Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Can I Turn In a Bad Fraternity at My Son’s College?” My son is on his college football team. Most of the football team is in a fraternity known for its boorishness; it prides itself on disparaging other frats and behaving badly. My son wisely chose not to join it, opting[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Should I Reveal That My Dad Pretended to Be a Vietnam Vet?” When he was alive, my father sometimes talked of his military service during the Vietnam War. He would oscillate between being open about details and not wanting to speak of his experience. Despite not having any “war buddies,” photographs[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “My Wife Found My Sexy Phone Pics and Won’t Let It Go,” My wife and I have been married for just a few years. Early in our marriage I started chatting with a female acquaintance, and things got verbally sexual and eventually led to sexual pictures between the other woman and[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Can My Cat Go Out if He Bullies Other Cats?” Playing outside is my cat’s greatest joy. During the long Maine winters, he stares wistfully out the window. The moment the snow melts, he’s outside climbing trees and running laps. The whole street knows my cat, Jasper, by name. Children play[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Is It O.K. to Give Cigarettes to a Homeless Person?” After a passer-by handed over a half-used pack of cigarettes to a homeless man on a Melbourne street, the man asked that I accompany him to a nearby convenience store to help him buy more cigarettes as he was running low[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Can I Spread the Word About an Unvaccinated Child?” I’m pregnant with my first child, and concern for my unborn baby has prompted me to ask my friends if their children are vaccinated. One close friend, Y, has two young (vaccinated) children, and lives near another friend, X. Both Y and[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Must I Tell My Therapist About My Other Therapist?” I’ve been in and out of therapy for seven years, and I recently had to find a new therapist because of a move. It’s important to find a therapist who is the right fit, so I figured I’d “try out” a few[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Is Sex With a Brain-Damaged Man Assault?” There is a man in our congregation who suffered a head injury in an accident. He is now permanently cognitively damaged. He lives in his own home with helpers. He has difficulty speaking and says that he has greater difficulty understanding what is said[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “My Nanny Has a Gambling Problem. Can I Fire Her?” I recently discovered that one of my live-in nannies has a serious gambling problem. Now I know why she always comes home way past curfew and is always short of money. I have never witnessed her stealing anything from us, and[…] Keep reading →