Jon Hunter Talks Tough on Child Mortality

In a remarkable departure from his characteristically mild editorialese, MDL publish Jon Hunter calls his fellow citizens to task on South Dakota's atrocious child mortality rate. Lambasting the notion that our "fiercely independent" spirit and our farm culture entitle kids to drive whenever they want, Hunter says, "South Dakota needs to get with the program. Children deserve to live past their 18th birthday, regardless of how 'independently' we think" [Jon Hunter, "When Are We Going to Improve Child Safety in South Dakota?" Madison Daily Leader, 2007.08.07, p.3]. This regular reader can attest that such stern language from our man Hunter is rare but greatly appreciated.

Hunter rightly points to car accidents as a big factor in our child mortality rate; now, toward what problem will Hunter direct his stern words to address the problem of infant mortality?