Newspaper Ad

Today's Daily Camera, my local newspaper, included this revolutionary ad.

Here in Boulder County more than 15% of permanent residents and 45% of college students regularly exceed these recommended alcohol limits.

The ad's linked website describes the health risks of excessive alcohol consumption, and includes a quiz on personal drinking habits and information on obtaining treatment. Not once but twice, it states that women who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are breastfeeding should not use alcohol and specifically lists brain damage as a health risk to the developing fetus.

Way to go, Boulder County!

A recent New York Times editorial, states that one in six Americans and over one in four young adults regularly binge drinks. In addition to the danger of accidents, alcohol poisoning, and liver and brain damage, young women are particularly vulnerable to resulting date rape, unplanned pregnancy, and giving birth to fetal alcohol-exposed babies (FASD).

Help spread the word about safe drinking.

Valued as Contributing Members of Society

Education in this country has set the wrong goal for our children. Yes, we should expect students to perform to the best of their ability. But for children with brain damage, grade-level proficiency in reading, writing, and math may not always be possible. Instead, we should be asking how we can help make all children contributing and respectful members of society.

This week I heard presentations by fifth grade reading groups--the ESL group, the special ed group, and the proficient and above reading groups. All had done their best to read a wonderful novel listed at 5.5 grade level. They were presenting projects on character arc, plot, symbolism, and theme.

Noteworthy, was the lack of respect some of these ten-year-olds showed toward the less proficient readers. Perhaps not out of purposeful malice, but from a sense of entitlement and lack of empathy. Why could these students not acknowledge and show empathy toward those they considered lesser?

Every child must be educated to make a positive contribution to society, sometimes that means developing skills other times it means developing understanding.