Enuma Okoro writes in the Financial Times about the complicated and delicate relationship between parent and child, and how it changes over a lifetime. She reflects on several works of art that capture different aspects of parenting, from David Hockney’s 1977 double portrait “My Parents” to Shaina McCoy’s painting “Smile II”. Okoro notes how the relationships between parents and children change over time, as the perspective of the child shifts with life experiences. For Okoro, parenting is a process that doesn’t stop, as we continue to learn from the lessons our parents taught us.
Okoro uses painting to highlight the changing aspects of parenting and describes Michael Andrews’ 1978-79 painting “Melanie and Me Swimming” as a metaphor for how we make it through life. The child who may easily be able to stand in shallow water still looks to her father for guidance - a lesson in survival. Parenting can be thought of as an act of continual release, in which we must release our child into an unknown world where we do not have the means or control to protect them. This is true even for adult children who might still need active support or parenting.
Okoro suggests that we are all, in some way, children of someone. She concludes by inviting readers to reflect on the lessons they learnt from their parents and to recognise which of these may be keeping them from life-giving patterns and relationships.
Amid an ongoing culture war over free speech, gay rights and other progressive issues, record efforts to ban books are fueling fights in Texas, Virginia and across the US. Yet only one previous case of a library book ban has ended up before the Supreme Court, that of Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico, largely forgotten outside law school classrooms. The Pico saga began on Long Island in September 1975, when two members of the Island Trees school board searched the library of Island Trees High School, finding nine books they deemed “objectionable”. Months later, the board removed all nine books for being “anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic and just plain filthy”. Five students, including the student council president, sued the board in January 1977. The US Court of Appeals ruled in favour of the students, in June 1982, but with only two justices fully joining their opinion, the ruling set a weak precedent. Book-banning continues to this day, drawing in victims of the lawfare culture.
Australian boys are falling behind girls in primary school literacy competency, with 77% of boys meeting national standards compared to 84% of girls, according to data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. Girls have outperformed boys in reading consistently since 1969. Potential explanations for the phenomenon include boys maturing more slowly than girls and spending more time on gaming or other screen time, as well as a move away from old-school phonics in reading instruction. Experts suggest that parental role-models and the use of systematic teaching methods may help to address the issue.
Joy Haizelden, who was abandoned as a child in China after being diagnosed with the spine defect spina bifida, is preparing to represent Great Britain in wheelchair basketball at the World Championship in Dubai. Haizelden was taken in by adoptive parents and moved to Southampton, before becoming involved in the sport at 13. Aged 15, she was the youngest member of the GB team at the 2014 World Championships and still a teenager when she competed for Paralympics GB at the Rio Games in 2016. Haizelden, 24, now wants to encourage greater representation of wheelchair basketball in the media and schools.
A book from 1993 posited that in 37 years cancer, heart disease and AIDS would be eliminated and human lifespan could be extended to 150 years, among other mind-boggling medical breakthroughs. The predictions in American pathologist Dr Jeffrey Fisher's Rx 2000: Breakthroughs In Health, Medicine And Longevity book relied on the imminent results of genetic research and early detection of disease and trends included designer babies, bionic body parts, creativity pills and a cure for cancer.
The Associated Press recently looked at how Florida has changed since Governor Ron DeSantis came into office, reflecting on the state's political and cultural landscape. Concerns over the cost of living, rising rents, insurance, and inflation remain unresolved. A surge in hate-related incidents has been noted, and there have been anti-LGBTQ+ moves, including the passing of laws limiting sexual education in schools. However, since DeSantis' election, the Republican party dominates Florida politics, and critics argue that no power can stop the passage of legislation in the Republican-controlled Legislature, leaving Democrats mostly relegated to messaging.
Meanwhile, DeSantis, who has been widely discussed as a potential presidential candidate for the Republican Party, has become more emboldened and has a powerful mandate that the Florida public supports his policies and ideology, and he has passed an agenda that suits a GOP presidential primary. His name recognition has skyrocketed as he campaigns, and he has faced criticism from fellow Republicans for attacking businesses, including Disney. Tension has risen across the state surrounding the rights of LGBTQ+ community members and discussions of race.
Schools are being cautious around vague language, such as that surrounding the classification of LGBTQ+ characters in books, and backlash has come from teachers who cannot express who they are in the classroom, forcing many to hide their LGBTQ+ lifestyles. Many residents feel more endangered, and hate attacks have been on the rise. DeSantis may be focusing on issues dividing people of different ideologies, but new gun laws allowing people to carry concealed firearms without a permit and a focus on abortion, however, is causing a real discussion about Florida’s future.
