Zeitgeist check

Two promising signs of the times.
A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll found that 78% of respondents feel people now in the country illegally should be given a chance at citizenship.
Efforts at gaining political advantage through xenophobia has failed miserably. Raising awareness of the working people who build buildings, harvest food and do other hard jobs has encouraged Americans to accept the latest generations of immigrants.
More than half of Americans under the age of 40 believe that humans have evolved over time, while less than half of Americans over 40 believe that humans have evolved.
One creepy zeitgeist check, talking to my friends who are parents. These days, kids don’t play outside unsupervised anymore. When our generation were kids, we played outdoors unsupervised in elementary school. Every step toward mobility was eagerly awaited — crossing a quiet street, riding a bike, going to the next neighborhood, getting a learners’ permit. At lunch last week, I heard that leaving a 12 year old unsupervised at home is now considered irresponsible. At age 12 I was babysitting for money. Why have adults been so terrorized by the myth of stranger abduction? Will these kids grow up into passive and fearful adults?

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