Below are excerpts from Frida Barrigan\u2019s piece<\/p>\n
\u201cShould We Shield our Kids from a Violent World?\u201d<\/p>\n
For the full article: http:\/\/wagingnonviolence.org\/feature\/should-children-remain-blissfully-unaware-of-the-violent-world-around-them\/<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ———————————————————————–<\/p>\n \u201cSince she entered kindergarten last fall, our violent and unpredictable world has pressed in close. In December, a young man armed to the teeth\u00a0massacred<\/a>\u00a020 kids and six adults at an elementary school less than 80 miles from our town. Just last week, two heavily armed young men\u00a0detonated<\/a>\u00a0bombs at the Boston Marathon\u2019s finish line killing three and injuring hundreds. Our plan was to be right there, too . . . cheering our friend as she finished the 26.2-mile course\u201d (6).<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then, of course, a little further away is the daily dose of violence wrapped in plastic and delivered to our door every morning\u2014killing in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq; saber-rattling and threats of war on the Korean peninsula; death and destruction from West Texas to Dhaka, Bangladesh; the random and not so random brutality displayed in inner cities and suburbs throughout our country; the grind of poverty, racism and sexism; the looming threats posed by cataclysmic climate change, nuclear weapons proliferation and environmental destruction. The list goes on and on\u201d (7).<\/p>\n \u201cCan I protect her from all of this? Should I?\u201d (8).<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as I know, Rosena does not know about the Sandy Hook massacre or the Boston bombing\u2014she is blissfully unaware. And despite my own youthful exposure to the dark side, I think that is a good thing\u201d (14).<\/p>\n \u201cLots of kids don\u2019t have the luxury of being shielded from tragedy and deprivation. Almost 17 million kids in this country are\u00a0hungry<\/a>. Every hour,\u00a084 kids<\/a>\u00a0end up in a U.S. emergency room as the result of violence perpetrated against them. And there is no \u201cwar\u201d on our urban streets and suburban cul-de-sacs. The picture is equally grim (or worse) outside of our borders\u2014every five seconds,\u00a0a child dies<\/a>\u00a0of hunger somewhere in the world\u201d (15).<\/p>\n \u201cI want Rosena to know all of this and feel it too. I want her grow up compassionate and empathetic. I want her to work for justice and peace. I want her to be curious about people and empowered to help them. She already is and those impulses will grow and mature with time. But, right now, I just want her to be six years old\u2014innocent, lucky, happy and horse mad\u201d (16).<\/p>\n ———————————————————————————————<\/p>\n The author begs the question: Should parents shield their children from the plethora of day to day violence? Weigh in and let us know what you think!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Below are excerpts from Frida Barrigan\u2019s piece \u201cShould We Shield our Kids from a Violent World?\u201d For the full article: http:\/\/wagingnonviolence.org\/feature\/should-children-remain-blissfully-unaware-of-the-violent-world-around-them\/ ———————————————————————– \u201cSince she entered kindergarten last fall, our violent and unpredictable world has pressed in close. In December, … Continue reading