March 6, 2025
Once again, the Missouri Senate has voted to end child marriage.
Now it’s again up to the House to give the bill a hearing and vote for it. Let’s hope that they can start catching up to the realities of child trafficking and stop this old-time practice.
Maybe someday they’ll be enlightened enough to catch up to the 21st Century.
April 12, 2024
I’ve heard stories from teachers about disturbing behaviors in their young (first grade, even) students. Possible causes—parenting techniques, psychiatric disorders, scary living environments, etc.— were discussed.
If I were a teacher, the first thing I would consider is having the kid tested for a Vitamin B12 deficiency. That can cause major psychiatric symptoms. It can happen to kids in any social stratum, but in these cases, where the kids live at or below poverty level, a dietary deficiency is not unlikely.
So, start there. I doubt that you can demand that parents get their kid a blood test; and the parents probably couldn’t afford it anyway. But maybe teachers can look it up, and compare the kid’s symptoms to what can be caused by the deficiency. Maybe something can be worked out as far as testing and treatment go.
It’s worth a shot.
