Criminals Outside

Jeneiene Schaffer posts her article in the Tucson Weekly about an ordinance the city wants to pass in order to protect traffic from protesters--it even has a "rush hour" clause that denies marching permits during the morning and evening hours. Got to keep moving, folks; our 7-11 (in Tucson Circle K) economy depends on the ability to drive a car anywhere, and walking is just not cost-effective. But what about fun?

Richard Louv has an answer for that. In his new book Last Child in the Forest: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, Louv explains in massive detail the ways our culture has criminalized outdoor play. Spreading fear--of strangers, ticks, mosquitos, falling down, getting behind in our work, and yes, traffic--the American way of life has denied our children and us the right to play football in the street, wander in our urban canyons, or otherwise mess around in places that are unregulated by social norms. In a talk I saw him give at the San Diego Natural History Museum, Louv added up all the ordinances, laws, housing association covenants, and cultural rules to come up with the declaration that it is now illegal to go outdoors. But, to paraphrase Bob Dylan:

You can keep some of the people out of the forest all of the time, and all of the people out of the forest some of the time, but you can't keep all of the people out of the forest all of the time. I offer this evidence of TRW as proof.