Here's a topic we've discussed before, but of course the downward spiral continues. Modern (wo)man attempts to elevate itself to the sublime heights where men and women, boys and girls are indistinguishible, and where the playing fields for weak and strong, slow and fast, poor and rich, lazy and hard-working are evened out so that no one's feelings get hurt and no one gets any kind of advantage.

Huck Finn must be spinning in his literary grave. Just recently a Colorado Springs, Colorado elementary school banned tag during recess, joining other schools that have prohibited this childhood pastime. Upon hearing this, I thought about the movement to ban cops and robbers, musical chairs, steal the bacon, and the kill-joys’ most frequent target and this writer’s favorite childhood school game, dodge ball. Then there’s the more inane still, such as the decision by the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association to prohibit keeping score in kids’ tournament play.

There are many ways to describe this trend. One might say it’s a result of the Left’s antipathy toward competition, the increasing litigiousness of the day, or the inordinate concern with self-esteem and hurt feelings. Then, if I am to speak only of my feelings, the word stupid comes to mind. Really, though, regardless of whether the motivations are good or ill or the reasoning sound or not, at the end of the day I find a conclusion inescapable. Slowly, incrementally, perversely, boyhood is being banned.

More here.

When the venerable game of tag is banned and replaced with yoga, and a 2nd grader is suspended and criminally charged with making a terrorist threat for pointing a paper gun at his friend, folks, we're in big trouble as a society. And not because of the threat from Islamo-fascists.

hat tip: The Papa

Labels: Children, Education, Fun, Social Observation, Theater of the Absurd