TAG, YOU’RE OUT

A Santa Monica, California, elementary school has banned the game of tag, once synonymous with youth and innocence, because they say it creates self-esteem issues among weaker and slower children. Officials at an elementary school south of Boston, Massachusetts have also banned kids from playing tag for fear they'll get hurt. Another school in Massachusetts banned dodge ball because was “exclusionary and dangerous.” Apparently California and Massachusetts have a lot in common – but we already knew that, didn’t we.

I had this archaic concept that it’s OK for children at school recess to run around playing tag (and even dodge ball) and that, in the total scheme of the universe, it’s not such a bad thing. But “Oh No!” – I learn they might hurt themselves or their self-esteem. Really. Say it’s not so.

There must be a clever response to this kind of stuff but words fail me. Maybe I’ll think of something before someone sponsors legislation to outlaw tag in Alaska schools, and it comes before a committee on which I serve.