Tag Archives: terrorism

“Sesame Street” Helping Parents Teach Kids About Terrorism

Subtitle: Elmo Meets Michael Chertoff or “The Muppets Take Manhattan… Post 9/11” I wish I were kidding. For decades parents have turned to those fun-loving furry friends on “Sesame Street” when they needed help teaching their kids how to spell, tie their shoes, and count to 10 in Spanish. But now Elmo, Grover, Big Bird, Zoe, Oscar the Grouch and crew are getting serious about a grown up topic most adults struggle to deal with—terrorism and other potential deadly catastrophes. So how exactly does a parent explain to a 3-year-old why it’s important to prepare for a terrorist attack? Don’t … Continue reading →

Fighting for Peace

As my family was remembering 9/11 this week, I have been pondering peace and what it means to me in my life, both as an American, and as a mother. I think that for me, peace is freedom from fear. If I had absolute peace of mind, I wouldn’t have to worry about my children going to school and being potential targets of assassins or terrorists. I wouldn’t have to agonize over their health and wonder how disease might negatively affect their lives. I’d never worry that people could bully or take advantage of them. And I’d be free from … Continue reading →

Return to Mormonville: Worlds Apart – Jeff Call

In Jeff Call’s first novel “Mormonville,” we meet Luke Manning, a somewhat hardened New York City journalist who is sent to Utah to get the goods on the Mormons for the purpose of writing an expose. What Luke didn’t expect was to meet the girl of his dreams, find a best friend, and feel completely at home in this tiny, Podunk little town called Helaman. At the end of the book he calls his publisher and refuses to do the story, and converts to the Gospel. The plot sounds a little cliché, but Call is a talented author and threw … Continue reading →

September 11…

Five years ago seems like a long time ago. For those who lost loved ones, each day has probably crept by with the pain and suffering associated with a grievous loss. Our entire nation felt that at some level, losing our innocence as we sat glued to our televisions watching the still unbelievable events unfold. Now five years later schools struggle to determine what the appropriate message is that they want to give to their students about September 11, 2001. Just as the attack on Pearl Harbor is known as “A Day That Will Live in Infamy”, 9-11 is a … Continue reading →

What if Your Home was in a War Zone?

My thoughts and prayers go out to every person trying to survive in a war torn country. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but the turmoil throughout the world today is so intense that hearing about each conflict, each outbreak of violence, is heartbreaking. I have very strong opinions about politics, foreign policy, the UN, and the various conflicts, but my biggest concern is for the people caught up in all of it. It breaks my heart to watch news footage and observe all the human suffering. People are people no matter where they live, no matter … Continue reading →

Yale Undergrads: The Best, The Brightest, The Taliban?

Perhaps you dream of the day when your child will be admitted to an Ivy League institution. Maybe you do more than dream. You save money. You contribute regularly to a 529 account. If you are fortunate enough to have elders who have done well and now look at estate planning, maybe you are working with them to find the best ways to fund education for the next generation. You and your high school student are researching scholarships, loans, financial aid. Maybe you are working with a consultant. Your student is studying, working, making a very high grade point average. … Continue reading →