Cartoon Physics, Part 1
Children under, say, ten, shouldn’t know
that the universe is ever-expanding,
inexorably pushing into the vacuum, galaxies
swallowed by galaxies, whole
solar systems collapsing, all of it
acted out in silence. At ten we are still learning
the rules of cartoon animation,
that if a man draws a door on a rock
only he can pass through it.
Anyone else who tries
will crash into the rock. Ten-year-olds
should stick with burning houses, car wrecks,
ships going down — earthbound, tangible
disasters, arenas
where they can be heroes. You can run
back into a burning house, sinking ships
have lifeboats, the trucks will come
with their ladders, if you jump
you will be saved. A child
places her hand on the roof of a schoolbus,
& drives across a city of sand. She knows
the exact spot it will skid, at which point
the bridge will give, who will swim to safety
& who will be pulled under by sharks. She will learn
that if a man runs off the edge of a cliff
he will not fall
until he notices his mistake.
Children death increases in winter due to extreme cold and heavy snow in Kabul and all over Afghanistan.
Unusually heavy snow, and freezing temperatures mean more misery for Afghans displaced by fighting specially the children.
I will soon make up an account to collect donations for these poor children and i will personally deliver your aid to the afghan children during my regular trips to Afghanistan. I accept money which will be then used to provide the children with blankets, coats and warm cloth in winter and other school supplies. Even if it is just $1 please do donate to help these poor children.
Source: watanafghanistan
King said in an interview that this photograph was taken as he tried to explain to his daughter Yolanda why she could not go to Funtown, a whites-only amusement park in Atlanta. King claims to have been tongue-tied when speaking to her. “One of the most painful experiences I have ever faced was to see her tears when I told her Funtown was closed to colored children, for I realized the first dark cloud of inferiority had floated into her little mental sky.”
Source: TIME
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. children poor
“Children who live in poverty, especially young children, are more likely than their peers to have cognitive and behavioral difficulties, to complete fewer years of education, and, as they grow up, to experience more years of unemployment,” the Census said.
In 2010, when the Census survey was conducted, 32.3 percent of children across the country were poor, compared to 30.8 percent in 2009.
That was mainly due to a rise in the number of children living below the federal poverty threshold, defined as an annual income of $22,314 for a family of four, to 15.7 million from 14.7 million in 2009.
The figures reflect the overall state of the economy. The national poverty rate stands at 15.3 percent and the unemployment rate is at 9 percent some two years after the recession that began in 2007 officially ended.
The number of people living in poverty has reached an all-time high in the United States, despite the country’s position as one of the wealthiest in the world. Its gross domestic product per capita of $47,184 was 3,095 percent more than India’s $1,477 in 2010.
In 24 states and Washington, D.C., more than 20 percent of those up to 17 years old lived at or below the poverty threshold.
RACIAL GAPS
The Census found that the percentage of white children in poverty increased in 25 states in 2010 from the year before.
Overall, “white and Asian children had poverty rates below the national average, while black children had the highest poverty rate at 38.2 percent,” it said.
“The poverty rate for Hispanic children was 32.3 percent, and children identified with two or more races had 22.7 percent living in poverty.”
I hope this speaks for itself.
The Most Dangerous Place to be Born
The burden of wars, poverty, instability, and insurgencies has always been borne disproportionately by children. They are killed and maimed by landmines and other explosives. Schools are being destroyed by the Taliban, and girls who seek an education are often threatened and attacked. Children are recruited by the Taliban to be suicide bombers and smugglers.
Source: watanafghanistan
Who could imagine a boy donating $13 million dollars to provide food for 3.6 million people?
Probably no one, yet 11-year-old Andrew Andasi aims to do just that. The Ghanaian student has already collected $500 after he began receiving donations for Somalia’s famine victims last week, and yesterday, he opened a bank account for his cause.
In an interview with BBC News, an optimistic Andasi told a reporter he wanted to reach his goal in one month through private donations collected during his summer vacation period. “I’m very very sure that I can raise it in just one month,” he said. “I want individuals, companies, churches, other organizations to help me get 20m Ghana cedis.”
Media outlets in Ghana have been buzzing with news of Andasi’s endeavor. He has had interviews on television and radio talk shows throughout Ghana’s capital city, Accra. When asked by BBC what motivated him to start his campaign, he replied “There has been serious hunger and death for [a] long time [in Somalia]. If it goes on their country will be useless.” Andasi also went on to say, “If I get the opportunity to go to Somalia I will talk and I will let the UN to make an announcement [that] the warring groups in Somalia should stop because of the sick children and women.”
This is an 11 year old, guys. Eleven. Can we stop underestimating children and stop acting like ‘adults’ now?
“I think grown-ups just act like they know what they’re doing.”
Here are some 