Looking back over history, I can see how humanity has been writhing and squirming and inching toward freedom, often bleeding and dying while doing so. Freedom seems to be universally deemed as truly that important. Denying it to people, as we all know, is the major form of punishment, worldwide.

During my own lifetime, two major groups of humanity have been declared liberated in the U. S., amazingly with a minimum of bloodshed: 37 million African Americans and over 100 million women.

Today, I am keenly aware of another group of people in our country who have been left behind suffering, enduring and unnoticed, their freedom denied: our 63 million children.

Last week, it was deeply shocking to me to realize that kids have already started back to school. In some places they had already been there a full week. Right during what should be the lazy days of summer, the kids are jerked up, fitted for new shoes, put on yellow buses and sent to stuffy classrooms. For heaven’s sakes! It is in “the good old summertime” while lolling about doing mostly nothing, that wonder, curiosity, discovery, imagination, creativity and invention have the best chance to sprout, take root and grow.

Modern working moms, finally able to enjoy their own incomes and successful careers aren’t about to stop the trend toward year-round schools. Let’s face it: they need a place to stash the kids while they themselves pursue their own dreams. So, it looks like this is to be the deal.

NO! This cannot be allowed to be the only deal. There IS a better way, one that enables all people, of all ages, in an atmosphere of freedom and delight, to become everything that they can possibly be.

Free the children? You bet!

“THE ROBIN REDBREAST IN A CAGE PUTS ALL HEAVEN IN A RAGE.” William Blake