Park Ethics
I'm having a hard time tolerating any sort of politicking this year. I think this is mostly true because of my visits to our neighborhood park.
No, there are no political signs there. I've not engaged in any political debates or narrowly avoided heated rants. No, none of this.
It all comes down to park ethics, or the lack thereof.
How do we possibly think we can work together for the benevolent governing of the United States and overseeing a robust foreign policy when we can't even use the same park well?
This isn't just about kids not sharing the slide. I'm remembering the parent who spent significant time convincing his sons that the toys they found left in the toy box were actually theirs they had forgotten a week ago and didn't know they had. I'm thinking of the ground-shaking party held in the community center next door and the 15-20 kids aged 3-12 who escaped to come play in the park without a single adult. I'm horrified thinking of the mornings we've arrived at the park to find chocolate birthday cake smeared up and down the play structure and littering the ground as if a food fight was the last party game before going home.
This is a public park in a city that has a median income three times that of the national average. If anyone could get it right, you would think it would be visible here.
It's understandable that some families will have rules about not throwing sand and other families will have rules about keeping shoes on at the park. There will always be the group of teens who find the playground after dark perfect for heckling and trash talking. We expect to see the not-infrequent toddler fit and the kids who haven't learned that it's okay to play with someone they've only just met.
But when grown ups can't be counted on to responsibly care for public property, we've a much bigger issue than which political party is in office. And when I see my way to a solution, then maybe I'll join the debate.
No, there are no political signs there. I've not engaged in any political debates or narrowly avoided heated rants. No, none of this.
It all comes down to park ethics, or the lack thereof.
How do we possibly think we can work together for the benevolent governing of the United States and overseeing a robust foreign policy when we can't even use the same park well?
This isn't just about kids not sharing the slide. I'm remembering the parent who spent significant time convincing his sons that the toys they found left in the toy box were actually theirs they had forgotten a week ago and didn't know they had. I'm thinking of the ground-shaking party held in the community center next door and the 15-20 kids aged 3-12 who escaped to come play in the park without a single adult. I'm horrified thinking of the mornings we've arrived at the park to find chocolate birthday cake smeared up and down the play structure and littering the ground as if a food fight was the last party game before going home.
This is a public park in a city that has a median income three times that of the national average. If anyone could get it right, you would think it would be visible here.
It's understandable that some families will have rules about not throwing sand and other families will have rules about keeping shoes on at the park. There will always be the group of teens who find the playground after dark perfect for heckling and trash talking. We expect to see the not-infrequent toddler fit and the kids who haven't learned that it's okay to play with someone they've only just met.
But when grown ups can't be counted on to responsibly care for public property, we've a much bigger issue than which political party is in office. And when I see my way to a solution, then maybe I'll join the debate.
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