It's obvious after reading posts like Marisa's ode to Philly Water Ice that the treat is a well-deserved one after a long, hot day in the city.
But should we be using it - along with pizza and candy - to bribe Philly youth?
In West Philly's 19th District, police will begin an initiative called "positive ticketing," in which they will award prizes (see: candy and junk food) to kids they see doing "good deeds" like helping elderly citizens across the street, or cleaning up a neighborhood block. So far, local businesses like 7-Eleven, Applebee's, Lucky Pizza, and Rita's Water Ice have donated food or gift certificates to the program.
It's important to encourage kids to do good deeds. But there are several problems I see with this method.
-The most obvious: should we really be teaching children that good deeds are rewarded with junk food? Not only is this unhealthy, but it instills an unrealistic ideal in kids that they should only do nice things for people when it benefits them, instead of simply doing good things for people because it is the right thing to do.
-"Good deed" is an awfully objective term. What appears to be a kid going above and beyond to one person might look like a normal, expected task to another.
-What happens when one kid among a group is awarded a treat, but their friends aren't? Wouldn't this just encourage unwanted jealously and aggressiveness toward the "good" kid?
-What if there's a chance to do something good for someone else, but there are no police officers to be seen? Will the kid still lend a helping hand, or eschew the chance because there's no reward?
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