Joel Stein's Los Angeles Times 2009 attack on kids with peanut allergies. Update: His kid got a peanut allergy.
As most of you know, if you've followed my blog in the past, then you know I have a severely peanut allergic daughter, who I am fiercely protective of.
I try to be understanding about how little people comprehend about anaphylaxis, but sometimes when they choose to be completely stupid, I just see red.
Last month was one of those times.
Just to bring you up to speed. I'd responded somewhat fiercely to Joel Stein's annoying piece that ran in the Los Angeles Times a few weeks ago that ripped into the parents of peanut allergic kids suggesting it wasn't a real concern and that our desire to create drama and "specialness" for our kids was really the cause of it all.
In any event, I never got any response from either him via The Los Angeles Times, but I did get a response from him via his personal facebook page, of all things.
And I really wanted to share with you what his response was, given that one of his main excuses for writing the piece was that he was really stressed out since his wife is about to have a baby.
I try to be understanding about how little people comprehend about anaphylaxis, but sometimes when they choose to be completely stupid, I just see red.
Last month was one of those times.
Just to bring you up to speed. I'd responded somewhat fiercely to Joel Stein's annoying piece that ran in the Los Angeles Times a few weeks ago that ripped into the parents of peanut allergic kids suggesting it wasn't a real concern and that our desire to create drama and "specialness" for our kids was really the cause of it all.
In any event, I never got any response from either him via The Los Angeles Times, but I did get a response from him via his personal facebook page, of all things.
And I really wanted to share with you what his response was, given that one of his main excuses for writing the piece was that he was really stressed out since his wife is about to have a baby.
Yep. That's what he said.
-------------------------------------Louise to Joel Stein, via facebook
January 10 at 7:12pm
Dear Mr. Stein,
I invite you to read my open letter to you, currently found at: http://louiselarsen.blogspot.com/2009/01/nut-allergies-yuppie-invention-as-if.html
Or you can just check out my facebook page(s)Parents of kids with severe peanut allergies:
Or, better yet, why not meet me in person. Our six degrees of separation really aren't so far apart.*
Sincerely, Louise Larsen
---------
From: Joel Stein to Louise Larsen
January 11 at 11:48am
I'm really sorry about your son's allergies, and sorry that I hurt your feelings. I have lots of friends whose kids have severe nut allergies (all of whom I have to write a similar return email to). I'm about to have my first child this May and I'm worrying about everything that could happen to him already, so I can almost imagine how hard that is for you. I really didn't mean to imply that nut allergies can't be real. One of my best friends carries an EpiPen.
I get a ton of hate emails every week. If I write that airport security is overblown and nearly useless, I get emails from people whose family members died in a terrorist attack. You can see how this goes. So I'm used to it. But I still feel bad.
Joel
---------
Louise Larsen to Joel Stein
January 11 at 12:37pm
Um. Daughter.
DAUGHTER'S allergy. Not "son."
Give me a break.
And you did not hurt my feelings. You pissed me off.
You have hurt other people's feelings though. They've been send ME your hate mail, because your inbox is TOO FULL.
I'm willing to bet that even this pathetic apology is just a sloppy "copy & paste" you are frantically sending out in response to your deeply offensive, ill-informed Op-Ed piece.
Did you even read my blog post about you?
You might want to.
-------------------------------------Louise to Joel Stein, via facebook
January 10 at 7:12pm
Dear Mr. Stein,
I invite you to read my open letter to you, currently found at: http://louiselarsen.blogspot.com/2009/01/nut-allergies-yuppie-invention-as-if.html
Or you can just check out my facebook page(s)Parents of kids with severe peanut allergies:
Or, better yet, why not meet me in person. Our six degrees of separation really aren't so far apart.*
Sincerely, Louise Larsen
---------
From: Joel Stein to Louise Larsen
January 11 at 11:48am
I'm really sorry about your son's allergies, and sorry that I hurt your feelings. I have lots of friends whose kids have severe nut allergies (all of whom I have to write a similar return email to). I'm about to have my first child this May and I'm worrying about everything that could happen to him already, so I can almost imagine how hard that is for you. I really didn't mean to imply that nut allergies can't be real. One of my best friends carries an EpiPen.
I get a ton of hate emails every week. If I write that airport security is overblown and nearly useless, I get emails from people whose family members died in a terrorist attack. You can see how this goes. So I'm used to it. But I still feel bad.
Joel
---------
Louise Larsen to Joel Stein
January 11 at 12:37pm
Um. Daughter.
DAUGHTER'S allergy. Not "son."
Give me a break.
And you did not hurt my feelings. You pissed me off.
You have hurt other people's feelings though. They've been send ME your hate mail, because your inbox is TOO FULL.
I'm willing to bet that even this pathetic apology is just a sloppy "copy & paste" you are frantically sending out in response to your deeply offensive, ill-informed Op-Ed piece.
Did you even read my blog post about you?
You might want to.
*Note: I wouldn't have met with me, either.
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