Put the handcuffs aside. How are things in the rainforest? Petersburg, Fla. Not because the child seemed out of control but rather, because she seemed so very much in control. This was walking over to a shelf and sweeping items off it. Walking to a wall and snatching photos down. Walking across the room to pick things up and break them.
Maybe she has emotional problems. Maybe there are mitigating factors. Of course, no one seems to be doing the job these days, so tremulous are we about bruising fragile self-esteem. Small wonder we wind up in a place where adults are helpless before the furies of children. What happened in St. Pete is but the most widely publicized episode in what seems a mini-epidemic. Last year, a kindergartner in St. Louis was handcuffed for disruptive behavior.
Recently, a 7-year-old in Bethlehem, W. Beg pardon again, but β¦ who cares? The police overreacted. Make it not their fault. Tell them they are victims. Spare them the burden of onus.
I hope that between media interviews, Akins is getting her child straight. Leonard Pitts Jr. His e-mail address is: lpitts herald.
