“Enough about the children”? We don’t think so

We agree with a recent column in USA Today that politicians have been using children as props this election season. But the column, titled “Politicians, enough about the children,” is totally wrong about what we should do about it. While the column calls for America to stop appeals based on children, we think political talk about kids just needs some substance.

Sign a pledge to make children a priority this fall!

While the 2012 candidates have been making the typical election year promises of “a better future for our children,” they’ve been very fuzzy on the details so far. Our reports on the 2012 primary debates showed that only 2 percent of discussion was devoted to children’s issues. That means that child poverty, safety and education were almost entirely ignored.

We can’t afford to keep ignoring children’s issues. The Census this week announced that child poverty remains high, at 21.9 percent of all American kids. That’s 16.1 million kids who are at risk of falling behind or never getting a fair shot. One in four American kids lives at risk of hunger. Meanwhile, one in three American kids is overweight or obese — because poverty now doesn’t mean not enough food, but not enough healthy alternatives to fast food.

So we’re demanding kids not just be used as props, but as one of America’s most urgent issues this fall. We’re petitioning the media and the 2012 candidates to give children’s issues the consideration they deserve. Join us and sign the pledge today!