Hanging Out? - And Response

Thursday, September 20, 2012

I will probably be criticized for asking but  ..Thursday's Times-FreePress shows three women and a baby "hanging out" at a park.  The adults all seem to be able bodied (with cell phones, of course). 

My question - were they on vacation?  The young girl appears to be of school age.  Of course, they could have been on their lunch break from work and school.  Just wondering. 

Jean Merritt
Ringgold

* * * 

Please explain, Jean Merrit. What's wrong with three young women (with a cell phone) "hanging" out at a park? What does that have to do with the purpose of the story?  

I see young women walking, jogging with their babies in strollers, sitting around carrying on conversation or using their "cell phones" at parks all times during the daylight and evening, after work, after school, in between college classes and on weekends.  

What is it exactly you're trying to convey to the rest of us that we may have missed? What more did you see in an innocent picture that's invisible to the rest of us? City parks, recreational centers and all, are open to all citizens, and not just a select few. They're not exclusive clubs where only a few, based on their class, race, economic and social standings, religion or gender, are allowed? 

There's an old saying about assuming, and reading more into something than is necessary. 

Brenda Washington


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