Culture Briefs

Too many babies?

“Others viscerally hate the Duggars. The comments on my several posts … about the Duggars betray an appalling contempt for Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar personally, and also for children, families, homeschooling and Christians in general, but most of all outrage at the idea that there might be someone out there not using artificial contraception. …

“People who think nothing of the millions of children in this country left in daycare for 10 or 12 hours a day worry that the Duggar kids don’t get enough time with their parents. People who are happy to have 20 million Mexicans come here illegally are offended that an American family might have ‘too many’ children. It offends people who wear very little that the Duggar girls wear dresses. Time was, being countercultural was trendy and approved of. But now that the counterculture has become the dominant culture, it seems that its proponents will brook no alternatives.”

— Paul Mitchell, writing on “Congratulations, Duggars,” Aug. 3 at the blog Regular Thoughts (http://regularthoughts. blogspot.com)

Interns vs. jobs

“Globalization is threatening a lot of venerable institutions … but here’s one you probably hadn’t thought of: the old-fashioned summer job. … Now, for better and worse, it’s internships for you, young man. …

“Today the relaxed approach to summer break — and the menial summer job — is as much a piece of nostalgia as ‘Grease.’ Teen paid employment is at an all-time low. … That’s because for kids these days, summer is no different from the rest of the year; it’s always time for education, or, more precisely, resume-building. …

“There’s little question that the demise of the summer job is due in part to globalization. For one thing, with millions of low-skilled immigrants around, service industries don’t need to rely on kid labor the way they used to. … And … kids are so used to seeing immigrants doing that sort of work that they assume ‘I don’t have to mess with food or cleaning stuff up.” Ironically, the same kids whose parents are paying $4,000 for them to go to Oaxaca to build houses for the poor can’t imagine working for money next to Mexican immigrants at the local Dunkin’ Donuts.”

— Kay S. Hymowitz, writing on “Service Learning,” Friday in the Wall Street Journal

Insane news

“This country has now gone completely insane. It is Saturday night, Aug. 11, 2007. … [W]hat do I see and hear as the lead item on ‘CNN Headline News’ at midnight?

“Nancy Grace urgently telling us that Britney Spears is endangering her children’s lives by (and I am not making this up):

“Giving them soda and fruit juices in baby bottles, thereby endangering their teeth.

“Giving them high fat snacks like Doritos instead of fruits and vegetables.

“Taking the kids with her on her lap in the car.

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