I'm a member of a couple mom groups on Facebook, and one of the most common mom complaints is about other children "bullying" their children. Many of these posts admonish other moms, telling them to "teach your children how" to behave, to treat others, to not bully, etc. In these posts, the moms usually lament the schools, teachers and administrators who are idly standing by while their child is relentlessly being bullied. Threats to take action to the school board or even the local news station abound. I always want to respond to these posts, but I usually refrain, because most parents would not want to hear what I have to say: Get over it. While on the surface, this may seem insensitive, or as if I think bullying is ok. I don't quite mean for it to come off that way. I know there are situations where children experience real abuse or sustained harassment, and those situations absolutely require intervention. That is not what I’m talking about he...
In March, executive orders from governors across the country forced us to stay home, to close schools and churches and to shut down private businesses. Businesses were classified as either "essential" or "non-essential." All businesses deemed "non-essential" were forced to close. This included markets, clothing stores, boutiques, dine-in restaurants, and beauty salons. State parks, city parks, beaches, walking trails, lakes, and other wide open spaces were closed as well. Many people feel that the "social distancing," as it has come to be known, and stay at home executive orders violate their constitutional rights, such as our First Amendment right to freely exercise our religion, our right to peaceably assemble, and that we shall not be deprived of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some of the people who feel their rights have been violated have decided to exercise their First Amendment right to protest. Some have even chosen...