Talk:Elizabeth Edwards

What resilience means

What Resilience means to ex-military kids like Elizabeth Edwards: added citations on how she moved so many times while growing up / never having a home town: The title of her book "Resilience" rings especially true for fellow ex-military children, for this word describes what was expected of us (and what helped us to survive and thrive) while faced with never having a home town, and moving constantly from place to place, leaving everything behind (again and again and again) while growing up as military kids.

Let this citation and Edwards inspiring life shine a bright light on the American military childhood.

98.245.148.9 (talk) 01:20, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

Hey, calm down. I was not suggesting it was made up at all, and I don't doubt you read it in her book. I was merely saying that we need page references for citations, not just book titles, and I was asking you if you have the book, could you provide the pages. I don't have the book handy, and if I did I would have entered the page cites myself. And you misunderstood my point about posting cites here on Talk: the article is semi-protected at present, so you would not be able to post the refs yourself unless you have a confirmed user name. I was sincere in thanking you for helping to improve the article, and I didn't say anything about your sentimental comment. This has been a difficult day for anyone who admired Elizabeth Edwards, and we had 260,000 views today, so I'm trying to make this piece as good as possible as quickly as possible. No need for you to take offense when none was intended. Now if you'd like to help, I'd appreciate page refs, if you have access to the book. If not, so be it.Tvoz/talk 06:50, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

OK I'm sorry if I misunderstood. You are saying the system will stop me from making further edits because of semi-protection/needing a username. I apologize then for not getting that part. When I have time in the next day or so I'll get those page numbers out of the book and post them.

Yes it is an emotional time given Elizabeth Edwards death and no offense taken.

Best,

98.245.148.9 (talk) 18:25, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

I also removed my prior post, but I think I may have removed one of your posts at the same time by mistake (my apologies).

98.245.148.9 (talk) 18:27, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Here are the citations. Since this article is semi-protected, and since I have a new account, I will need to make 10 edits elsewhere in order to enter the citation here. I am happy to do that, but if anyone wants to add these citations in the meantime, go ahead.

Citation 1) For the sentence described how she grew up moving/did not have a home town--

"Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Lifes Adversities" Edwards, Elizabeth, Broadway Books, New York, 2009, 2010. Page 13."

More citations to come soon...

Telemachus.forward (talk) 00:27, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Anania

Where did the name Anania originate? It sounds Mediterranean. Stonemason89 (talk) 00:08, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Italian. Tvoz/talk 06:51, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Facebook quote

I am removing (for the second time) the Facebook quote. While appropriate for inclusion in a full-length biography, or a remembrance, is unencyclopedic. ^Bongo_matic 01:25, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

I don't agree - and I don't think this should be unilaterally decided on by you, with all respect. Tvoz/talk 03:18, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

I'd like to see consensus on this; it has been widely reported at the moment. Of course that may well be WP:RECENTISM. As for removing it a second time, that was my fault; I was reformatting it and when I got an e/c, I thought the diff was only a little formatting. I missed the fact that the quote had been entirely removed. That was accidental.  Frank  |  talk  04:11, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

I haven't seen it reported in any news sources—only in blogs. Can anyone point to a news-style article where this is reproduced? ^Bongo_matic 04:18, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

CNN (yes, the word "blog" is in the URL but it has news contributors and is a news piece, not a blog posting) and WRAL are already referenced in this article. It's also reported here (partially) and elsewhere. Why its inclusion would be limited if it also appears in blogs is not clear to me.  Frank  |  talk  04:49, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Yes Bongo, for one, it's quoted in its entirety in the Raleigh News-Observer, and partially in just about every article written today about her, including the New York Times obituary and again, Forbes, and a lot of other places - that some are blogs is not relevant as long as they are blogs with editorial oversight as per policy. I think we might want to revisit the recentism question sometime down the road, but for now I think it is an important piece of her biography and should be included. Tvoz/talk 07:11, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Quoted here: http://specials.msn.com/A-List/Lifestyle/Elizabeth-Edwards.aspx?cp-documentid=26662056&imageindex=1%3E=36010 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.94.229.226 (talk) 16:48, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Is it proper to refer to this as a breast cancer death?

