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Why we should listen to kids,  traveling the country with offers to help, the future of marriage, our disgraceful past,  and facing reality in our schools.

And now we know the difference a moderator can make in the direction a nation takes at an important time. Think about that for a second. Then think that a few months ago, some schoolchildren felt compelled to start a petition campaign to have a 

 serve as a moderator for a presidential debate, something that's never happened in their lifetime.

The head of the commission that puts these debates together -- a woman, by the way -- couldn't be bothered meeting the kids when they presented the petition. They were turned away. "They were very dismissive," one of them said.

"It's embarrassing that the Commission on Presidential Debates is afraid of us," one said.

And a month later, when the outfit announced Candy Crowley of CNN would moderate a debate, no credit was given to the girls who fought for a woman. Geezers Jim Lehrer and Bob Schieffer surrounded Crowley on the schedule, and Martha Raddatz got the B-squad -- the vice presidential candidates.

And last night, Raddatz hit it out of the park. Says the 

Women have moderated a vice presidential debate before, and yet it took schoolgirls in Jersey to point out and put pressure on the fact one hasn't been allowed on the big stage in 20 years.

A lot of people, perhaps, shrugged when the kids pointed out why that matters.

It was a great night for us all, and the country should be proud of three kids with a better grasp on things than the bigshots who run it.

Somewhere out there in the world today,  Robert Bence is riding a Harley looking for people he can help. He's a former Special Forces member, 

 by Daniel Alvarez, the gentleman trying to kayak between northern Minnesota and Key West. Daniel met Mr. Bence while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. He criss-crosses the country now offering to help people with whatever they need help with. He's got a notion to hike to the highest point of every state.

He made it to Minnesota abut the time Alvarez was hitting St. Cloud, he writes...

I'm tracking Mr. Bence down. Look for a future post. He's got NewsCut written all over him.

The marriage amendment has also been a hot topic in Minnesota schools, the 

We did this to people once. We took U.S. soldiers, put them in the desert and then exploded a nuclear bomb. We used them as rats. And bigshots stayed a safe distance away to watch, after telling the young men they were in no danger.

"It's just a disgrace," Joel Healey told Story Corps, 

  Sergeant Major Basil Plumley, who served in three wars,  died at the age of 92 on Wednesday. Command Sgt. Maj. Plumley gained fame for his part in the the battle of Ia Drang in Vietnam in 1965. That fight was depicted in the book and movie We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young.

Is it time to start talking about teen suicide a little more openly?

 reports today that a freshman student was in a freshman algebra class in Fairmount, ND (

southwest of Fergus Falls) yesterday. "The class started at 8:30 a.m. The students said about 10 minutes later the boy handed his girlfriend a note, told the teacher 'I'm sorry,' and then shot himself."

 How do you tell which talking heads on TV have the right facts. It's a mystery, really, isn't it?

An up-close look at the new light-rail cars in the Twin Cities.

 Finally, someone (else) has pointed out 

the message that PBS supporters send when they can only come up with Big Bird as its symbol.

Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan met in their only head-to-head debate before the election. Today's Question: 

What did you think of the Biden-Ryan debate?

 - First hour: The World Press Institute brings 10 Fellows to the U.S. each year. These journalists get immersed in American life and reporting under the First Amendment. This year's fellows are getting an up close look at American elections.  A few of them speak with Kerri about how their countries view American elections and international affairs. What's going on in their countries that we wouldn't always hear about here through our media?

Second hour:  BBC documentary on Kofi Annan.

Third hour: Personal finance with Ruth Hayden.

 (12-1 pm): Rebroadcast of the vice presidential debate.

 -  Is marijuana medicine? Join Ira Flatow for a look at the evidence on cannabis.

-   Writer Ava Duvernay  is a part of a new   wave of black independent  filmmakers.  Her new film, "Middle Of Nowhere," took nine years from conception to finish,  but it brought her a best  director award at the Sundance Film Festival. NPR will have more on her latest movie and her unusual journey from marketing movies to directing them.

NewsCut

Bob Collins

Author

Why we should listen to kids,  traveling the country with offers to help, the future of marriage, our disgraceful past,  and facing reality in our schools.


The winner of last night’s debate: One moderator and three girls (5×8 – 10/12/12)

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