Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Delaney an exceptional friend

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, Aug. 8, 2002 | 8:37 a.m.

This column had been completed and was on its way to my editor, John Katsilometes, when I received a call from Sun executive editor Mike O'Callaghan Wednesday morning telling me that Joe Delaney had passed away, the victim of a stroke.

How can anyone who knew Joe, the Sun's entertainment editor for many years, not react with shock?

I loved Joe Delaney as a dear friend, respected him as an individual and admired him for his dedication to our community.

So much good can be attributed to Joe Delaney, who leaves a loving family and a host of friends with memories of decency and goodness.

As we mourn his passing, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that we had the privilege of knowing an exceptional man.

Children having children.

A recent cable news program discussed the nationwide problem of teenage pregnancies.

It brought back memories of a day I met a 15-year-old girl at a juvenile care center, sitting on a sofa staring off into space. She appeared to be about eight months pregnant.

She started to cry when I spoke to her. Her parents had abandoned her when they heard she was pregnant. She had no idea where the father was, and was not even sure who he was.

She had no idea what to do after the baby was born, although she expected to give it up for adoption.

"I didn't think I could get pregnant," she said.

How many teenage girls, part of the national statistics on teenage pregnancy, have said that same thing?

With all the stress on sex education, safe sex, etc., how do we account for these unwanted pregnancies?

Most of these teenage mothers are emotionally immature, poorly educated, and have no means of caring for themselves or their babies.

They go on welfare.

But many teenage mothers come from middle- and upper-class families.

After the baby is born, the young mother often takes up where she left off; returns to school and leaves the infant with Mom and Dad.

Unfortunately, Mom and Dad have done their child rearing and have been looking forward to some time for themselves.

Now they must start all over with a grandchild, while the little mother can pick up as if nothing had happened and blithely continue her life as a teenager.

It probably isn't fair, but years ago we were taught that it was up to the girl to say, "No."

It's still good advice, because girls have a lot more to lose with an unwanted pregnancy than does a boy.

Children having children is a major social problem that can only be dealt with by teaching our young women self esteem, and our young men a sense of responsibility.

We used to call it morals.

Say what you will, but I feel Mayor Oscar Goodman has lost some solid support among the more conservative members of our community with his outspoken support of lap dancing.

Look out Saddam, here we come.

For the life of me, I don't understand all the posturing and advance warnings that we are giving about invading Iraq.

Isn't the element of surprise attack a weapon?

Remember Pearl Harbor.