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The Playground Showdown






OK, maybe "showdown" is a little dramatic, but it's time to stop being ridiculous about the playground. The San Francisco Chronicle has something called ChronicleWatch that is actually better in the print version because it usually includes a photo of the person responsible for whatever mess it is. I'm OK with a little public shaming, especially when our public "servants" are choosing to not do their jobs.

Time to submit this playground business and see if they'll do something about it. Seriously. The district can spare the manpower time and money to put up a locked fence but can't come fix the playground? Then we're going to tell all the kids they're going to end up "in trouble" if they play on it. First of all, as Lindsay pointed out, these kids wake up in trouble. They don't care about trouble, at least not most of them. Second, it is just cruel to have a playground sitting there that looks like a perfectly functional playground and tell the kids they can't go on it. Silly and mean is what it is.

We'll see what happens. I'm borrowing a name and e-mail address to submit it though, I'm not ready to cause that many waves quite yet.

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Jessamyn Harris said…
I love that part of the paper! especially because when things do get fixed, they also give an update. I hope it works.
too bad you can't do that about the whole dang state of the district...
1:46 PM
LindsayDayton said…
Sister, you now know html. Go in and edit the silly thing!

Also, just to beat the dead horse: What does "in trouble" mean, anyway?

This has to be the most ridiculous phrase ever used as a threat. If you're eight, it could mean that you'll get beat, get grounded, get yelled at, get sent to the principal, get sent to bed without dinner, or lose the love of a grown up.

Or, it could mean that a grown up doesn't know a better way to teach you how to make good decisions... but I wouldn't expect most eight year olds to think of that one.
3:19 PM
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