Letters: Raising girls to be proud women

I AM THE FATHER of four beautiful girls and a fifth who passed away suddenly at the age of 19 in December. I just read Helen Ubiñas' article in Tuesday's

Daily News

. I felt the need to email you to tell you how powerful it was! I have been preaching to my daughters since they were young that if they respect themselves, no man can ever disrespect them.

As a young man raised by a single mother, I grew up sometimes without the direction that can only come from a father. I, too, had my misguided perceptions of relationships with women. I guess that's why God blessed me with four daughters. I am a happily married 49-year-old man now, and my mission in life is to make sure all my daughters live happy, healthy, successful lives. Allow me to add that my older two daughters, who are 28 and 25, have successful careers and no children by choice. I also have a 14-year-old and 11-year-old who I try to arm with the knowledge that they are special and worthy of the highest of standards and respect from boys and when they are older, men. Before my 19-year-old passed away, her mother and I taught her the same lessons. I cannot say enough how much your article lends to those same ideals.

As tragic as the ordeal between the two young women in Nicetown was, I see you using it as a teaching tool to other young women not to fall prey to the same ugly situation when it comes to placing their supposed love of a man before love for themselves. Our young women are beautiful, worthy and empowered as they want to be, and it is our job as parents, teachers, community leaders, politicians, lawmakers and journalists to create a culture in which they can learn and thrive. My 14-year-old daughter, Erin, recently participated in a wonderful program offered by Sisters of Circle, facilitated by Karen Warrington and other influential women. The program was designed to help young women recognize their worth and empower themselves in every way. I will make sure that my daughters read your article and please keep doing your socially conscious good work. God bless you!

Wayne Ivey

Philadelphia

After reading Helen Ubiñas' article "No Love Lost," I must admit, along with feeling very bad for all parties involved, I'm a little perturbed as well. All along I could have sworn that Miss Ubiñas was a racist against police but it's pretty clear she is also a sexist.

How dare she label the man, any man involved in this or any other tragic love triangle, a creep or a loser who is unworthy of any woman's love without knowing all the details or hearing what really happened?

All the man did was be a man. He didn't drive the vehicle that crashed into the other person (I feel heartbroken over what happened to this girl) and he for sure didn't set the house ablaze. All he did was what every man does, he was in a relationship with a woman and doing what's best for him, and it's evident that one of the parties involved in this mess was extremely jealous, but let's not talk about that.

Let's at least be somewhat honest and call this for what it is: It's two women(sounds more like really one woman) fighting over something that isn't hers anymore or never was, sort of like the frenzy in the '80s over Cabbage Patch dolls, remember? I guess the toys were creeps and losers, too.

Did you ever think that it could be the women who were the evil parties? Maybe they couldn't handle rejection, maybe one was more promiscuous than the other. It could have been a million different things, but instead of what it really is, the man is already labeled the devil. Is that how this drama is going to end?

I hope this winter when it snows and two people fight over a parking spot they can both say that neither of them is in the wrong. All along it was the parking spot. Yeah that's it, the parking spot. It was unworthy of their cars and neither driver has any mental issues for fighting over it. And just to be clear, when another (as you put it in your story) bitch or hoe tries to take another one's man, who's wrong? The man, for doing what's best for him, or the girl who's a thief, backstabber, up to no good against another girl? Just curious.

I've got to admit Daily News, you guys sure have some top-notch reporters working for ya, they really know how to take charge of a story and report it for what it is.

Andrew J. Dankanich

Philadelphia

Harrisburg Republicans seem to work hardest at making sure locally elected officials can't pass ordinances that provide reasonable protections for residents, like keeping illegal guns off the streets and protecting drinking water around nearby drilling sites.

They're at it again with legislation to stop Philadelphia's new ordinance that requires businesses with 10 or more employees to give workers at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. The bill to stop Philadelphia and any other municipality that attempts to have a paid-sick-leave law passed the Senate and is now under consideration in the House.

Those who are against Philadelphia's action say that issues like this should be left to the state or federal governments. So, Republicans in Harrisburg, put your money where your mouth is.

House Bill 624 is quite similar to Philadelphia's new ordinance but would be applied statewide.

You don't like local control Harrisburg Republicans? How about workers or their desire to keep their jobs while not infecting the public? Let's put that up for a vote.

State Rep. Mike O'Brien

175th District