Who here is in favor of sex trafficking? Didn’t think so. Me neither. You can be against that crime without using it for political grandstanding and cruel policies. But not, apparently, if you are in the U.S. Congress. In a blistering editorial, the L.A. Times writes: After rousing themselves from the 30-plus-year bad trip that was the war on drugs — or rather, the war on drug users — many Americans in and out of elected office looked around for someone else to persecute. Someone, somewhere, must be so depraved and hateful that liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans could…
Author: lskenazy
Storyteller Tom Shillue ponders exactly the children’s rhyme I have been thinking a lot about lately, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” It’s annoying that I have to add a caveat here that I do not endorse bullying. (Come on — who does?) (Besides some presidential candidates, I mean.) But I do endorse encouraging our kids to shrug off some of the stupid and/or unkind behavior they encounter. Shillue’s analogy — inoculation — is one I use, too: Once kids see they can deal with a bit of sturm und drang and pop…
Having just watched a 1960s-era video clip of a New Guinea toddler teaching himself how to use a machete, I am even more impatient with our current day culture that insists on seeing every child activity as a brush with death. Consider this insane news report, sent to us by alert commenter Alisha, in Arizona. As KVOA reports: Catalina High School addresses student encounters with a stranger TUCSON – A case of stranger danger at Catalina High School has administrators taking action. Two girls said they were approached by the same man near campus a few weeks ago, so a…
A truly horrible event occurred in Sheboygan, WI, the other night: Parents were out at what is said to have been bible study while their four kids — 11, 10, 9 and 7 — were home. A fire broke out. The Sheboygan Press reports that one child escaped. The oldest, Natalie, went back in to get the younger ones and she died, as did her 7 year old brother. Their 10 year old brother is in critical condition:. “Very preliminary information is that the 11-year-old was able to wake the 9-year-old and give a warning to flee the residence. The…
Who among us dares to polka fun at this near tragedy? According to Harold Reutter at the Grand Island Independent, in Grand Island, NE: Accordion causes school evacuation A suspicious package that resulted in the evacuation of approximately 900 students and staff members from Walnut Middle School Wednesday afternoon turned out to be an accordion inside a box. Capt. Robert Falldorf of the Grand Island Police Department said a staff member spotted the box in the band room, but could not recall seeing it there before. The staff member did not think the box looked like it held any kind…
What does a revolutionary look like? I can’t tell exactly — I can only see this one from behind. But I echo his proud mama’s Facebook post: . I’m so proud, I could cry! Pascal spoke before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was clear, calm, and articulate. He received many kudos from the senators. Our videographer only caught the tail of the speech so here’s the whole thing, in writing. “My name is Pascal and I am 9 and a half years old. How are we kids supposed to learn responsibility if we can’t do anything for ourselves?If there is…
Like the sign says, “Play to have Fun” kids! Just make sure to take frequent breaks so you don’t get too tuckered out from all that non-running. And leave yourself plenty of time for snacks: playground rules And — hmm: They may get diabetes, but they sure are safe from running and bouncing! .
Remember: All men are evil, all kids are in danger. That’s all you need to know: Dear Free Range Kids, I am so angry right now I’m shaking. I hope I’m able to make sense. My children are enrolled in “Homeschool Swim” on Friday mornings at our local park district athletic club. Before and after class, they change in the appropriate gender designated changing room. There are family changing rooms, but they are always in use at the time we arrive and leave. There are classes for retirees going on at the same time, so many of the women use…
Terrified about the possibility of snow day-induced “amnesia,” Washington, D.C., schools sent home extra packets of homework on Friday. (Just how truly are the students absorbing their material if it evaporates quicker than a snowflake?) What irks me about this “School work uber alles” mentality is the idea that kids who are simply playing for a few days have taken time away from learning — when it seems obvious that they ARE learning. In the snow they learn how to build, melt, forge ahead, organize a game, decorate a snowman, work together, calculate the trajectory of a snowball — you…
Is there a war on parents in Rhode Island? Recall that this is the state that once wanted to make it illegal for a child under age 12 to get off the school bus unless an adult was waiting there to walk the child home. (That bill was eventually scrapped.) Then there was the bill considered just a couple of weeks ago that would make it illegal to let a child under age 7 wait in the car, under penalty of the state revoking the parent’s license for THREE YEARS. That one is still in play. Now comes THIS LAW…