Caring for our Kids

O.K. this is a grandma blog. But let's think about Mark Foley. Everyone believes that this man did a really disgusting thing, betrayed the trust of his constituants and of young people. This issue has gotten into the swarmy political swamp. Democrats are gleeful and Republicans are apologetic.

Let's be real. Our politicians of both parties lie to us, protect their power, and are less than ethical, with the exception of a few. I think of Jimmy Carter, for one.

Having been a teacher for forty years, a parent of three, a grandparent of six, and a mentor of dozens of kids, I am aware that these things are not simple. I am enraged and greatly saddened everytime I read in the papers that yet another child has been killed at the hands of people who are meant to protect them. I am saddened that so many parents do not cherish and care for their kids. It is especially hard to think about situations in which our vulnerable children have been abused.

One of my sisters has a daughter now living in an abusive situation; I believe they call it the Stockholm syndrome, and she and the kids are hostage to the power of the man in the family. We try to wend our way through this, letting my niece know that she can call on us at any time

Another friend had a nanny who was abusive to her kids. She did not know this for a long time but it has marked them.

My daughter-in-law's father is now in prison for the abuses to his daughters. I think that so many of you out there have visceral knowledge of the abuse of power from an adult to a child.

In the United States we are still so weird and puritanical about sexual matters. We cannot speak of some things, yet we let our little girls be such sexual beings by dress and technology!

Maybe the sad case of Mark Foley will get a dialog going. Here was a lonely guy who didn't have the requisite family and he wanted the affirmation of youth? We fall back on religious stuff, but I always wonder if our religions protest too much?

I am suspect of politicians who have no visible family! How can they know about what it is to love to distraction their kids and grandkids?


There are so many terrible abuses our young have to endure! So many of our kids were abused by priests in their Catholic schools, many others by their families. What are we to think?