Sexuality part of life, Dr. Ruth says
World-renowned sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer says sexuality is simply a part of life and must be included with other important issues of the day.
That's the message she brings to the 28th year of Renaissance Weekend, which runs through Thursday at Charleston Place.
The non-partisan family retreat, founded and hosted by Philip Lader, former U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James, brings together Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and other innovative leaders for discourse on issues such as religion, politics and science.
Lader, chairman of the media and advertising company WPP plc and a partner in the Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough law firm, stated in a news release that the weekend is a cross-generational conversation among accomplished individuals with widely divergent perspectives.
Previous stories
Renaissance Weekend to tackle contemporary issues, published 12/29/07
Want to talk God, or maybe guitar? World leaders weigh profound topics, some less so at Renaissance, published 12/30/07
"Civility prevails, partisanship is frowned upon and commercialism is banned," he stated.
Westheimer is one of about 1,200 people in town for the event, said she's been attending for the past 15 years. Every year she holds a session on relationships for 13- to 16-year-olds, who came to the event with their parents.
Although her session is about relationships, she said, "The kids know they can ask me about sex."
Besides the session where she makes presentations on sexuality, Westheimer said she attends panels and seminars on topics that have nothing to do with psychology.
She especially makes sure she attends those that deal with the Middle East.
Mike McConnell, the U.S. director of National Intelligence, said he's attended sessions on neuroscience, physics and chemistry.
The sessions, though complex, are understandable, he said, because "they make them speak English."
McConnell said he was on five panels on intelligence and national security, and all of them had a huge audience.
People in general want to know if terrorism is a real threat to the country, he said.
McConnell said it is. The intelligence community every day uncovers terrorist threats, stops them and prevents them from recurring, he said.
Because most of the work is done in secret, the public doesn't know about the successes, he said. But "everybody knows about our failure."
Stopping such threats "takes a commitment of resources and support from the public," he said. And the Renaissance event gives him an opportunity to get that message out.
Also attending was Ken Sorensen, former adviser and speech writer for President John Kennedy, who helped pen the inaugural address that encouraged listeners to "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
Today, Sorensen is making a presentation that compares President-elect Barack Obama's campaign and election to Kennedy's.
Obama, just like Kennedy, is about to take the lead of a country that's been adrift for eight years, Sorensen said. And Obama is facing domestic and international problems similar to those Kennedy faced.
"What Kennedy offered the country on Jan. 20, 1961, was hope," Sorensen said. "On Jan. 20, 2009, Obama will offer hope."
In addition to discussion of serious issues, the event gives participants time to relax and have some fun.
Westheimer said she makes a point to go out dancing while she's here.
"It's wonderful to be Dr. Ruth," she said. "There's always someone willing to dance with me."
Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
This article has 8 comment(s)
Posted by NativeSon on December 31, 2008 at 4:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We need Dr. Ruth to tell us that "sexuality is part of life"?
We know that.
What we need is for the stiff shirts to come down off their high horses and realize that it is OK to be nude around others in a non-sexual way.
Posted by abitskeptical on December 31, 2008 at 5:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is one of those articles that, well, where does one start? Dr. Ruth isn't even the beginning.
I'll use self-restraint since I know I shouldn't get going on this--I might be like a run away train. Can't do that this morning--the only reason I'm up right now is to get my daughter to the airport for her return to school. But, boy oh boy, this would be fun.
Posted by Neponset on December 31, 2008 at 5:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dr. Ruth has lived an interesting life, but it doesn’t sound like she is a MD (She earned a master's degree in sociology from Columbia University and an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University. She completed post-doctoral work in human sexuality at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. She is multilingual, speaking English, German, French, and Hebrew.) (From Wikipedia).
Sex sells and Dr. Ruth has been in that business for a long time.
Posted by Leica_Guy on December 31, 2008 at 7:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
JFK's speechwriter and "intellectual blood bank" was TED Sorenson, not Ken.
His comparison of Eisenhower's eight years and the finally-about-to-be-ending disaster of The C Student from Yale seems a bit off the mark, reflecting either excessive negativity toward Ike or undeserved charity toward the latest Bush. Be that as it may, here's to a fine 2009...
Posted by theronce on December 31, 2008 at 7:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I was wondering what school this doc learned about sexuality. I would think that upon reflection realizing she herself actually does exist, then she could conclude that sexuality is ok. You may mail my degree to me, thank you (as I am busy watching the spider in the corner of the ceiling). On the other topic, she must have failed history. You can compare apples and oranges, you know, and come up with some common traits. It's disingenuous or ignorance to closely liken the elections and times of Kennedy and Obama. I suspect that Kennedy and Obama would have butted heads more often than not.
Posted by yird on December 31, 2008 at 4:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How sad that so many in today's society are enthralled by the anointed ones.
Of course diminishing their importance brings on allegations of being a knuckle dragging neanderthal with no culture.
Thank you, I accept that envied position graciously and see no benefit to these folk being here on their mission of grandiose self promotion, save for the fact they do spend some money here on food, lodging, and so on.
Posted by walleyedwoman1215 on December 31, 2008 at 7:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Theronce, your posts are spot-on AND witty. Confession: Dr. Ruth has always given me the creeps, and I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's so unsettling to hear an apple-cheeked, 4 foot 9 inch granny with an Old World accent talk about... Lord, I can't even say the words.
Posted by rollo on December 31, 2008 at 8:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What WOULD we do without "experts"?