RE: [BITS] Sex on the Brain, Deborah Blum

Joe Barrera (joebar@MICROSOFT.com)
Fri, 17 Jul 1998 13:48:16 -0700


> I was a very new reporter, covering the police beat in northern
> Georgia, I had to write a story about a 21-year old father who

If I were handed a gun, I'd shoot this son of a bitch (the father) without a
second thought. A shotgun at short range and lots of shells would be even
better.

I don't remember if I felt this protective of children before I had kids. I
suspect I didn't, not to this extent.

> Depression can be passed from mother to infants PET scans show it.

And if not by nature, then by nurture.

I do the best to raise my kids to be healthy, but I'm terrified they're
going to end up screwed up anyway. There's just so god damn much insanity in
my family. I'm hoping that most of it is learned and cultural, and that the
remainder can be control by antidepressants if necessary. But there are days
(like today) when I just feel it's hopeless. It doesn't help that my Mom
thought that SHE was doing a much better job of raising us than HER mother
did of raising her, and yet she (my Mom) ended up really damaging my sister
and me. How can I fool myself that I'll do any better than she did?

- Joe

Joseph S. Barrera III
{allegra,ihnp4,decvax}!microsoft!joebar
<http://research.microsoft.com/~joebar/>
The opinions expressed in this message are my own personal views.