Wrong Message

I am sorry that your son is "brain injured" but, your comments are just another example of America becoming too politically correct. Why are we becoming so soft and sensitive? Mender owes nobody an apology.

It was definitely thoughtless and insensitive for Mender to say that, particularly given her position at Jodi House. While I can agree with part of the comment by "whatever2" - we are becoming very "soft and sensitive", and not in a good way - I disagree with the rest. Mender does indeed owe an apology. If she was not involved with Jodi House, it would not be as much of an issue.

OK so "brain damaged" is out.

Maybe call them idiots. But wait, that term means "mentally deficient person". So that is "bad" also. How about: addlehead, blockhead, bonehead, deadhead, dimwit, dodo, dope, dummy, dunderhead, nincompoop, ninny, nitwit, numbskull, stupidhead, thickhead, or twit? I guess those are all "bad" also.

OK so they must be good kids!

Being politically correct just makes me feel all warm and gooey inside . . .

Mari Mender owes humanity an apology and should be stripped of her license. Imagine any patient going into Cottage and seeing her; after seeing her rant and rave in the media? I definitely am putting my donation to Jodhi House on hold as long as she is on their board.

I too sometimes tire of the over-politically correct climate we live in today.

However, as the sister of a brain-injured brother (a married father of three), I see first-hand how hard this man works every *single* day to accomplish stuff the rest of us take for granted. A comment like that from somebody who is supposed to be your advocate is devastating.

Can you imagine a board member of the Alpha Resourse Center calling someone retarded? A board member of the Pacific Pride Foundation calling someone a faggot? A board member of the Rape Crisis Center calling someone a whore?

It's THE express responsibility of those board members to be advocates, to be ambassadors and to teach the community about those they vow to help and protect.

Ms. Mender was obviously very upset when she made this statement. She misspoke. It is ridiculous to judge someone based on a single comment made after someone had set fire to the signs in her yard! Since Ms Mender is volunteer - giving of her time and money to Jodi House, she obviously cares about helping people with brain injuries. Perhaps those who are so irate about this comment, should channel their energy into something positive like helping a local charity, as Ms. Mender does. And all of us should hope we are not so unfortunate as to have the press present when we make a misstep. Oh, and EZK - it's "Jodi House" not "Jodhi House" - I hope you didn't spell their name wrong on all those donations you make to them...

If Ms. Mender did not want the press present, perhaps she should not have called a press conference when filing her complaint. Or did they just magically appear? And if she is in no way responsible for the press conference (over a singed political sign? Really?), perhaps she should not have agreed to be part of it if she was so very shaken up.

The press misquoted Mender, not that it matters to anyone here busily damning her. But that's Santa Barbara for you.

Those of you who would vilify Ms. Mender would be well served to research the facts before speaking ill of a wonderful and caring nurse and friend.

Further, that the Independent or any other paper would allow slander against a private individual is beyond low. The editors owe her an apology.

LOL. Another hyperventilating Santa Barbara slap fight. Don't you people have anything else to do?

Emily Post never talked like Dominique Smith. Ms Smith could have simply said she was "disappointed," like Vito Corleone. The presentation became the message, as in Ms Mender's press conference. Hmmm.......

BTW, I worked at Hillside House as a lad, and was gob-smacked at how determined almost all residents were to do as much for themselves as they could, and allow an assist only when they absolutely could not get any further by their own strenuous efforts. Hmmm.......

Sometimes you can be explosive yourself Pinatubo.

It's in my nature. Either that or I ate too much Super Rica.