December 17, 2012

"We have of course gotten used to mommy bloggers embarrassing their children..."

"... saying which child they like best or how much they drink while stuck at home doing art projects."
Louis C.K. regularly embarrasses his kids and surely one day they will get their revenge. These are humiliations that might require a kid to get therapy later, but they are not on the same order as what [Liza] Long did. They are unlikely, for example, to prevent the kids from getting a job. So far the children’s rights movement has focused on protecting children from neglect and abuse, but maybe it’s time to add a subcategory protecting them from libel, by their own parents.
That's Hanna Rosin, writing about the "I Am Adam Lanza's Mother" blogger, whom we talked about here.

38 comments:

politicaltragic said...

Does this woman have ANYTHING constructive to say AT ALL?

tim maguire said...

Selfabsorption must have an outlet.

test said...

That's a strange source for this criticism given her cheerleading for her daughter, and slighting of her son.

Anonymous said...

I'm no fan of Hanna Roisin either, but her point stands that Liza Long has really sabotaged her son's future if he manages to deal with his present condition.

I thought her piece was a good POV on the problem. However, why didn't she write anonymously?

Petunia said...

Ms. Long has now taken her story to NBC News. Somehow I think her motive in writing was not to cry out for help with her son and his problems, but to promote herself. Talk about despicable: exploiting Newtown and exposing your own child to ridicule and abuse for your own career ambitions.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

It looks more and more like what rh said.

bleh said...

What if what the mother writes is TRUE?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

What if what the mother writes is TRUE?

It threatens to distract attention away from the crisis at hand...

In the words of Rahm Emanuel...

"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste,... Things that we had postponed for too long, that were long-term, are now immediate and must be dealt with. This crisis provides the opportunity for us to do things that you could not do before."

Methadras said...

This is what I wrote to the woman in the Gawker, "I am Adam Lanza's Mother" editorial:

I hate to say this, but lady, you created a monster. It's not your fault. You should save the rest of the world, yourself, and your families well being anymore grief and turn him over to mental health professionals. I know that is callous, cruel, and inhumane, but if it was only the risk you take with yourself or your children, then I wouldn't say this, but he will eventually become and adult and if you are dealing with this now, we will all have to deal with it eventually and in a way that won't be good. This is the lesson that we have to take. As of right now, you writing this letter maybe heartfelt in the wake of this horrific mass murder of innocents, but I'd say right now, you are dealing with a time bomb. Think about this before it's too late, cut your losses. No one will blame you, no one will hold you in contempt of any kind. You have a broken child on your hands. It's not your fault, but you are hanging onto a fantasy to the detriment of others and yourself, mostly your other children. God bless you.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Although, I did hear via Rush today, that the White House spokesman, Jay Carney, tried to link the Sandy Hook shooting with republican intransigence ie.. the fiscal cliff.

These guys never miss an opportunity.

Chip Ahoy said...

I got to the near end and something came JUTTING OUT FROM THE SIDE and I go OMG!!! an left sure hope everything turned out okay whew.

edutcher said...

Ms Long's 15 minutes coincides the the lunatic's.

coketown said...

Can't wait for the essay, "I am Liza Long's Son." Written by someone who isn't Long's son, but did have a batshit crazy, self-absorbed witch for a mother.

Reading missives like this reminds me how blessed I am to have a wonderful mother.

glenn said...

It's the digital equivalent of that pic of me on the bearskin rug. Mom used to show it to my friends. Until I burned the motorscooter while she was working.

Anonymous said...

What if what the mother writes is TRUE?

I imagine she is writing something reasonably true about her son. It is still possible that he may improve or grow out of his condition, but he will then be dragging around a horrific reputation that his mother hung on him for the rest of his life.

Who will want to be his friends? Who will want to date him? Who will want to hire him?

Life is hard enough as a young person, but to be a fragile young person tattooed with "My mother says I'm a dangerous looney" is a pretty tough row to hoe. Thanks Mom.

Methadras said...

Watching Alinsky tactics in action isn't all that breath taking. These SOB's will find any way to usurp power in the name of a crisis. It's nothing new. I mean, afterall, look at what happened after the the reichstag when poof.

Saint Croix said...

I like to tell the story about that time my mom bit my brother.

Also another time she ripped a sweater off my body and cut it with scissors so I couldn't wear it anymore.

It's even funnier if you know her, cause she's the sweetest woman alive. But she does not put up with any shit.

"We can't have a gun cause I would have shot your dad by now."

kentuckyliz said...

The conspiracy theories have started. The father of this rampage killer, and the father of the Aurora movie theatre rampage killer, are both having to testify on the LIBOR scandal. There were early reports about a man in the woods. Then silence about it.

So...what if the government pressured these men into sacrificing the freedom, lives, and peace of their damaged and vulnerable sons, to frame them or set them up for the rampage killing, to gin up public fervor against guns/supporting whatever ban Obama wants?

You know, like Fast and Furious, but punching twice as hard by bringing it home to Murka and doing it to the children.

Deirdre Mundy said...

The "Lanza's mother' piece reminded me of this from last summer:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/magazine/can-you-call-a-9-year-old-a-psychopath.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Methadras said...

BDNYC said...

What if what the mother writes is TRUE?


Then it makes it all the more tragic. I like in my letter to that woman, I hate the thought of even saying it, but one must face the reality of what is before you. It is not her fault that she birthed a broken child. Some children can be fixed, especially if the issues are physical. Mental issues on the other hand rarely get treated much less addressed. Yes, they are children, yes, they are vulnerable, but we also must realize as human beings that sometimes bad shit happens to those we least expect it too and that is our children. It's largely a numbers game. You have a yield problem to deal with. Some people will be born broken in some form or another. Some of them can be fixed. Others cannot. It's that simple.

