Four weeks into the ABC COVID-19 life and the sisters have already filled up 6 of the letters on their grid. Here comes number 7.

For our “L” ABC COVID-19 Life post we have decided that one size does not fit all.

One of the things that Barbara never has had the courage – or maybe the conviction – to do is to write a Letter to the Editor in response to an article or Op Ed she reads in the paper. However, this week something written in the Wall Street Journal really touched a nerve and she mustered up her nerve to write the following:

“Dear Editor,

I found the article “Good Cops Tame the Inner Warrior” by Karl Marlantes quite offensive. From his very first paragraph he assumes that police officers wake up each day hungry to shoot or kill someone, that they “see themselves as warriors.” He further states that “police should use force as a tool to be used as minimally as a situation permits.” I have many police officers as friends or acquaintances and not one of them has the “warrior mind set.” In fact, most of the ones I know were proud to have never had to fire their weapons, despite the fact that they were stabbed, punched, etc. in the course of addressing a situation. By saying that the police should have a daily ritual where they touch their weapon to their heart and say aloud that it’s for defense, not offense, he is assuming that they don’t already think that. He decries behaviors that create immense harm, one such behavior being “choosing a side and therefore an enemy.” Of course they do – the side they choose is public safety and the enemy they see is the criminal. Isn’t “choosing an enemy” exactly what Mr. Marlantes is doing here? Only the enemy to him is the police force. How sad.”

Laura stumbled upon her “L” when she watched The Lobster, a film that was discussed by a movie review group within one of their women’s clubs. The Lobster was a difficult film to watch, being extremely odd and often cruel. However, the discussion made up for it – as ideas and opinions were tossed about and a greater understanding of what the film was saying and why it was saying it emerged. The lesson here is twofold. First, belonging to a movie discussion group encourages us to step out of our comfort zones at times. We watch movies that we may not have chosen on our own and are therefore exposed to new ideas and themes. Second, it drives home the idea that sometimes the value of an experience is in the analysis and not in the journey.

Update: as of the date of posting, Barbara’s letter has been printed in the Wall Street Journal!