Some in our society bemoan the low literacy rates--heck, the apparent lower interest in the the enterprise of reading itself. We've got rising obesity and diabetes among the young, along with who knows what other "conditions" psychiatrists and psychologists have yet to "diagnose." Children don't play outside as much (this is a battle in my own house), many appear to be regularly incurious about the world. What to be done? What to be done, frets the English teacher.
Why not, starting with the president all the way down to mayors, tell parents and children not to buy video game systems, hold off for a while on buying that movie or TV show on DVD, let the cable bill lapse for a month or two; don't add another song to the ipod for a month. Instead, buy a new board game, plan several trips to a park, go to the library and borrow some books to read aloud. Notice I did not say that the government should ban video games, DVDs, cable TV and such. That would be unconstitutional (Heavens!), and create a black market for such goods that would only increase their desirability. No, I would just like our leaders to give consumerism the bird and strongly recommend that people do something to enrich family life and give their children something that has lasting value. Perhaps parents would find that beyond loving their children, they actually enjoy them.
Why not, starting with the president all the way down to mayors, tell parents and children not to buy video game systems, hold off for a while on buying that movie or TV show on DVD, let the cable bill lapse for a month or two; don't add another song to the ipod for a month. Instead, buy a new board game, plan several trips to a park, go to the library and borrow some books to read aloud. Notice I did not say that the government should ban video games, DVDs, cable TV and such. That would be unconstitutional (Heavens!), and create a black market for such goods that would only increase their desirability. No, I would just like our leaders to give consumerism the bird and strongly recommend that people do something to enrich family life and give their children something that has lasting value. Perhaps parents would find that beyond loving their children, they actually enjoy them.
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