One of the larger newspapers in southwest Louisiana and a regional television station published news articles last week about the sexual exploitation of two Children. The articles incorrectly identified the two Children as prostitutes. Children are never prostitutes. These two Children were sold and raped. I contacted the news desk,…
Posts published in “musings”
Endings are complicated. Typing was once a more physical experience. Each page of paper was inserted and rolled around a platen. Each keypress was a levered, mechanical event. With each inked letter impressed on the paper, a third of the typewriter’s mass, the part called “the carriage,” would move one…
While reading this morning’s news reports about child welfare among the states, the following problems seem to be the most persistent, significant problems of child welfare agencies around the country. 1. First is the problem of children being removed from parents and placed into foster care for reasons of neglect…
Louisiana's definition of "battery" is remarkably like our state's definition of "corporal punishment", making it difficult not to see today's vote as blatant approval of battery against children.
“Your ache is also your prayer.” Your ache is your prayer. This was on my mind when I woke today. Jesus taught that prayer is a personal experience each of us has with the One who made us. Anyone can pray because prayer is literally your experience with God. There…
I have gathered a list – a collection of Kid Count headlines – and I will update it because it provides a decades-long mirror into which we in Louisiana can gaze and see how our children have fared. The headlines are from news articles about Louisiana’s Kids Count ranking for…
I have a few thoughts to share today as I muse on some work I am doing on an historical report of annual newspaper headlines which describe the poor conditions of Louisiana’s children. I may ramble as I go, but here goes. The well-being of Louisiana’s children has lagged the…
Spend time with an infant and you cannot help but wonder, “why did God become a baby?” I enjoyed spending Thanksgiving week with my 11 month old grand daughter. She is such a delightful baby! Caring for her on my daughter and son-in-law’s wedding anniversary, I was overwhelmed by how…
This morning I read a Twitter post about the success of Medicaid expansion which reported that 97% of Louisiana’s children now have some form of health insurance coverage. In a state which holds the dubious distinction of holding the average position of 49th for 29 years when ranked for child…
I love this photograph. The lady on the left, Mrs. Prescilla Dean Fordham, was my great great great grandmother. Seated beside her is her son Dennis, my great great grandfather. Of course, his three brothers seated to the right of him were my great great uncles. What I enjoy about…