Over the Hedge by T Lewis and Michael Fry for April 12, 2015

Paranoia around every corner, and folks think Hammy is squirrely?

Grade school 1/2 mile to and fro, jr high 1mile to and fro and then they said we still need gym class after hiking just to get there !……..We have the 4 seasons here in western PA.

Back when I was a kid, I walked 5 miles to school, uphill, both ways…

In case anyone missed it, the news recently told of a couple who where arrested for child endangerment for letting their kids walk to school unattended.

A lot of it can be traced back to the wide-spread introduction of “Stranger Danger” public service announcements and “education” programs, convincing parents and children that there are kidnappers and perverts lurking behind every bush, waiting for an opportunity. This ignores that fact that the vast majority of abductions and molestations are committed by someone the child already knows.There was one case of a lost 11-year-old Scout who avoided rescue searchers because he was afraid they wanted to ‘steal him’.http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8331335/

nice commentary on the social issue…..Hammy has it right…gasp!

Has anyone noticed the kid resembles Dora the Explorer? rather than strangers, I’d be concerned about a talking backpack, or a child who speaks to no one in particular.

I love it, just like the two kids back east whose parents are fighting the local government to allow their kids to walk home from school.

news media are really to blame for this. the fear of amber alerts, stranger danger, etc…When did americans become so fearful? We landed on the moon, we conquered the high seas, and climbed the highest mountain. Now, we are afraid of our shadows. We are afraid of other religions. We are afraid vaccines. We are afraid of learning and education. Why are we afraid?

“June the 4th, 1984, was much like any other summer’s day in Peterborough. Ralph Mellish, a file clerk at an insurance agency, was on his way to work as usual when…..

NOTHING happened!" Dun dun DUUUUNNNN!

GASP!!

One day our oldest son didn’t show up when the school bus dropped the kids off after school. This was first or second grade. Mom took off in the car looking for him. Found him about a mile away just walking along. He said it was a nice day so he decided to walk.

Imagine the commotion if Hammy had stayed in his ‘human child’ disguise for longer..

How did they survive? Never mind that, e.g., quite few of them were abusive and perpetuated more abuse, ended up in “insane asylums” (mental hospitals), had alcohol problems, committed suicide (though people like my great-granddad clearly don’t count to you), etc.?

Lenore Skenazy would be proud. :)

Now those same parents are accused of the heinous crime of allowing their children to, gulp, play in a park alone. Will the abuse never end?