I listened to Hillary Clinton (#HillaryClinton) and Nancy Pelosi (#NancyPelosi) discuss and congratulate each other on Secretary Clinton’s podcast, You and me both aired January 18, 2021 (#youandmeboth). Both women are high performers, icons and aged. Secretary Clinton will be 74 this year and Nancy Pelosi will be 81. (That’s not a political statement, just a statement of fact.) However, Ms Pelosi lost points when she said: “The three most important issues facing our country are our children, our children, our children. She goes on to say that it is their health, education and economic environment that are crucial. Now I know why our Elders have the short end of the stick.
Children are the future and deserve good health, an education and an economic environment in which they can thrive. However, the elders who came before are no less deserving, after all, children stand on their shoulders. We have countless examples of children born into poverty who, through talent, hard work and the support of loved ones, emerged victorious. I have written in previous columns how parents who lived in poverty ensured that their children were educated and nurtured, often while simultaneously working menial jobs to support them. It makes sense that as they age and problems arise, they should be treated with dignity and respect for their contribution to the world – “our children”.
Everywhere I look people are worried about the socialization kids are missing out on because of online learning. Politics buffs also discuss how many have dropped out of the education system. Nowhere have I seen a study that gives an opinion on how many of our seniors have died of stunting during this pandemic. We locked them in and unless they had access to FaceTime or another video app, they ended up with meals in their room and a TV for company. We talked nausea about how Latin and black children have been disenfranchised. Guess what, their grandparents too. . . some of them raise these children. And let me add one more truth, THEY WERE DEFRANCHISED BEFORE THE PANDEMIC…like most kids leaving online learning.
So, Madam Secretary and Madam President, hang in there! Children are one of Three vulnerable communities within our sphere, the other two are people with disabilities and our elders. And, as we all know, this population overlaps. So, to paraphrase Mrs. Clinton’s book, it takes a village to raise a child, but that same village owes its disabled people the best quality of life, and its Elders reverence and respect. (#ItTakesAVillage). Is a rewrite necessary?
