This is not progress...

So I'm about to skip and whistle my way to work this Saturday morning, but I am all fired up about something.

Did you know the last episode of Reading Rainbow was yesterday. Last episode. Ever. Do you know why? LeVar wasn't retiring. They didn't all gather round and sing kumbaya. It was CANCELLED. They didn't fund the program this year. You can read all about it here.

Apparently, Reading Rainbow operated on the premise that children already had fundamental reading skills. It encouraged them to take initiative and start reading. Now, the focus has switched to teaching reading skills. Because when Reading Rainbow started in 1983 children needed to be encouraged to read, and now in 2009 (!!!) that would be considered putting the cart before the horse. Now children need to be taught fundamental reading skills, because they may not be getting them at home from their parents-- or maybe even from school.

This does not sound like progress. Hello, United States, what has happened to us? What is happening to our children?

I wish there was a fund I could donate to get Reading Rainbow funded for next year. Some of my most happy memories as a child were afternoons after lunch on summer vacation watching Reading Rainbow with my sister. I just may have been LeVar's biggest fan in the 6-8 year old demographic...

I'm mourning this loss for my unborn future children. Thank god for DVDs.