I saw a story on “Good Morning America” last Thursday that just horrified me.

A 15-year-old youth in Florida was doused with rubbing alcohol by several other teenage boys and set on fire. Luckily, the victim was near a swimming pool and had the presence of mind to jump in, which extinguished the flames.

The young victim was rushed to the hospital and then transferred to the University of Miami burn center for treatment of third-degree burns over his back, chest, arms, legs, neck and head.

The youthful perpetrators of this heinous act were arrested, and one of them has been charged with attempted second-degree murder. 

What are we in America becoming, and what lessons are we teaching our children that would cause young teens to commit such a horrible act? Where are we failing our children?

Where are they learning to have such a disregard for human life as to set another human being, one of their own, on fire? TV shows and movies are getting increasingly more violent. Add a number of video games to the list of violent pastimes that occupy our children’s time, and maybe the picture clears a bit!

Parents, we need to be more proactive in teaching our kids the value of human life and the fact that they must take responsibility for their actions. Unlike video games upon which youngsters spend so many worthless hours, when you hurt or kill someone, you cannot do a game reset and bring them back!

Please instill in your children the values we all need to get along with our fellow human beings. Believe me, it’ll be worth the effort.

What’s In A Name?
Minor League baseball teams are noted for having colorful names.

Some of the more interesting ones include New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Midland Rockhounds, Piedmont Boll Weevils, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Shreveport Swamp Dragons, Tri City Dust Devils, Winston Salem Warthogs, Batavia Muckdogs, and one of my favorites…Montgomery Biscuits.

The city of Richmond has finally garnered a baseball team to replace the departed Triple-A Braves. The Connecticut Defenders, the Double-A farm team of the San Francisco Giants, announced recently it would move to Virginia’s capitol city. Baseball is returning to Richmond this spring…Hooray!!!

Now the team had to select a name, so the powers that be had a contest. Some of the names submitted for consideration included Rhinos, Flatheads, Rock Hoppers, Hushpuppies and Hambones. But the name that won the contest is, get ready for this…Flying Squirrels!

Are you kidding me…the Flying Squirrels! What are these people thinking about!

Of all the names out there, how did team officials select Flying Squirrels? Personally, my favorite was Rapids, you know, tying in with the James River. But no, get ready for an exciting season with the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

I guess the Richmond dugout will be dubbed the “Squirrel Nest” or the “Nut Hut” or something similar.

Maybe they can cut a deal with Jay Ward Productions and feature Rocky (aka Rocket J. Squirrel) as the mascot. Maybe even Bullwinkle will show up for a guest appearance sometime!

Go Squirrels!

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“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have”
—Thomas Jefferson