Friday, June 10, 2011

Friday's Odds and Ends

Okay, who doesn't care about Weiner's wiener? Raise your hand. So glad to see all my friends and family waving madly.

Ack! Tell me it isn't true. The latest news report says Texas Governor Rick Perry is ready to launch a White House campaign. As my husband said, "O goody, now he can screw up the other 49 states."

Police in Kansas City, MO, are treating the death of an 18-month-old boy who drowned in a bathtub as a potential homicide, after a 5-year-old girl told social workers that she held him under water to stop his crying. Police said the girl, who was left with other children in the care of a teenager, was considered a possible suspect in the toddler's death last week, raising complicated legal questions about how a court could proceed with a case against such a young suspect.

I have nothing snarky to say about that. It is just a horrible tragedy, and I am glad I am not the person having to decide how to handle the case. How could a five-year-old even know what she was doing?

A recent column by Leonard Pitts quoted the results of a study of Historical Illiteracy that found that a majority of college seniors could not identify the words of the Gettysburg Address, and they didn't know the significance of Valley Forge. His column was in response to Sarah Palin's gaffe regarding Paul Revere and his infamous ride. The point that Leonard made so well is that, as a nation, Americans are poorly educated when it comes to history. Classes in history are no longer required at a lot of the nation's top schools.

Leonard ends his column by highlighting some of the most important events in history and writing, "And we allow all that to be forgotten at our own peril. How can our children write the next chapter of a story they don't even know?"

I have nothing to say to that, either. Leonard said it all.

9 comments:

LuAnn said...

Considering a child doesn't understand the dangers or consequences of running out into traffic until the age of 6, I'm sure a 5 year old doesn't understand drowning.

(Waving frantically!)

Maryannwrites said...

Waving back at you, LuAnn. And I agree about the child not understanding. Some in the justice system are also saying that she probably did not understand drowning. Sad, sad, circumstance.

Paul said...

I think Perry wants to extend the 121 toll road outside of Texas :O

Laura Eno said...

I want to know why the babysitter left the 18 mo old in the bathtub? Aside from that, a homicide charge on a 5 yr old is ludicrous.
You don't care about Weiner's wiener?! That cracked me up. Thanks for the laugh.

Helen Ginger said...

Don't get me started, Maryann! If Palin is ever elected President, she'll just order history books to be rewritten, showing that Revere did indeed ride on his horse ringing bells to warn the British. And if Perry won the presidency, what would that cost America? Texans have been paying, I believe, $150,000 every month for him to live in a mansion while the Governor's mansion is being rebuilt - for three years now.

I warned you...don't get me started.

Maryannwrites said...

LOL, Paul. Good one.

Laura, glad I could provide a laugh. When I first heard the news report, I thought it was a joke.

Helen, I think the rent Perry is paying is $10,000 a month, but that is still way too much. You're in Austin, aren't you? Have you heard the comments floating there that he had the fire set so he could move out of the heart of the city? My son who lives in Austin said he has heard that comment more than once. Not that he is espousing it, just relating that he heard it. LOL

Carol Kilgore said...

Very sad about the five-year old and about no history classes. I'll be surprised if Perry really runs. And I heard there's going to be a Wiener roast.

Mike said...

It is $10K, and I started the rumor that Perry torched the mansion so he did not have to live in Austin with all its liberal Dems. And, actually, the bill is now 9925 a month. When the publisher of a food magazine that the Perry's subscribed to (on the taxpayer's dime) found out that it was being paid for by the state, they either comped the subscription as a gift to Texas or cancelled (can't remember which).

Maryannwrites said...

Well, Mike, you old troublemaker. LOL

And Carol, I cracked up at the Weiner roast. I'm not sure I will ever be able to eat a hot dog again.