Well-balanced

I am writing this in advance of a little piece coming out in the Sentinel this weekend, a piece I had nothing to do with writing, but feel compelled to say something about.

In the Sentinel, Jr., you will find a section of essays written by second graders relating to what they would do if they were president.

My own child has written her thoughts, and among them is the promise to end hunting.

With the gun debate raging and hunting a big deal in this area of the state, I want to calm everyone down and let you know my little one is simply an animal lover — she was once the proud owners of seven hamsters, a guinea pig, a dog, and fish — an amount she desperately wanted to increase but we put our foot down.

When I learned about her essay, I asked her why she wanted to end hunting, after all, she is a meat eater with a particular affinity for bacon. What she said surprised me.

You see, the Saari household is no stranger to taking things to the extreme. We outlawed TV for the first two years of the kids' life. There were no toy guns while they were little. Licensed characters were discouraged on all clothing items. I, myself, eschewed meat products for the better part of 15 years, until health issues forced a change, and the kids were vegetarian for much of their lives. So the gentle and well-balanced response she gave me made me proud.

She said she understood that the animals had to die for us to eat them, but she didn't like when people killed them for fun and not to eat.

As a child, she is able to see the value of moderation, even if it means she will never get elected president.