While shopping in a local grocery store the other day, an
exchange between a mother and son caught my ear. "I hate little
kids," said the child, who probably was 3 or 4, and sitting in a
grocery cart. "Wait. What? You hate kids? You are a kid," the
stunned mother replied. "I know," the boy said. "But I hate
little kids." That's as much as I heard before they moved out of
earshot. They were people whose paths I hadn't crossed before
and possibly will not cross again. But it would be great to know
more of the story. What prompted the child to say that? Did the
mother continue the conversation and what direction did it take?
Which was all brought to mind again the next day with an item
posted on Facebook that was too good not to share. It was a
close-up photo of a small child's face and the words alongside
that sweet visage read: "I know nothing of hatred, intolerence,
racism, bigotry, indoctrination, homophobia, and prejudice. I
don't yet understand things like love, compassion, integrity,
tolerance, human dece