if it's OK to tell the world how difficult and scary it is, for a family, to move on after there's been infidelity? I can't imagine having to face co-workers, kids at school and just people in the community who now know far more than any nonfamily member should know about their family.

I wish Elizabeth Edwards well; I just wish she would have used better judgment.

 

 

LINDA LODGE

Mt. Lebanon