I say “stop kid-proofing the island” because people keep taking away stuff that kids love and are perfectly capable of playing on safely by themselves. For example, at the Farmers Market they cut down the bottom branches of the climbing tree, which all the kids loved, making it impossible to even get a foot off the ground.

Recently, an expert said that there was a choking hazard at the top of the old slide at Ober Park and that the slide “didn’t meet the newer fall ratings.” So, for these reasons they tore it down and replaced it with a $12,000 short plastic tube slide. Couldn’t the old one be fixed for less money?

Hey! I’m a kid and I loved that slide. Sure, I’ve skinned my knees a few times but it never killed anyone. And “fall ratings”? The whole point is to take a risk.

If there are any kids out there reading this, then I hope you agree. I stand for the fact that kids can take care of themselves.

— Isabella Peani, age 9