The innocence of children

I remember writing here a few years ago about the innocence of children saying that babies don't hate you because of your skin color or your sexual orientation or you height or weight or gender or religion or for any reason at all. Think about it. We are born without all of that negative stuff attached. Children don't know how to hate. Why can't we keep it that way?

Who is teaching our children the bad thoughts and the bad words and the bad actions? The answer of course is that we are. We are teaching discrimination. We are teaching hate. We are taking away the innocence of our children.  Oh most are not doing it on purpose - I'm not saying that, but that doesn't make it any better.  Children look to their parents, teachers, pastors, doctors, and babysitters for a map of how to act.  They follow our lead.  If we discriminate - if we hate others, they very easily copy our actions.

If you have ever heard a small child using foul language, you have an idea of what I am talking about.  If it stopped at language, we might not think it bad, but kids are learning more and more bad behaviors from the very folks who should be teaching them good.  Let's be positive with our children.  Let's teach them about love, instead of the opposite.  Babies come into the world without any idea of hate. Let's not give it to them!

Let's eat Daddy

"Let's eat Daddy!"  What?!  Of course nobody has any interest in chowing down on their father.  There is a missing coma which changes the whole meaning.  We are actually suggesting to our father that it is time for a meal.  "Let's eat, Daddy!"

Right about now you are probably thinking that I have lost my mind, but hold tight dear readers.  I do have a point coming up.  Mom used to always refer to today as a command.  When you pronounce it, there is no difference of course.  The difference comes in the spelling.  We can all march forth on March Fourth.  The point of all of this my friends is that today is also National Grammar Day. Martha Brockenbrough, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar and the author of Things That Make Us [Sic], established National Grammar Day back in 2008, deciding that a date and an imperative was the perfect time for such an observance.

 

Good grammar is not just about proper placement of commas of course.  Good grammar can help us to be better understood.  That can be a key to our communication.

 

There is a historical connection to March 4th too.  That is the date on which our federal government used to begin and in fact our earlier presidents were inaugurated on March 4th. Today is also National Pound cake Day!  So march forth on this March Fourth and improve your grammar, while enjoying some delicious pound cake, and then march on and change the world!