ROAMING THE STREETS

Tony Walker

Last Saturday, July 23rd, I went to a friend's house for a get together with some good friends. Had a great time and left the party at 130AM. At this time I noticed something that really disturbed me.
The party was in East Meadow, Long Island, NY. As I was driving through the town I saw many kids walking the streets. Not a single kid was old enough to drive.

I drove 2 friends who live in NYC to the train station in Wantagh so they can catch a train home. Again I saw more young kids on the streets.

Then I drove one more friend home to Massapequa. Again I saw more kids roaming.
As I was driving to my home which is on the Seaford/Wantagh border, I saw 2 kids sitting on a sidewalk making out. There is no way these 2 were old enough to drive.

If a kid is not old enough to drive that means they have to be under the age of 17 right?
That means I saw a ton of kids under 17 roaming the streets in between 1:30- 2 in the morning!!!
I don't know about you guys but if I was out roaming at that time of night at that age my mother never would've let me reach driving age!

And there is no way my kids will allowed to stay out that late at that age!!!
Am I crazy or do you guys agree with me? Am I starting to sound like an old fuddy duddy or no? I was just shocked to see so many kids out there!! Is it safe for them to out there at that time?
Please tell us what you think.

THE NEWISH ADVENTURE

Sometimes Your Whole World Is What's Shaken'...

DRL Proudly Introduces Our Newest Contributor:

Jessica Lemoine McGinnis Yee

Someday in February this year, a new adventure was started by me and my husband. Well, not exactly new but newish. See, I found out that at age 42 I was to be a Mom again. Wow what a kicker! I have two beautiful kids but the last time I was in the birthing mindset was 12 years ago. A much younger body and much younger mindset and blissfully ignorant enough to the adventure called parenthood. Now I’m in the prime of my life, in the “lets live it up the kids are grown enough that I can have some fun” mindset. Go to concerts, lectures or take a class and not have to pay half my paycheck to a babysitter. Now we are starting over?! I’m going to lectures and taking a class but it’s to remember how to give birth naturally. See I birthed twice, all natural, although not completely my choice. I was into give me that epidural like most women, what the heck did I know. I didn’t embrace the natural movement in my twenties; I still don’t embrace a lot of it. But I have made some small changes, like I recycle, buy organic and believe in local shopping even if it cost a bit more. Sustaining the small business owner if just for one more day and hopefully boosting my local economy.

SHE SAID....

Dawn Boyle

First it was parents who decided to not inoculate their child. Now it's raising your child without a gender.

According to Parent Central, Kathy Witterick and David Stocker of Canada, have decided to keep the gender of four-month-old a secret to all but their two older children (two boys), and a few others who knows the gender of "Storm". The emailed announcement sent by the parents read:

We've decided not to share Storm's sex for now — a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm's lifetime (a more progressive place? ...)

For as far back as I can remember there have always been people with beliefs on the fringes, but this could really screw the kid up! I see many years of psychological evaluation for "Storm". Something that the parents are probably doing out of good and in trying to make acceptable could isolate this child and backfire. Much of the time parents who decide to raise their children in non-mainstream ways only make the child more susceptible to bullying and ridicule. How does Storm fill out sex on forms..... MALE, FEMALE, OTHER?

In this GAGA, LITTLE MONSTERS WORLD is there a reason or necessity to make everyone genderless?

CATHOLICS, CONFIRMATIONS AND CHURCHES, OH MY!

TONY WALKER

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I'd like to thank The Lounge for posting my Lunch Time Poll about unions.

This is an important topic to me. Unions & the fate of working class America is very scary. If you haven't seen the post go check it out. Please comment & keep the communication going.

One way to fight & help each other is communicating.

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On to today's post...

A tremendous honor was bestowed upon me this week. I've been asked to sponsor someone who is getting their Confirmation in June.

The confirmee (I know that's not a word!) is one of my oldest & closest friends. He is like a brother to me. When we were kids his mother had some issues with the Church which led to her pulling her sons out of religious instructions so my friend was never confirmed. He has decided to do it now because his kids have been going through religious instructions & he feels like a hypocrite telling them they must do this when he hasn't.

I grew up in a very strict Catholic household. As an adult I've had some issues with the Catholic Church. The whole Priest sex abuse scandal rocked me pretty good since a Priest attempted to play with me when I was 14. I lived with the guilt of knocking a Priest down for years even though that was my only option to get away. Thank God I did. Anyway, since the scandal came to light I decided not to be a practicing Catholic anymore. I still have Catholicism based beliefs, I just don't support the Catholic Church. So with that in mind I would never do what my friend is doing but of course I support him 1000% & will be there for him on his big day.

My question is this. Do you think getting confirmed for your kids sake is a good enough reason to get confirmed?

Also, getting off topic a little... what do you think of Churches whether it's Catholic or something else? There just seems to be so many different types of Churches these days. I don't remember so many when I was a kid. Do you think so many different denominations are needed? If so, why?

I look forward to your comments here.