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Teens share concerns about therapy

Q. My parents are sending me to a therapist. My family doctor thinks it would help me with my social anxiety. I’m afraid to go. What if the therapist tells my parents what I say? I don’t want anyone to know what bothers me. Will my friends know? Will my teachers know? I really don’t want ...

This is how a nation’s spirit is broken

By Richard Robbins A nation that lies to itself about itself is in its essentials untrustworthy; divorced from factual reality, it is a nation doomed to self-deceit and self-dealing, such as to render it inoperable. We are on the precipice of becoming such a nation. The significance of ...

When is the right age for sex?

When is the right age for sex? Q. WhenĢƵ the right age to have sex? I’m going into high school in a few weeks, and I haven’t done it. Actually, I haven’t even kissed someone. I’m pretty sure I’m not ready for sex – the thought gives me equal amounts of excitement and anxiety. My ...

OP-ED: The perils of secondhand smoke

Like about 55% of men at the time, my dad was a smoker. You know, there were commercials that claimed, “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette,” and “20,679 physicians say ‘Luckies are less irritating.’” Dad smoked Kent cigarettes that used asbestos in their Micronite ...

Naming rights: Lafayette in America

By Richard Robbins Gilbert du Motier was 19 when he departed France for the United States in 1777, leaving behind a young daughter and a pregnant wife. He excitedly told his father-in-law, "You will be astounded. I am a general officer in the army of the United States. My zeal for their cause ...

OP-ED: Random thoughts about manĢƵ stupidity

I am only 18 months away from turning 80, and truthfully, the way things are going, if seven more of my classmates pass away, I could end up being the valedictorian of my high school class. One thing I’ve consistently observed in life is the ongoing display of consistency that humankind ...