I fail to understand how someone else's desire to feel a modicum of comfort and control over a situation, where there is little, is such a bad thing. You say that the only thing that it does is make the prayer feel better, but why is that not enough of a reason?

This is kind of how I feel when I come across the "female doctor" debate.

To the third letter writer: try dialing 211. In some cities it will connect you with your nearest United Way office, and they are usually excellent at connecting people with the local resources available. I found the best therapist I ever had through them.

With the last letter, I cannot personally say anything about race but I can with disability. I have often struggled with my own depression with being disabled, dependant, and lonely. If the letter writer is reading this, know that you are not alone with this aspect of things. It is hard to make friends and hard to…

I wish Facebook would just DIE altogether. For teens and old twenty-somethings like myself. I miss genuine friendships so much. I miss getting invited to a party in person or through a phone call, not through an Event Page where 200 people are invited so I don't even know if I'm really wanted there for my good company…

Wait now. Hold on. No. You have a soap box where you are allowed to present yourself however you want. Despite that medium you came across as rude and passive aggressive to everyone who read your article.

"I'm pretty much obsessed with etiquette and politeness..."
"I passive-aggressively jarred his foot with my backpack"
Go on...

The clarification helps but to be honest, the way the altercation is presented really feels like you came on the plane ready to rumble. I've felt that way on any number of occasions myself so I don't fault you in it, it just really feels like you escalated the altercation.

I lost you after "I passive-aggressively jarred his foot".

Okay, wait. I'm a fat person, and I know the feeling of judgement on a plane. That said, it sounds like she was being incredibly RUDE. He probably glared at her because she was late - which many people do. And she SHOULD have said 'excuse me" and POLITELY asked him to move. And she certainly shouldn't act like a…

Jeez, Lindy. I am a fan, I really am, and I more or less agree with your central premise about the way society treats heavier people, but the original anecdote that kicked it off? You were the bad guy there. I've reread it five times trying to pick up where the guy in the seat was the one in the wrong and I just can't…

Uh, I missed the part where this was about your weight? Didn't you charge on, anxious and frazzled, bump the guy, want him to move, not acknowledge with a polite "excuse me" or "oops, sorry," verbally confront him and instigate, and then kick his bag?

Is it at all possible that he might have been having a bad day too? I mean you say something about having a hangover, but what if this guy's mother just died? It was a 7 am flight, what if he had to drive three hours to the airport to catch the flight? I'm not saying his surliness was right, but it's not his…

Well, this post isn't classist and kind of gross at all. I'm a progressive atheist from California (granted, the San Joaquin Valley, which is about as redneck as California gets) and I'm still upset by this.

"What should I do when someone semi-famous says something terrible and offensive? I KNOW! Say something that is also terrible and offensive!"

I feel like this is insulting to 'rednecks' that are tolerant. I don't see what the point of this article was. His homophobia is his own damn fault.

You are SO PATIENT. I just want to thank you for your insights. If people can't understand your perspective, they are just refusing to look past their own nose (/privilege) because you have explained it articulately and respectfully. You have helped me understand it better and I'm sure there are a ton of others just…

Abso-fucking-lutely. I really wanted to name my daughter Rashida. Really, really, really loved that name. Funny thing is, she looks like she could be Rashida Jones' daughter more than she could be my daughter.

How do I seem ambivalent about their validity?

you must be fun at parties.