The article says she died of "metastatic breast cancer". Since she died shortly after it spread to her liver, wouldn't that make it a liver cancer death? Seems the logical idea, if you don't factor in how trendy breast cancer awareness has become, and how pink ribbons helped her book career . I, for one, think that shouldn't be a factor. And maybe liver cancer can enjoy more awareness, as an aside. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:49, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Nevermind, I answered my own question. Metastatic cancer is indeed a technically different thing than "regular" cancer. She died of cancerous breast cells, but inside her liver. There should be a "General Metastasis Awareness Month" in supermarkets and PSAs. — Preceding unsigned comment added by InedibleHulk (talk • contribs) 03:04, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

"Edwards lived the first 50 years of her life in relative obscurity as a lawyer and homemaker."

This statement is worded awkwardly since it seems to imply she has been a lawyer and homemaker since she was 11 years old which is not true. Could the person who wrote this word it better? Azn Clayjar (talk) 15:47, 8 December 2010 (UTC)  Done

She also spent the first 18 years of her life as a military kid, which is a very different kind of life (in some ways). It was also obscurity though (no one knows much about the lifestyle of military kids).

Telemachus.forward (talk) 04:02, 9 December 2010 (UTC)

Correction

Ref #3 should be "L"ived, not "ived". 75.204.184.126 (talk) 18:17, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Fixed; thanks for the note.  Frank  |  talk  01:42, 9 December 2010 (UTC)

Link to Wikipedia "Military brats" article should not have been removed, the term is often misunderstood by non-military people and did not violate Wikipedia editing standards

The Wikipedia link (to the sub-page of the "Military brat" Wikipedia article sub-page ("Famous military brats") was removed from this (Elizabeth Edwards Wikipedia article).

Edwards is listed there (on the Military Brats sub-page) as a "Famous Military Brat". Chances are someone thought that the "Military brat" link here on the Elizabeth Edwards article was an insult or vandalism--

In fact the term "Military brat" is a term of affection in the US military and is not derogatory at all. It means "child of a career military family". The term has been used for over 200 years in the United States military.

"Military brat" also has become a term of cultural identity, and most current and former military brats use it with pride--

It has come to engender, in just two words, a summation of the unique challenges faced by the US military childhood: constantly moving as one's soldier father (or mother) is transfered throughout their career from military base to military base. Never having a hometown as the result. Living constantly with loss on the one hand, and yet a sense of adventure on the other hand. Bravely facing a strange new world again and again and again while growing up.

It also refers to a sense of international identity, since many Military brats also lived overseas for a part of their growing up. So it implies world citizenship as well.

And it can also reference how military kids and teenagers often live indirectly with the stresses of war, while their solder father or mother is deployed during wartime and also the psychological aftermath of war in some cases, after the parent returns.

So overall the term "Military brat" acknowledges the challenges and character demanded by a military childhood or adolescence.

So no, it was not an insult, nor was it vandalism at all (nor was it a violation of any Wikipedia editing standards) that the link to the Wikipedia article "Military brat" stood for so long at the bottom of Elizabeth Edwards Wikipedia article. In fact it was a badge of honor. And it also stood in quiet thanks to Elizabeth, as it does for so many others, for their years of nearly invisible service and sacrifice as a military child or teenager (or both, in many cases).

Others may not know much about the unique and challenging lifestyles of military brats, but we who knew this life personally have (for years now, and very appropriately, by Wikipedia editing standards) placed these links on many Wikipedia pages of notable former military brats. And that is why this link should be returned to this article, because it truly belongs here, and as you (now) know, it never was vanadalism in the first place.

