Bryan sends along this video from New Jersey in honor of International Walk and Roll to School day, which is TODAY!
Steve
DEM
Stationary Dave
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Jeff
KC Boyce
FM Fats
FM Fats
AnotherRick
Toml
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AnotherRick
Margaret
Steve
The dog walking comment makes no sense.
Lol. I thought the same thing.
Interesting in many ways. I noticed that the video was sponsored by what seemed to be a government group but feel free to correct me. Most of the kids featured might be middle school or younger. Once kids reach high school age, they want to drive to school (although not with their parents). Very few kids bike or skate to high school but I do see quite a few that either walk or take the bus. Would they rather drive their own cars or ride with friends? Oh yeah baby!
But when you think about it, the same can be said for most adults, even in the City of Decatur. Very few of us walk or ride to work and if we do occasionally walk, it’ s because of some program like this that is promoted at the schools, much like recycling, global warming, or the latest propaganda, “No Place For Hate” (and I use the word propaganda in a neutral way as in “trying to influence public opinion”).
So another fluff piece. These things come and go, as many veteran parents, who have experienced these programs over a course of ten or more years understand. But walking to school has its benefits, especially for high school students. You can stop by Starbucks and get a blah blah grande supreme or go to Chick-fil-A (now that parents SAY they are boycotting the company) and get a delicious chicken burrito breakfast. Worth the walk!
One of the best things about Decatur is that the teens and mature preteens can pretty much walk anywhere (WITH permission, guys, and IF I know where you are at all times). It gives them independence, makes Mom feel less like a chauffeuse, reduces traffic and emissions, and takes off the pressure to allow teens to drive before they are truly ready. The robberies lately are giving me pause (but that’s why you are supposed to be walking WITH SOMEONE, guys.) but so far the DPD has been able to reassure me that they are random, not a pattern of preying on children/teens. Starbucks, Greene’s, Dancing Goats, and all the yogurt places are my preference for hanging out vs. on the Square. I still have hanging out on the Square issues.
If you take a longer view of history, the mobility of kids and teens has only been reduced in the last couple of generations, as suburban sprawl created the necessity for cars to get to anything. Prior to car dependence, kids and teens were able to get out and explore the entire world on foot or bike, not just their gated residential communities.
In suburban communities of modern times, kids are now dependent on their parents to drive them to the mall or to a friends house or to 7/11 by an adult. In terms of geographic mobility they are not much more independent than an infant.
So a conservative-minded person ought to look at this movement towards car dependence as a progressive intrusion on traditional ways of life, which were developed over millenia, and this change represents a negative impact on human development from childhood through the teens.
I mention this only because you self-identify on here as a conservative, and I thought I’d suggest a different perspective on what kind of teen behavior is “traditional” vs. “progressive”.
As At Home said, in Decatur we have a built environment that allows our kids and teens to access much more than just their residential neighborhoods without being delivered by adults – they can walk or ride to school, the Square, meet up at Greene’s or Oakhurst Market (ala the Happy Days of conservative lore), or as you noted, CFA and Starbucks. I think our kids will be better off than their suburban counterparts for having this additional mobility and independence. I think it’s a good thing, and I think so because it is a traditional thing.
If it’s a government group sponsoring this global thing, I agree with you. I don’t like government efforts to reinforce conservative social traditions.
Thank TR. It is a rare occasion that I respond to someone on any blog. Usually it is to say I agree with them but today, I want to congratulate you on a well-written post. I am always amazed as to how well many of the DM posters construct their thoughts. Yours is so well stated that I will award you the first ever, “MOC Four” rating (MOC equals mean old’ conservative). I would award you a final point except that you left off your real name. If so, a big MOC5 for you. if I were in a different mood, I might write something about how it takes a certain amount of courage to use your real name but really, it’s smart to use an alias. I sometimes dream (really nightmare) that if President Obama wins reelection, someone might suggest that “There is this really outstanding former teacher in Decatur Georgia you should consider for Secretary of Education” but all anyone has to do is google my name and find out I don’t belong in the Obama administration. Oh Well. Maybe I’ll get lucky and another candidate will win.
But one more thing. You use the phrase”…in Decatur we built an environment…”. Not sure what you mean by this. Way too many of our current residents believe that if not for very recent developments, like the restaurants, bars, art galleries, festivals, bike paths, strategic planning meetings and all the other bread and circus like entertainments, Decatur would be just another sleepy old Southern town. I don’t think so. Decatur was a great place to live and raise a family long before both you and I arrived and if future generations are lucky, will be a great place fifty years from now.
What I learned from more than thirty years of teaching in our schools was not that I accomplished much (I don’t think I did) but that I didn’t make any major screwups that damaged the institution. My advice to you, and all the other know-it-alls is, don’t screw this town up for the next generation.
Chris, I’m Tim Russell from Adams St – you and I have met before when you brought the rake-and-run crew through. I think the world of you, so hopefully you doidnt take my reply the wrong way.
I actually said (or meant to say) “the built environment that we have”, i.e. the physical layout and buildout of our town. I take no credit for this. As someone recently said, I didn’t build that.
Anyway, I’m usually posting from my iPhone so sometimes the message gets a little screwed up. I’m working on it.
Wow, Chris Billingsley.
So, encouraging kids to exercise by walking to school when they can and teaching them not to bully kids that are a little bit different (the “No Place for Hate” campaign) is just “propoganda” and that stuff like this just might “screw this town up for the next generation?”
Thanks for saying what I was thinking.
There’s nothing like erroneous, unsolicited advice.