Welcome to Elmo’s World!  Today Elmo is thinking about…War!

Newsweek reports in their May 12, 2008 issue that Sesame Street is offering free special edition DVDs titled "Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes." The DVD stars the omnipresent red muppet, Elmo, and his friend, the guitar-slinging, Spanish-speaking Rosita, "to teach children of military families how to cope when a parent is deployed—or returns home wounded." This is part of "Sesame Street's Military Initiative," and new episodes in this series "go deeper, tackling the baggage of a spiraling war by teaching children how to adjust to redeployments and the scars that soldiers bring home." Topics discussed include parents leaving for long periods of time (to war) and when parents return home "different" (read: without the limbs they left with). The DVDs are free for anyone who requests one. Sesame Street is to be applauded for making an effort to assist the families of soldiers fighting in Iraq, especially while our government falls down on the job. McCain's made gestures towards strengthening veterans' health care, but considering the Maverick's opposition to the Webb GI Bill this week - a bill that would provide full tuition to state schools for returning soldiers - it seems even a furry red monster is more serious about effectively helping soldiers and their families than the GOP presidential pick. Go team. Download and watch the episodes or, if you're a member of the military, order your DVD kit here.