Peanuts and Cracker Jack

The latest story about ballparks taking a night and setting aside a section in the press box or club level or something for kids with peanut allergies. The Twins did something like this earlier this year, and I think a couple of other teams have done it too. It's a neat idea.

However -- and please don't take this as criticism of these events or the kids or anything because it certainly is not -- where were all the kids with peanut allergies 20-30 years ago? There were never any special accommodations for kids with such allergies like those described in the story (e.g. separate tables in cafeterias) when I was a kid, nor do I remember any of my school chums going into anaphylactic shock due to the proximity of a Snickers bar. Flash forward to last Wednesday when I had to bring snacks for my daughter's preschool, and I pretty much had to sign a blood oath that I wouldn't so much as think of a peanut for three days on either side.

I don't mean to sound cranky -- my brief Googling of the subject reveals that, yessir, this is a real problem and that kids are dying from peanut allergies -- I just have no idea where it came from.