Comments on: Bass-ackwards: Who Tells At Risk Children They Aren’t Worth Our Effort? http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/ Dip your toe in the legal waters and change politics as you know it. http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:06:02 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: RoodsterCrows http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-883 RoodsterCrows Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:21:06 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-883 <p>I couldn’t agree more - both as to cost and brain function. Forgotten kids end up as, at best, low wage earning adults who mirror their parents lack of self esteem; or at worst trapped in the mental health or criminal justice systems (or both.) This is the proverbial cycle of poverty that we’ve been warned about (at least in my life) since Robert Kennedy visited both Louisiana and West Virginia during his brother’s presidency.<br /> The cost is now well established in the fact that future tax payers are infinitely preferable to tax recipients.<br /> Brain malleability from birth to 5 is also now proven in any number of scientific studies. (I recommend reading about Dr. Shonkoff, a pediatric neurologist, formerly with the Brandeis School of Medicine and now with Harvard.) But for the myopic folk who surround us, I recommend a simpler concept. When a child exposed to stimulus, such as being read books since age 1, joins the child who has never seen a book, which child is 4-5 years behind in kindergarten?</p> I couldn’t agree more – both as to cost and brain function. Forgotten kids end up as, at best, low wage earning adults who mirror their parents lack of self esteem; or at worst trapped in the mental health or criminal justice systems (or both.) This is the proverbial cycle of poverty that we’ve been warned about (at least in my life) since Robert Kennedy visited both Louisiana and West Virginia during his brother’s presidency.
The cost is now well established in the fact that future tax payers are infinitely preferable to tax recipients.
Brain malleability from birth to 5 is also now proven in any number of scientific studies. (I recommend reading about Dr. Shonkoff, a pediatric neurologist, formerly with the Brandeis School of Medicine and now with Harvard.) But for the myopic folk who surround us, I recommend a simpler concept. When a child exposed to stimulus, such as being read books since age 1, joins the child who has never seen a book, which child is 4-5 years behind in kindergarten?

]]> By: Christy Hardin Smith http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-881 Christy Hardin Smith Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:16:35 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-881 <p>It always blows my mind that people cannot fathom the cost savings of helping these kids early rather than having ot pay for that over years and years of schooling later. A lot of learning disabilities, for example, when caught early and the child is worked with intensively at a young age can be substantially overcome. But if they are left until the child is over the age of five, for example, the malleability of the brain is already past where such treatment is optimally effective, and the cost of dealing with that is much higher over time.</p> <p>Mind-bogglingly short-sighted. But there you are…</p> It always blows my mind that people cannot fathom the cost savings of helping these kids early rather than having ot pay for that over years and years of schooling later. A lot of learning disabilities, for example, when caught early and the child is worked with intensively at a young age can be substantially overcome. But if they are left until the child is over the age of five, for example, the malleability of the brain is already past where such treatment is optimally effective, and the cost of dealing with that is much higher over time.

Mind-bogglingly short-sighted. But there you are…

]]> By: OldCoastie http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-880 OldCoastie Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:15:26 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-880 <p>but we have money to bailout GM, who then sends it on <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=12396&ArticleId=320909" rel="nofollow">to South America</a>.</p> <p>nice </p> but we have money to bailout GM, who then sends it on to South America.

