Ellen Goodman

Opinion: A generation of traditionalists growing older

CASCO BAY, Maine — I am back at my post. Feet planted on the porch railing. Back braced against the familiar contours of the Adirondack chair.
On the bird feeder before me, squabbling goldfinches vie for the same perches as if there were not plenty of open seats at their sunflower seed banquet. A bold hummingbird stops chasing his larger avian foes to see if I am worth his time and then moves on.

August 14, 2009

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Opinion: In a wing-nut world, Granny may be in trouble

BOSTON — I am as happy as anyone at signs of an economic recovery.
But I confess to having mixed feelings about the resurgence of the wing-nut industry.
We now have “The Birthers” manufacturing myths that President Obama was not born in the United States and therefore is serving illegally. These products arrive in my inbox faster than I can press “block sender.”

August 07, 2009

Opinion: Perhaps it’s time to take on ‘Big Food’

BOSTON — What caught my eye was not just the ashtray sitting forlornly on the yardsale table. It was the sign that marked it “vintage,” as if we needed to label this relic of midcentury America.
Ashtrays that once graced every airline armrest, coffee table and office have gone the way of spittoons. Today the car’s cigarette lighter is used to juice up the cell phone. Ask any restaurant for the smoking section, and you’ll be shown the doorway.

July 24, 2009

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Opinion: Sotomayor shows she’s ready to play

BOSTON — I have long been a collector of sports metaphors, but I never expected such a treasure of memorabilia to come out of a Senate hearing room. At times it sounded more like the all-star game than the confirmation of a Supreme Court justice. I could have organized an office pool guessing the number of times senators would say “balls and strikes” (13) or “umpire” (16).

July 17, 2009

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Opinion: Contender, quitter, teaser

BOSTON — It’s probably dangerous to admit to a moment of empathy. I’ll either get disqualified from ever becoming being a Supreme Court justice or asked to turn in my press card.

July 10, 2009

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Opinion: Lessons in caregiving must continue throughout life

BOSTON — This is probably not the best week to air any reservations about the American passion for independence. After all, we don’t have fireworks for Dependence Day. We don’t hold parades to celebrate Interdependence Day. We don’t get a holiday for Connections.

July 06, 2009

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Opinion: Twitter era brings with it a revolution in modern journalism

BOSTON — From time to time, a message pops into my e-mail announcing that someone is “Following You On Twitter.” In fact, I don’t go anywhere on Twitter, having signed up just to get squatter’s rights to my own name. I have enough trouble limiting my thoughts to 750 words let alone 140 characters. Twittering is just frittering.

June 26, 2009

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Opinion: Today’s culture has pushed doctors from their ‘calling’

BOSTON — There will be time to talk about costs and coverage, about public and private plans, about reasoning and rationing in health care reform. So the president began this week speaking to the workers in the system: doctors.

June 19, 2009

Opinion: Sotomayor waltzes the identity dance

BOSTON — Let us hope that Sonia Sotomayor’s tumble on the way to Washington doesn’t become a metaphor for her journey to the Supreme Court.
For the moment, the broken ankle that had her navigating the Senate halls on crutches brought out the inner gentlemen in her opponents.

June 12, 2009

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Opinion: Not such a lone gunman after all

BOSTON — It is believed that the shooter acted alone.
Surely, that’s true. No one else was standing beside suspect Scott Roeder when it is believed he murdered Dr. George Tiller in the sanctuary of his church.

June 05, 2009

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Opinion: Empathy a big question in ’09

BOSTON — I’ve never been sure why Lady Justice wore a blindfold as part of her permanent wardrobe. Yes, it’s supposed to be a symbol of impartiality. But it does limit her vision a bit.
So it is that I am watching the run-up to the nomination of a new Supreme Court justice with eyes wide open. We’ve already had preemptive strikes against three women on the media short list. Elena Kagan, Diane Wood and Sonia Sotomayor are getting the scary radical treatment without even getting picked.

May 22, 2009

Opinion: What would Goldwater say?

BOSTON — As if the Republicans weren’t having enough trouble with defectors, they’ve gone on a purge. There was Dick Cheney on “Face the Nation.” Asked to pick between a GOP like Rush Limbaugh or Colin Powell, the former Veep not only chose Rush but snarkily crossed the general off the party list, saying, “I didn’t know he was still a Republican.”

May 15, 2009

Opinion: Rationing may now be rational

BOSTON — I was not surprised by the president’s story. Health care reform is not just a matter of spreadsheets and patient charts. It’s a repository of the personal narratives we carry around in our family hard drives.
This time, the story he told was about endof-life costs and caring.

May 08, 2009

Opinion: Susan Boyle: Let her soar

BOSTON — I am not the sort of person who fills the e-mail inboxes of my friends with jokes. Nor do I harass my family with hyperlinks to the latest YouTube video of lobsters with Hula-Hoops.
Nevertheless, on the fateful day after Susan Boyle gobsmacked the judges of “Britain’s Got Talent,” I joined the forwarding hordes. Her encounter with fame and prejudice, including my own, and the moment when her vocal chops shattered expectations, became part of a 100-million hit phenomenon.

May 01, 2009

Opinion: Advice to teens: Trust but verify

BOSTON — I am sure that Vermonters don’t like the idea of teens sending sexy pictures from one phone to another. Nor do Ohio and Utah parents want their kids using cell phone minutes to bare their bodies with their buddies.
Nevertheless, their state legislatures are among the first trying to sensibly ratchet down the penalties for sexting. They are backing away from laws that currently treat a teenager with a cell phone the same way they treat a child pornographer. They know there’s a difference between truly dreadful judgment and a felony.

April 24, 2009