Obama: What have you done for me LATELY?

I'll say it loud and proud -- I think Obama is doing a great job! I am especially happy with the effort he's making to protect critical resources for children in this country. From children's health care reform making it easier for millions of low-income children to get preventive health care, to the GIVE Act expanding opportunities for youth volunteerism, this administration has begun to take some meaningful steps towards strengthening the foundations of growth for all children.

Now... it turns out, not everyone agrees that it is a good thing for government to play a roll in fortifying the most vulnerable among us. I understand and appreciate different views of the proper roll of government in people's lives. However, I can't help but wonder if there aren't some things that are so fundamental as to be beyond politics - What does our disagreement about the ultimate value of leveling the playing field for all children, and protecting their access to the critical resources they need to thrive say about shared (or not) notions of justice...

I came across an article in the Right Wing News (yes... that is its actual name...) that took aim at the GIVE Act, claiming that references to "volunteerism" in the act were liberal code for "coercive servitude," and that "education" actually meant "statist indoctrination." Another interesting blog exchange concerned just how coercive the Act is, in the broader context of Obama's impact on our freedom more generally.

I suppose it's a good thing that there are groups of people in the world whose values, and whose views about what is best for our children so completely differ from mine, and from those of the organization that I am building. I forces me to be better at articulating my own vision for children living in poverty in this country.

So here goes... There are millions of children in New York City alone who are forced into homeless shelters and food pantries every day because they live in neighborhoods without safe housing or grocery stores, who must navigate crumbling buildings and violent streets just to make it to the school door every morning, and who have no access to preventive health clinics, libraries, or the internet... This is more than just a social science problem - it is a grave injustice that requires both innovative approaches to creating opportunity for children, AND the support of government. The simple recognition of the fact that we are all human, and that as humans we all experience suffering the same way, should propel us beyond distracting discussions of liberal v. right wing, and illuminate a shared goal - making sure that all children have the opportunity to thrive. And it is one of the duties of government to ensure that there is at least a base level of support and opportunity for every child.

Which is why I think that the Obama administration is moving in the right direction.