kids - Andy Arthur.org

Across New York State, bigger and meaner children are stealing the lunch money from smaller and weaker children. It happens every school day, and while it may not be fair or right, it’s likely to continue for the forseeable future. As it would be almost impossible to stop — we should do next best thing — license schoolyard bullies.

Licensing schoolyard bullies could bring in a sizable portion of revenue to the state. Nobody knows how much lunch money is stolen every year, but figuring there are millions of kids in Public Schools, there is the potential for millions of untapped revenue. Licensing schoolyard bullies could be a potential goldmine to tap to reduce the state’s yearly deficit.

Understanding the problem of bulling in schools, the state could dedicate a portion of funds coming from licensing and taxing bullies go to bullying prevention. A 50% tax on profits by school bullies could do a lot for all children. It would make the bullying business theoretically less profitable, and discourage bullying. It also would provide funds to monitor the actions of bullies to ensure that actions are appropiate — extracting funds from weaker children — while making sure their actions aren’t too abusive or harmful.

The fact is we are never going to get away from bigger and mean kids bullying weaker kids, and stealing their lunch money. It’s just part of growing up for the most unlucky of children. Yet, if this insitution is to exist, then at least their should be a kind of public function to schoolyard thief of lunch money, specifically funding of government.

… and remember, school yard bullies are not organized, and are too young to vote.

Everybody knows Halloween is a fun holiday for kids, to get out, meet some of their neighbors and have a good time in the fall. Giving out candy when visiting neighbor’s houses inspires community and less of a fear of neighbors.

Too often today our society has become isolated from one individual to another. Halloween is one such chance to get back together, and spend sometime as a community talking to our neighbors. At least for one night a year, the people you live so closely to are not so isolated from your life.

I do not understand why the religious right is so anti-Halloween. It’s a fun holiday, one more about community then the worship of daemons or fears. It’s meant to peak one’s sweet tooth at least for one night, and enjoy some candy. Most kids do not know or understand why they dress up and knock on neighbor’s doors, but the sense of community it brings is invaluable.

It is more concerning how some adults choose to partake of this holiday. Some older people now want to join kids in the celebration of the holiday. These big kids, often go tricker-treating or have parties. But shouldn’t adults have enough community experience, and know their neighbors well enough to not need to celebrate the holiday.

There also needs to be a de-commercialization of the holiday. Too often, it’s easy to get a Halloween costume for $20 or $30 dollars from a store, in about any commercially popular character that you want. All made out of toxins, proudly imported by China. Reinforcing commercial messages, encouraging children to excessively consume.

All in all, this high-fructose corn syrup holiday is a fun diversion from our everyday life. It’s a great chance for our young to meet our neighbors, and learn that they are not the scary people that the mass-media so often portrays them to be.