Readers — Did you know that until now, prisoners up for parole would automatically be turned down if they continued to “insist” they had not committed the crime? Using the dumbed-down, talk-show psychobabble that passes for truth in our justice system, proclaiming innocence was actually considered PROOF that the prisoners were in denial, hence, unrehabilitated. And so, those who maintained their innocence spent MORE TIME IN JAIL. Here’s the story from yesterday’s New York Times about it. Kudos to reporter Stephanie Clifford. And the Free-Range point? It’s a little around the bend,but here goes. We all know that when a…
Author: lskenazy
Readers — A playground in Seattle specially designed for kids with autism, cerebral palsy and other special needs was ordered destroyed by a bureaucrat (or bureaucrats) who declared it extremely dangerous…even though over the course of its 10 year history, no child was seriously injured on it. You can see some pictures from the playground on Reason.com, where I wrote about the case, pointing out that: The thing about kids with special needs is that they often have to spend a lot of time in less-than-fun institutions. Hospitals. Therapists’ offices. Waiting rooms. The “Wild Zone,” as the play area was…
Readers — Schools shootings are rare and random. They are also horrifying. When we hear about one, joy drains out of life for a while. It is into that vacuum that “solutions” rush in. The latest is a system of censors that supposedly can identify where a shot is coming from, should a madman enter a building. Made by Shooter Detection Systems in Massachusetts, the system can cost $20,000 to $100,000 per school. A grammar school in Methuen, Mass., was used on Veteran’s Day to demonstrate the product. As the Associated Press’ Philip Marcelo writes: In the live demonstration, the…
Readershttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qrCRPnqlmsPerhaps it had not yet occurred to you that without a black belt, you and your family might not survive holiday shopping. You poor, naive fools. See you in traction! Hi Blogger, Black Friday is just several weeks away and for many people this means heading out even earlier this year to get the best deals and steals. However, if history repeats itself, Black Friday can make people do some crazy things. Each year the news headlines tell stories of people being physically hurt over holiday gifts. As ridiculous as this sounds, Krav Maga Worldwide, a leading self-defense organization is…
Readers — A mom sent this to me after hearing my talk. (To book me, see my lenorespeaks.com page.) What I appreciate about this note is how hard it is to counter the constant fear we’ve been conditioned to feel, and how brave and bracing it is to start fighting back. — L. Dear Lenore — Really enjoyed your talk! You made me laugh a lot! You know I heard ur story a few yrs ago then seen the episode of Law and order [which featured a 9 year old who looked just like my son] and you are right…
Readers — Sometimes I feel compelled to document a fear that will either die a natural death from its unwieldiness, or become so pervasive no one will remember a time before we all believed it. In this case, from England, the fear is that any adult who chooses to be in proximity to children, no matter what the circumstances, is too dangerous to permit: A bird enthusiast made a 25-mile trip to see a falconry display at a family leisure park only to be told that single adults are banned — for fear of paedophiles. Married man Matthew Richards, 54,…
Lena, sex and cancer — clickbait? No. A real, Free-Range point: This week, two writers I love — Frank Furedi, the author of Paranoid Parenting (the 2002 book that decried helicopter parenting before anyone else) and Josh Gravens, a Soros Fellow dedicated to reforming the sex offender laws — both wrote about the Lena Dunham autobiography, in which the “Girls” creators admits to having been fascinated by her 1-year-old sister’s vagina when she was 7, and doing some stuff that is uncomfortable to read about. For this, some observers have branded her nothing short of a child abuser. But as…
Readers — Here’s an article from the Denton Record Chronicle in Denton County, Texas, about allowing voting into the schools when kids are there. Jennifer Travis, the mom who seems to have inspired the piece, normally votes by absentee ballot, I think. So when she had to vote on Election Day itself — Travis first needed to find where her precinct was located. During that search, she discovered that her son’s school, McMath Middle School, was a polling location, something of which she was not aware. Travis is concerned, as are others in Denton, over the use of a school…
Hi folks! This post comes to us from Jay P. Greene, the 21st Century Professor of Education Reform. at the University of Arkansas. It’s great to think that someone immersed in education reform is thinking about how important it is for kids to do things on their own, outside the classroom. Putting On a Show, by Jay P. Greene It was a staple of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland movies that kids from the neighborhood would get together to “put on a show.” Someone would get the curtains, someone would build the set, and — after some practice…
Here’s an Election Day screed — not by me. But I am with this mom, every word, and wondering if this is happening out by you, too. (I know I asked before, but I’m wondering how to find out if this is truly a growing trend. Anybody know? If so, it deserves more press!) For good effect, I’m re-running my “Strangers in the Schools” video, written by me, sung and produced by Deviant Ollam. Dear Free-Range Kids: I am currently in a Facebook dispute with the president of the PTO and other moms regarding whether we need to move the…