Delaware Today magazine: Letters to the editor, emails and Tweets

Brave Move

Kudos to Delaware Today and the editorial staff for making compensatory inequality the September cover story (“Why Women Earn Less Than Men … Still”). This was a risky proposition, but as someone who works with many women who undervalue their own professional worth, I’m glad you highlighted this topic so prominently.

I was happy to see the balance you provided, having male and female co-authors, as well as expert sources. I think you could have gone one step further in a well-balanced perspective by addressing the “wage gap myth”— a school of thought arguing that pay inequality data are skewed by gender choices and inappropriate job comparisons, among other factors. 

Kathleen Turkel’s comments touched on this idea, but could easily have expanded into a much larger piece that examined ways in which women self-sabotage. According to research by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever, published in their book “Women Don’t Ask,” 20 percent of adult women admit to never negotiating. Men are four times as likely to negotiate for a better deal. If we women don’t ask for what we want, we’ll continue to settle for the status quo.

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If we hope to move toward greater equality, we need to teach young girls leadership and negotiating skills in a systematic way so that someday, we will see many more inspiring profiles of successful women between the covers of Delaware Today.

At any rate, your willingness to examine such substantive topics has converted this casual reader to a new subscriber. Thank you again for your insightful story.

Sincerely,

Erin Ford Sicuranza
Springboard Careers Inc., Wilmington

 

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Your recent article on pay inequity between men and women provided statistics, both at the local and national level, indicating the gender wage discrepancy which continues in corporate America.  But rather than focusing on what is wrong with the system, a better approach might be to shine the light on successful business models that encourage and support a gender neutral workforce with positive leadership models, mentoring, and equal opportunities for career advancement and economic rewards for all. And in some respects, as we single out accomplished women, we continue to perpetuate the myth that successful women are somehow different than their male counterparts. As long as the media leads with “the first woman to become president, CEO, etc.,” this misguided perception that women are not as capable as men in the workforce will persist.

Carol Arnott Robbins
Greenville

 


I loved the (October) issue of Delaware Today. I was surprised when I read on page 92 that Dr. Edmund Carroll “claims” to be the only surgeon in the state to perform the partial knee replacement. A bit of research would have revealed that Dr. Wilson Choy is also doing that surgery. He performed a partial knee replacement on me in March 2010 at the Lewes Surgery Center. I checked in at 8 a.m., and I was home at noon. Everything else written about the surgery is accurate, but I was surprised (you) did not check this out.

Sheri Borrin
Rehoboth Beach

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For Arts Sake

I’m disappointed that our organization wasn’t featured in Mark Nardone’s October article entitled “Art For All.” The Children’s Theatre of Dover and Kent County has been a proud part of Kent County’s theatrical history for many years. Founded (and filed within the State of Delaware as a 501c3 nonprofit children’s theater by Theodore Ressler) in 1996, The Children’s Theatre produces four major productions each season, housed in the gorgeous Schwartz Center in downtown Dover. The Children’s Theatre also partners with local organizations participating in parades, community outreach, holiday events, camps, and scholarships throughout the year.

I feel as if Kent County needs an extra shout out. North and South have a lot to offer, but Kent County is often overlooked in Delaware Today. Maybe we don’t have the glamour, but we have a lot of heart. 

Ami Leaming 
Dover

 

 

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