WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN

     Much of the media today portrays adults as acting no better nor more mature than the kids of middle school. Actually, that was a misstatement, at least with regard to the adults in the news, for these adults are more like lethal kindergartners who seemingly have never before seen the inside of a kindergarten class or gone through the socialization process within such a class.
     What is most unfortunate is that these oversized kindergartners carry a fearsome power and have the potential to do great things or terrible things, to cause either benefit or harm to so many.
So what do we say to an overgrown child who rants and raves, who takes his perceived marbles and goes home, constantly, all the while blaming others for his failures and lack of a trusted circle of friends? What do we say when this tantrum prone kindergartner manages to scare the pants off of so many classmates, coercing and frightenng them into negative behavior? What do we say when this kindergartner amasses a group of supporters who bring out the worst in mankind, spread hatred and violence throughout their sphere of action?
     Truth to tell, this appears to be way above my pay grade! At least normal kiddies tend to listen to the teacher, to wiser voices, but these "kids" just roll not so merrily along. And their rhetoric becomes more and more extreme and even the "good" kids begin to fall into the same slime as the others. Where and how does this end? You tell me, for I do not see any sign of such a move.
     Omar makes a statement re 9/11 that can definitely be interpreted as making excuses for the terrorists who murdered almost 3,000 people and rocked the nation back on its heels. Yet Democratic candidates and the party seem to back her up, denying that she meant that. It is what I said yesterday - the need to show that oh, no, we are not anti Islam, - leads to terrible statements and behavior as we bend over backwards for this. What she said was wrong. Period! If she did not mean it, then let her clarify what she did mean and why she phrased it this way. Her statement  - "Violent rhetoric and all forms of hate speech have no place in our society.... We are all Americans. This is endangering lives. It has to stop."  Well said, but I do believe she needs to look in the mirror and then examine the words that came from her own mouth re Jews and their loyalties and citizenship and Israel. Tit for tat, Ilhan!!
     These seemingly adult people trade insults in a round of a malignant version of the dozens, earning no good for the country and in fact, harming it further. What kind of idiocy is it for one official to call the opponents of her beliefs and actions, basically idiots, lacking intelligence, unable to function. Remember, there are many distinguished people in Congress and while there are also fools and evil people, what is with this namecalling? It derives and takes energy from the mouth of the "leader' who spouts childish and nasty rhymes all the time. Babies!! Lethal babies!!
     Yet there is also an innocence and a goodness that comes with real kindergartners, right along with some of their childish cruelty. But here, there ae no redeeming features. Where and how can we find the positive in plans to dump people as if they were trash, to look forward to seeing children and adults die of disease, lack of medical care, lack of sanitation, lack of food and water? How do we mesh the picture of an official of the administration makig a fuss over a Venezuelan immigrant refugee fleeing danger in his homeland, running to Columba, even as we torment those same kind of refugee immigrants coming into our country from the threats and dangers of life in Central American countries? How do we justify cutting off food to American kids, trashing their education, and slashing medical care for them and their families? And yet, we do. We certainly do.
     Today we have a supposed leader who throws all under the bus or out the window until he finds another mind as warped as his. We find violations of the balance of powers set up by our Constitution. We find, today, shamefully and dangerously so, attacks on "others" whose otherness is determined by troglodytes, by pea brains, so Jews are attacked, churches are burned, an African American student at Columbia is manhandled when the whole thing could have been avoided and certainly toned down. 
     When does school really get down to the nitty gritty and train these vile kindergartners, point them in the right direction, assure them that the people who report on their misdeeds are doing the right thing for otherwise they will never learn the proper path through life, nor understand their misdeeds. And their good deeds.
     I am ever so grateful that my professional career was spent mainly with middle schoolers for they were certainly far more malleable, able to see the differences between right and wrong when taught this discernment. They were able to modify their behavior and that of others and do so in the right way, not via threats and force. Where and when can we expect our kindergarten adults to grow up, for their behavior is neither cute nor appealing in any way. In fact,it is dangerous and yes, even revolting.
     Remember the poster and the plaque which said that you learned all that you need to know in life while in kindergarten? Well, obviously this did not take in these students, so let us leave them back, refuse to pass them, and reteach them, guide them into proper behavior, proper thinking, recognizing the humanity of others and the necessity of keeping the room clean, the behavior fair, and the thoughts constructive rather than destructive. Tall order, At this point, I feel it is almost an impossible order.
     Welcome to Kindergarten 101 for a remedial year..