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The upside is Abercrombie did the right thing
We have our doubts that the same-sex marriage issue deserves as much of the blame as Gov. Neil Abercrombie gave it for torpedoing his chances for a second term. The governor had detractors in multiple constituencies who helped shape the primary election results.
But given that the two most prominent advocates for marriage equality took the hit at the polling booth — Abercrombie and state Sen. Clayton Hee — the imprint of this issue can’t be denied.
And if pushing the same-sex marriage bill to passage is to Abercrombie’s credit, it’s a worthy legacy. Achieving this advance in civil rights for all Hawaii residents was the right thing to do.
Pay attention to those first 3 years of life
Neuroscience is reshaping many ideas about education, as researchers learn more and more about how young brains develop and how children learn best. There’s a broad belief among researchers that more brain connections form in the first three years of life than will ever be connected again.
That’s why it’s so important for parents to engage with their little ones, to talk, read, dance, sing and play. Get those neural synapses firing. The same is true for little ones in day care or preschool. The quality of the child-care program really counts.