nice

]]> By: RoodsterCrows http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-878 RoodsterCrows Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:11:42 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-878 <p>Thank you Christie for bring one of the few to raise this issue (in today’s “at risk kids” as well as yesterday’s “casualties” articles.) As the grandparent and guardian of an at-risk, special needs child who was fortunate enough to attend 4 years of Head Start, I can attest to how the past 8 years have been traumatic for a lot of people. The misconceptions about social issues are now running rampant: that the poor are losers rather than predominantly low wage earners; the programs like IDEA, Head Start, etc. are pork(?); that early learning programs for at-risk kids are meeting needs when only half the eligible children are being served; that funding will increase in the appropriations process will increase, when in fact it is always the 1st to be cut or flat funded in hard times; that states are still capable of “back-funding” federal budget cuts and increased regulationwhen they are going broke; that the increasing number of at-risk preschoolers doesn’t represent an upcoming tidal wave for already stressed publiic eucation; etc.; etc.<br /> I could go on for pages. But I won’t preach to the choir. My real sadness is that is time and time again the Congress goes along with this claptrap. And those with the least voice - the kids - continue to suffer. it really says a lot about our current culture and morality.</p> Thank you Christie for bring one of the few to raise this issue (in today’s “at risk kids” as well as yesterday’s “casualties” articles.) As the grandparent and guardian of an at-risk, special needs child who was fortunate enough to attend 4 years of Head Start, I can attest to how the past 8 years have been traumatic for a lot of people. The misconceptions about social issues are now running rampant: that the poor are losers rather than predominantly low wage earners; the programs like IDEA, Head Start, etc. are pork(?); that early learning programs for at-risk kids are meeting needs when only half the eligible children are being served; that funding will increase in the appropriations process will increase, when in fact it is always the 1st to be cut or flat funded in hard times; that states are still capable of “back-funding” federal budget cuts and increased regulationwhen they are going broke; that the increasing number of at-risk preschoolers doesn’t represent an upcoming tidal wave for already stressed publiic eucation; etc.; etc.
I could go on for pages. But I won’t preach to the choir. My real sadness is that is time and time again the Congress goes along with this claptrap. And those with the least voice – the kids – continue to suffer. it really says a lot about our current culture and morality.

]]> By: Christy Hardin Smith http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-868 Christy Hardin Smith Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:42:23 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-868 <p>Could you tell it ticked me off a bit? *G*</p> Could you tell it ticked me off a bit? *G*

]]> By: CarolynU http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-866 CarolynU Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:40:21 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-866 <p>Right on Christy. This cutting of funding and services for the most vulnerable and needy is obscene.</p> Right on Christy. This cutting of funding and services for the most vulnerable and needy is obscene.

]]> By: nonplussed http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-860 nonplussed Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:30:10 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-860 <p>Perhaps he showed Indianans who he actually represents…</p> Perhaps he showed Indianans who he actually represents…

]]> By: Christy Hardin Smith http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-859 Christy Hardin Smith Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:25:54 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-859 <p><a href="http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/just-say-no-to-faux-bipartisan-judicial-malarky/#comments" rel="nofollow">Fresh post</a> up for anyone who wants it…</p> Fresh post up for anyone who wants it…

]]> By: barbara http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-858 barbara Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:06:44 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-858 <p>citizen vs. consumer is a powerful distinction, isn’t it? Underscored by GWB’s “just go shopping” (consumers) vs. “we’re all in this together; dig in and DO something, and here are some ideas” (citizens). I see sense of community and common good eroding in my own family, where my (generally) Republican children are passing along their (generally) Republican values to my grands. And on the very rare occasions I attempt to alter my grands’ perspective, I find myself in precariously slippery doodoo with my kiddos.</p> citizen vs. consumer is a powerful distinction, isn’t it? Underscored by GWB’s “just go shopping” (consumers) vs. “we’re all in this together; dig in and DO something, and here are some ideas” (citizens). I see sense of community and common good eroding in my own family, where my (generally) Republican children are passing along their (generally) Republican values to my grands. And on the very rare occasions I attempt to alter my grands’ perspective, I find myself in precariously slippery doodoo with my kiddos.

]]> By: Millineryman http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-857 Millineryman Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:01:18 +0000 http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/02/09/bass-ackwards-who-tells-at-risk-children-they-arent-worth-our-effort/#comment-857 <p>Essentially Lugar showed the people who he represents that he doesn’t care about their economic concerns.</p> Essentially Lugar showed the people who he represents that he doesn’t care about their economic concerns.

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