It’s Yellow Bus Time!

Yes, It’s Yellow Bus Time and the Smell of Fall is in the air here in Virginia, though not so in other parts of the country, or the world where Climate Disasters are wreaking havoc on Humans! Nevertheless, it thrills me to be on the road and to observe those Yellow Buses trudging along with all of us drivers behind them, and when that red STOP sign emerges out of the bus all of us come to a complete standstill as they grind to a halt in order to pick up their precious cargo with their combed hair, scrubbed faces, new shoes and backpacks waving goodbye to their parents and all ready for that first day of the school year! I just love it, and I wistfully recall how, many moons ago, I used to walk my young son to the curb in order for him to be picked up by that Yellow Bus! For me, the whole process is a moment that encapsulates just how much we Cherish our Children and look out for their Safety!

The adventure and excitement of going away to board at the dorms of an academic facility is very different for the Freshmen of these institutions especially. In that case there is no Yellow School Bus to ferry them over, rather, there are Huge automobiles, SUVs and, sometimes, a smallish U-Haul. These vehicles are stuffed to the gills, because our Pampered Graduates need to haul their clothes, their numerous toiletries, all their devices and their peripheries, maybe a table lamp, often a microwave and a small fridge, occasionally a television, towels, bed linen, pillows, etc., paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products, coffee, candy and on and on and on! It is a Major and Expensive To-Do! It wasn’t so in the Sixties, says a friend. It was minimal costs all around at that time. Ah, well!

Anyway, observing our Children and Higher Education Students, I am more perturbed by the fact that they are possibly having to be exposed during their tender, formative years to either undergoing a School Shooting event, or hearing of one, and having to be prepared by their educators on how to behave should such a horrendous occurrence happen: how lockdowns take place, how to cower in their classrooms, or go out of their institution in single file with their little hands raised above their heads – which always brings tears to my eyes! How police are everywhere their red lights flashing, and breathless parents waiting to collect their child, having to reassure them, ferry some of them to counselors and therapists and deal with their ensuing nightmares and fears. For College Students there are alerts that will appear on their cell phones with instructions on what to do: shelter in place, as an example. How do we allow these things to happen as some of our Corrupt Politicians year after year after year cannot agree on sensible laws and steps to, at the very least, minimize this appalling threat to all our Children, whether they are Red, Blue, Purple, or Otherwise?

Every time I see a post from the Sandy Hook Organization on my Facebook page I wonder where the hell is this nation going? How does such violence and heartbreak be allowed to happen when in Every Religion, and in All Cultures, we know how Precious Children are supposed to be. Yet, we are condoning this violence against Children committed by criminals, gangs and the Deranged, or the Extremists in many, many places on our Planet, thus making the whole world complicit in these crimes as it turns away its eyes from those youngsters Trafficked for Sex, or Menial Labor, Raped, Kidnapped, Used as Mules by the Drug Trade, Torn by Wars, Uprooted, Orphaned, Discriminated Against for being the “Other,” Traumatized and Abused. How do we, and the whole world, not Recoil from that? Revolt? And, yet, it continues unabated year in and year out; decade in and decade out!

And, how does it make any sense at all that the Vile Extremists of this nation are banning Contraceptives, Family Planning and Abortion in order to “Protect The Unborn,” as they falsely and hypocritically claim, while those Born already are left to the whims of a Mass Shooter, Fentanyl and Other Horrible Crimes? It should be very clear to one and all by now that the objectives of those Extremists are simply to sow Chaos, Disruption and execute their Sordid Agenda, and Not to “Protect The Unborn!” Their arguments are Shameless, Immoral, totally Hypocritical and Criminal!

Moreover, as we celebrated Labor Day on September 4th. we should all be aware that right here at home Corrupt, Extremist, White Politicians hell bent on their Zealous and Evil Crusade have enacted, among other senseless actions, Laws allowing for Child Labor, and, in states like Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, and Arkansas, newly passed or pending laws allow companies to hire Undocumented Children without work permits. Really? It’s not their fourteen-year old child who will be working in a meat-packing factory, or a construction site after all, is it? It’s all those Other Black, Brown and Immigrant Children who will, and “who cares about them anyway” seems to be the attitude?!! Unbelievably Corrupt! How is that even possible in this supposedly Civilized country?

The International Labor Organization issued its appalling findings on Child Labor. Here is the link to the full report from UNICEF. Do please read it. It is not long.

I cannot do anything about this all by myself, neither can You. However, together I hope that we all can and should take action by voting for Ethical Politicians and continuing to talk and to draw attention to these Appalling Injustices and the Corrupt of All nations who allow them!

Meanwhile, may all our Children, their Educators, their Yellow Bus Drivers and their Parents have a Safe and Joyful academic year! Amen! Amen!