Who's Taking Care of the Kids?

I grew up in a golden era for children. As a member of the Baby Boom Generation, I was one of the privileged. TV shows and toys were manufactured especially for us. We could play outside all day, ride bikes or throwing balls, with no fear of being kidnapped. We didn't have to worry about food tainted by chemicals or the threat of terrorist attacks. There was the possibility of a nuclear attack from the U.S.S.R., but most of the time that threat was far-off and unrealistic. Not all kids had it so good. There was still poverty and child abuse. Still, overall, it was a great time to be a kid.

This fall has not been very kind to children. Bush vetoed their health insurance bill and Congress failed to override the veto. School bus accidents and abandonments on school buses seem to be a weekly occurence. And on Saturday children were forcibly vaccinated. Children who already are required to have more shots than my generation ever was.

Have you ever read the ingredients they put in vaccines? Animal blood. Formaldehyde. MSG. One list said they use aborted human fetal tissue. That's what we're injecting into our children. The needle is the least of their worries.

That's one of the challenges childen face. They also suffer because we expect them to grow up too fast. Sometimes, tragically, they oblige. Three boys--ages 8 and 9--raped an 11 year old girl recently. There is something very wrong in a society where this kind of thing can happen.