Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….
- Decisions, Decisions – SMBC September 29, 2011 – (Insert comment about certain political parties here …)
- BBC News – Harewood Junior School bans leather footballs from playground – (Facepalm)
- Google Maps Launches Helicopter View of Your Route – That’s very cool.
- Iranian Christian pastor accused of ‘apostasy’ must be released | Amnesty International USA – I object when Christians persecute or harass (or attack or kill) non-Christians. I am, for the record, just as vehement against the reverse.
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You’ve never been smacked in the face by a leather football. Trust me it hurts even as an adult. Plus they break windows.
So do baseballs. So do basketballs and footballs (American style). So do golf balls. I’m not questioning that they can hurt (and break glasses, and windows, etc.). I’m questioning that the added safety of replacing them with Nerf Balls is worth it.
And don’t forget paper cuts; they sting like crazy! Clearly paper is too dangerous to allow in schools. Pencils too: those things are sharp! Ooh, I’ve caught my fingers in three-ring binders. Ban them!
If we try to eliminate children’s exposure to anything that can cause injury, we will have to seal them in bubbles. Better, I think, to let them experience the occasional minor injury and learn from it. It’s worked for every previous generation.
Katherine managed to staple a finger once (by accident). She learned a lot from that, indeed.
I think there’s a sweet spot here — I’m fine with not having playground equipment on top of asphalt, but there are certain activities that carry a moderate level of risk for injury that are still worthwhile doing. I don’t know that I’d argue that kids should get injured in order to toughen them up, but I think that, as perfect safety (desirable or not) is not possible, we figure out what level of risk is therefore reasonable.