Kids Say the Darndest Things

Dear Friends,

Art Linkletter, host of the popular 1950’s and 1960’s television show, “People Are Funny”, used to say on his show, “Kids say the darndest things.” Linkletter died in 2010 at the age of 97. His statement regarding kids has become immortal because it was spot on.

A six year old girl, having spent just about every Sunday of her young life in Sunday school and worship in a Methodist church, had listened to the pastor and others saying the Lord’s Prayer. As is often the case, this little darling did not quite pick up the prayer correctly. One Sunday, she was asked to recite the Lord’s Prayer in her Sunday school class. With great confidence she stood before the teacher and her classmates and said, “…forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.”

As Congress approaches the end of the year, the representatives of the people ought to struggle to see just how much trash we have placed in the trash baskets of our constituents. Every time we pour poisonous partisan language into the waste baskets, we trash the national debate on issues that deserve lively but logical discussion.

Congress has demonized each other for so long that the public has joined the chorus. Both sides must change. It is always appropriate to shift to reverse. If reversing direction seems to abrupt, U-turns are always permitted.