Hawthorn Hill Journal by Richard deRosa

On Playpens and Politics

The other day, while walking, all I could think about is how much like a playground our contemporary political arena has become. Actually, much of what I know of playground behavior comes from what I have heard from others. Growing up, I never spent much time at all in anything akin to a playground. Although, I have fond memories of a favorite sandbox in a small play area adjacent to the main zoo in New York’s Central Park. But I think it is fair to extrapolate what we know about playground behavior to a generalization of the endlessly embarrassing behaviors on exhibit daily both in Washington, D.C. and around the country. Bullying seems to be rampant. And just about every childish behavior one associates with playground culture makes the daily headlines. That, in and of itself, is unfortunate. No need here to chronicle any specifics. Anyone opting to check out a newspaper or listen to any evening newscast is served up a full plate of clownish, even vulgar, performances.