>What's with throwing "compassion" around like
>it's a dirty word?

The problem is not compassion as a "dirty word" (which nobody said) the problem is the misuse of the word as if it is a catch-phrase, and, therefore, starts to become meaningless. Also, imho, someone would be better helped to be compassionate, if he or she understood the TRUE meaning behind that word.

>If there was more compassion
>in the world it would
>be a much better place
>in my opinion.

Mine too! which is why I brought up the defintion of "compassion."
>
>I don't know why, but I
>often have exactly the opposite
>impression of some of the
>same SO ladies many of
>you posters seem to vehemently
>hate.

I do not believe this to be the case.

Maybe it's because
>I have a different perspective
>as a man?

That's possible. Maybe everyone here has a unique perspective based on life stories, too.

(For
>example--I don't know what everyone's
>beef is with Allisham as
>you all call her.

Since I've never called her that, I'll take a crack at it. I've always said "Allison." My problem with Allison was that I felt she needed much more psychological help than the SOH could give her. That it was unfair of the SOH to bring her back. The first time Allison was on the show? I was interested in her story. She was interesting. This was a TV show, after all. The second time Allison came back to the SOH? -- I don't know--she smacked of being a reality TV fake glory-hound who lost a lot of genuineness from the first-time around. Allison went from appearing as a woman with real problems to a woman wanting to act on a Reality TV show. When she appeared on-screen, everything about her said, "Acting." That could be why others refer to her as a sham, in her name. Allison, the second time around seemed disingenuous, or "a sham."(Anyone who disagrees here, please correct me)

When Allison went so far as to resist her second graduation (the coveted Starting Over goal) to pout in her bedroom and not want to leave and face the real world? I found that--well, -- beyond a little disturbing. Her behavior was what I found disturbing. Not her life story. Not her illness. Her behavior. Her second time in the house downgraded Allison from "interesting" to "embarrassing."

>I liked her and felt
>"compassion" for her story.
>I've also survived catastrophic illness,
>so again maybe I have
>a different perspective, but I
>digress...)

I have survived a catastropic car accident, illness, and critical condition in my lifetime. It's interesting that I still felt that Allison was fake. --Huh. Interesting.

>It's a moral dilema to be
>sure--definitely not something you can
>make a snap, cut and
>dry judgement about.

In real life. True. On these boards? Fair game. One of the reasons that I come onto these boards is because I don't do this in real life. Hey! Everyone needs a place to vent, right?