Respectfully and with best wishes to all,

Telemachus.forward (talk) 23:13, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

The article has been in Category: Military brats and I added a wikilink to the article Military brat (U.S. subculture), as I think you make a good point. However I think (didn't have a chance to go back and check) it was the "List" article that was removed, which isn't necessary - we are now linked in the text to the more informative Military Brats article. Thanks for your comments. Tvoz/talk 20:16, 9 December 2010 (UTC)

You are welcome! Many thanks for helping out with that. :)

I think that's a great point too that the main Military brat (U.S. subculture) article is better to link to, I think you are right that the "list" doesn't mean much by itself and that the main article is much more informative. Thanks also for doing that as well.

Best,

Telemachus.forward (talk) 00:46, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Change necessary for funeral information

I was reading the post and noticed this sentence:

Elizabeth Edwards' funeral will be held at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday, December 10th.

Today (Friday) is December 10th so it should be changed to December 11th.

Elligator (talk) 17:27, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Fixed; thanks for the note.

It should be sourced too. I noticed the article about the funeral didn't metion her burial, which was strange. I'm sure any time now the web site will have all of that. I'll be off the computer by then.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 18:13, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

Westboro Baptist Church

One person gets to decide this isn't notable? I was willing to accept that at first and I went to the church own article, since there is a major counter-protest planned and the article has its own section on those.

I still have the radio on from Car Talk and I just heard an NPR reporter say "Elizabeth Edwards is a resident of Hell". (I just saw a columnist who says essentially that Fred Phelps will get to find that out firsthand.) And that she didn't ask God to cure her cancer (Oh, come now! She must have.) The article I just saw online said she was tolerant of gays; I can't remember now if NPR said that.

If NPR went into that much detail don't you think we're entitled to something here? If not, the Westboro article has it. For now.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 18:13, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

I think the protest should have its own subsection in this article. Fox, CNN, ABC, WRAL, and many other local and national news stations have been covering it. Roughly 1000 people are expected to show up and block the view of the Westboro Baptist Church parishoners from the Edwards family. --Willthacheerleader18 (talk) 18:17, 11 December 2010 (UTC)

5 showed up, but yes, there's been enough standalone coverage of Westboro Baptists to warrant an inclusion: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/11/national/main7140891.shtml Mosmof (talk) 01:25, 12 December 2010 (UTC)

← I reinstated mention of the protest, as it made no sense to talk only about a counterprotest without context, and the coverage of the Westboro threat was extensive before the funeral. But the details are unnecessary, given the fact that the threat was never realized. And no way this warrants anything more than a mention - in fact we might revisit this in a while to see if it remains notable. Tvoz/talk 08:42, 12 December 2010 (UTC)

Sounds fair.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 23:54, 12 December 2010 (UTC)

Use of term "hate-group"

It does not seem very encyclopedic to term the church a "hate-group" because they oppose gay marriage. We may not agree with their views or tactics, but it seems childish and desperate to throw sticks and stones. Their actions should speak for themselves. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.62.85.141 (talk) 13:07, 19 December 2010 (UTC)

The phrase is referenced, and relevant. Also, please read the wikilinked article.Tvoz/talk 08:08, 29 December 2010 (UTC)

When you intrude on funerals and cause the family of the deceased to suffer in order to further your cause, that certainly qualifies as hate. Yes that phrase should stay in. -- 98.245.148.9 (talk) 09:21, 30 December 2010 (UTC)

They are not considered a "hate group" just because of their oppostiton to gay marriage. Look at the Westboro Baptist Church article. They publically hate the LGBT community, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Mainline Protestantism, the United States government, the United States military, and many other groups and organizations. (They also supposedly hate African Americans.. also, interupting funerals with signs that say "GOD HATES ___" shows that they are a "hate group", the term should stay in the article. --Willthacheerleader18 (talk) 21:49, 30 December 2010 (UTC)

=What caused her breast cancer in the first place???

The article mentions she died of breast cancer but it doesn't give a suspected cause. I don't follow articles about her very much so I don't know the answer to this question, but doesn't fertility treatment run a risk of increased breast cancer??? If so, then wasn't her breast cancer possibly self-induced? I'm not a doctor - I don't know.