The Lanza family is highly culpable in this. They have a lot to answer for. The mother clearly got a face full, but now you have 27 other families that this monstrously broken sub-human wretch is now inexorably entwined into their lives without their permission while taking a sacrifice that wasn't his to take. May he rot in whatever hell there is for scum like him. That family knew what they had on their hands and they were all irresponsible in it.

But we in this country need to start deciding if mental health and madness are something we can live with or not and deal with it accordingly. I'm frankly tired and becoming more intolerant by the day of dealing with knowing that they live among us.

Deirdre Mundy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Deirdre Mundy said...

Sorry...accidentally double-posted.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

At least she didnt abort him... thats... something?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

BTW.. If this shooting stays tied to mental illness look for people to ask if science can spot it in the womb.

Big ethical question?

Freeman Hunt said...

What are the Mommy Wars? Is that what they call simple differences of opinion among mothers because mothers are all supposed to exist in ironclad sisterhood so any discussions among them must be termed wars?

glenn said...

JAPBBS. Ask Me. be prepares to not like the answer.

Freeman Hunt said...

Why would those two make a joint statement? Do they even know each other?

FullMoon said...



12/17/12 7:34 PM
Blogger Methadras said...

This is what I wrote to the woman in the Gawker, "I am Adam Lanza's Mother" editorial:

I hate to say this, but lady, you created a monster. It's not your fault. You should save the rest of the world, yourself, and your families well being anymore grief and turn him over to mental health professionals. I know that is callous, cruel, and inhumane, but if it was only the risk you take with yourself or your children, then I wouldn't say this, but he will eventually become and adult and if you are dealing with this now, we will all have to deal with it eventually and in a way that won't be good. This is the lesson that we have to take. As of right now, you writing this letter maybe heartfelt in the wake of this horrific mass murder of innocents, but I'd say right now, you are dealing with a time bomb. Think about this before it's too late, cut your losses. No one will blame you, no one will hold you in contempt of any kind. You have a broken child on your hands. It's not your fault, but you are hanging onto a fantasy to the detriment of others and yourself, mostly your other children. God bless you.
Clicking your "bio" makes me wonder if you may be ,or have been, a candidate for the "mental health professionals" yourself. Glad you survived the beatings.
God Bless you

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Good call Freeman.

Skyler said...

Louis C K is a comedian. Why would children be embarrassed about made up stories by a comedian? But this lady really says her son is liable to be a killer and that's not supposed to hurt his feelings?

And I thought I was missing the humor gene.

Revenant said...

It is only libel if it isn't true.

kentuckyliz said...

Nobody loves me but my mother
And she may be jivin' me too!

Jane the Actuary said...

This reminds me of a college friend who I rediscovered via her blog: when she started blogging, her son was in elementary school, her daughter in preschool (full-day Montessori), she was spending her time teaching a class as an adjunct professor while her husband was supporting the family. They lived in a small apartment close to the beach somewhere in the LA area (they could have afforded a house, or at least a place where the poor kid would have his own bedroom, but only inland, where she's have to sacrifice her daily walk on the beach, and only if they cut out some of the money she spent on herself, including the daycare so she could have "me" time). There was one post where she talked about the weekend trip for her son's birthday which was cut short because she forgot the power cord so couldn't continue working on the academic paper she was trying to finish. The blog was full of "I have to be protective of my needs" -- and guess what? Kid turns out angry and resentful, diagnosed and put on meds.

He probably had real problems. But even in the best light that one always portrays oneself in a blog, she contributed to his problems, too.

No idea about the story on this Liza Long, except by the other posts in her blog.

Baron Zemo said...

Louis CK does a long routine about how he has to clean out poop from his baby daughter's vagina.

Which is only going to mean that when she is 18 she is going to be on the pole showing it to tons of balding middle aged men. Just sayn'

Crunchy Frog said...

I know someone like Liza Long - sees her broken child, watching him go off the rails, feeling powerless to do anything to stop it. Knows the only place he will get help is jail. Also knows he has threatened to kill himself to keep that from happening. May still kill himself while in jail, or someone else will do it for him.

I wish I had an answer for her.

ken in tx said...

I once had a sociopathic student in the 6th grade. He was truly evil. I would have been afraid to sleep in the same house with him. After one of his many infractions, his dad, instead of his mom, came to a parent teacher conference. His dad started yelling at us about 'zero tolerance', his IEP, and other stuff that had nothing to do with his son's behavior. After a while, I had enough. I stood up and said, “I'm only going to be his teacher for a few more months. You're going to be his dad for the rest of your life, and you are going to pay for it.” Then I walked out. The other teachers stayed and put up with it.

In my opinion, the problem of parents covering up for their deviant kids is worse than that of disclosing them on-line.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Methadras said...

GrandpaMark said...

Clicking your "bio" makes me wonder if you may be ,or have been, a candidate for the "mental health professionals" yourself. Glad you survived the beatings.
God Bless you


Why would you say that? I'm a perfectly normal human being, who underwent as normal a childhood as possible. Sure, my dad would get mad when I took the tv apart and didn't know how to put it back together again. Sure, he got pissed on day when I got myself stuck behind a dashboard at around 6 to 7 cause I was following where the wires went to in his car. I'd get a nice healthy spanking for it, but I was never mental or had any mental issues.

So I'm not sure where you're coming up with that or are you just being glib?