The Babysitters Club- 30 Years And Still Going Strong

Last week, The Babysitters Club celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Set in small town Connecticut and written by Ann M. Martin, the book revolved around a group of teenage girls who start their own business as babysitters.

The cast of characters included Kristy (the tomboy), Claudia (the artist with the learning disability), Mary Anne (the quiet one), Stacey (the fashion plate), Dawn (the nature lover), Mallory (the one with the large family), Jessie (the dancer), Abby (the California transplant) and Logan (Mary Anne’s boyfriend).

Over the course of the series, the characters would deal with anything and everything that a pre-teen or an early teen would deal with during that time in life. With a large variety of characters, there was at least one character that the reader could identify with. Smartly adding diversity to the characters, (Claudia was Japanese-American, Jessie was African-American and Abby was Jewish), the series appealed to a wide range of readers.

Another aspect that made the books stand out was that these girls was smart, capable and not just looking for a boyfriend. Inspiring generations of girls to be themselves and take charge of their own future, The Babysitters Club left an indelible legacy on their audience.

While books inspired both a television series and a movie, it is the books themselves that this reader will always be grateful for.

Happy Birthday, Babysitters Club and thanks for the memories.

An American Hero Defiled

Two weeks ago at the Democratic National Convention, the voting public was introduced to an ordinary American couple. They walked out quietly onto the stage and the husband began to speak.

Khizr and Ghazala Khan are a middle-aged immigrant couple originally from Pakistan. Emigrating to the United States 36 years ago, they quietly settled in American life.

In 2004, their middle son, Humayun Khan, was serving his country in Iraq. He was killed by a suicide bomber, saving the lives of his fellow American soldiers.

On July 28th, Mr. and Mrs. Khan left the arena of an ordinary American couple and became the face of the American dream for the millions of immigrants who see their future in America.

I am the descendant of immigrants. Just like Mr. and Mrs. Khan, my family came to this country seeking a better life for themselves and their families.

Their son is an American hero. Instead of honoring the memory of this man and the many thousands of Americans who have sacrificed their lives for this country, Donald Trump has chosen to attack this man and his family.

Donald Trump stated that he believed that Mrs. Khan did not speak because she was not allowed to. Pardon my French, but that is b”llsh*t. I saw a mother grieving for the loss of her child, I saw a father who is proud to call himself an American.

Donald Trump just gave me another reason to not vote for him.

RIP Captain Khan. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.