CBS premiered Kid Nation, a series in which a group of 40 kids (well, now we’re down to 39 because Jimmy, an 8 year old mop top from New Hampshire, was smart enough to get out quick largely because he was homesick) work together to build a thriving community in an abandoned city. The kids are given the basics – a place to sleep, one port-a-potty to share and a mess hall. They have to cook and do all the chores to keep this town afloat, including governance.

Now, adults can’t do most of this stuff that well. One just has to look at the current administration in Washington for an example of that.

We’re also pretty sure that kids shouldn’t be left entirely to their own devices – except for a camera crew – for days on end. Some of these children aren’t old enough to work a stove, much less cook on an old-fashioned one. Heck, we can’t even figger out one of those puppies.

Many of the children were horribly homesick like poor Jimmy and council member, Taylor. Taylor is a ten year old beauty queen who doesn’t like to do dishes. She did eventually decide to stay.

But should any of these children?

NO. Kid Nation is a horrible experiment. Hopefully it won’t go awry like the allegorical novel “Lord of the Flies”, penned by Noble Prize winner William Golding. These children should be supervised by an adult all the time. They should have chores and work hard, yes – every child needs to learn the value of hard work. However, they don’t need to compete against each other for coins and spend them all the way they see fit. Some of these children bought candy without having any nutrition in their system.

Where’s the fresh water? The protein? Why did they make the kids choose between more  port-a-potties and a TV? They deserve sanitary pooping quarters or disease will run rampant through their new society. We don’t think CBS would want a bunch of sick children on their hands.

Looking at Bonanza City, NM makes us cringe. We would not want our children to take part in this series even if they could earn a solid-gold star worth $20,000.

That’s a pittance compared to what children are worth.

Overall, we feel that Kid Nation exploits children instead of celebrating them. We are saddened that it even made it on the air.