February 26, 2008 -  I was taking my grandson to the bus stop today and while there I struck up a conversation with a group of children who were also waiting for the bus to arrive.

 

They kids were 8, 10, and 12.

 

I always like to engage kids in conversation because they are so interesting, have so much knowledge, and they often tell you what’s really on their minds. (We should never underestimate our children.)

 

I begin by asking what grade they’re in, and also their ages. I asked if they know who’s running for president.

 

Immediately, the eight year-old raises her hand. (You can tell, with that motion, that she’s used to raising her hand in the classroom).

 

“Hillary Clinton, and Obama”, she replied.

 

“Barack Obama”, the 10 year-old said, as though she was correcting the eight year-old.

 

“Who are the other candidates running?, I asked.

 

Then the 10-year proceeded to say,” John, somebody. I forget his name.”

 

They all drew blanks at this point. So I begin to tell them and we discuss which party the candidates represent, Democratic or Republican. I then asked them who the candidates of the Green Party are. None of them had heard of the Green Party so I informed them that Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney are running on the Green Party ticket.

 

I have to be honest and say I had no idea Cynthia McKinney is running for president until last week. She’s a fine individual and I’ve always admired her work as a congresswoman.

 

“How can they run for president right now?”, asked the ten year-old.

 

“Because they have until December”, the eight year-old replied. “They still have time.”

 

Wow! I thought. This young girl is on the money!

 

I then proceeded to ask them if they were studying African American history in school. Again, the eight year-old enthusiastically raised her hand.

 

“We’re studying Black History. We learned about the guy with the peanut!”

 

The twelve year-old said, “We studied it a while ago but I’ve forgotten a lot of it.”

 

The kids mention Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

As the school bus made its way over the hill and down to the bus stop, I thought I’d add in one more African American great.

 

"Mae Jemison," I said. "She was astronaut."

 

“Oh, yeah”, the 10 year-old replied. “The first African American to go into space.”

 

“We don’t study African American history much in class because we don’t have time, but I learn about it every morning on the news”, she replied.

 

Just then, the twelve year-old, as he was about to get on the bus, had a brain teaser for me.

 

"Do you know who Franklin W. Dixon is", he asked. 

 

“No”, I replied.

 

"He’s the ghost writer for the Hardy Boys."

 

Is he really?