Posted on 08/22/2009 9:28:38 AM PDT by Addicted To LAW
Last fall I took my daughter to school one morning to find one of her 1st grade classmates wearing an Obama hat. For some reason I felt angry and annoyed that a parent sent his child to school advertising for a political candidate. What’s the big deal you ask? It took me a while to figure out why I responded to this child’s hat in this way.
(Excerpt) Read more at addictedtolaw.com ...
One of the best things about parenting is passing on your beliefs to your child. Whether it’s an Obama hat, a crucifix, or a football jersey, I’d say that if your kid agrees with you enough to advertise it you should consider yourself a success.
Thank you!
I think when they are older that’s the case, but a 6 year old is not going to understand.
If a kid is too young to know where babies really come from, then they can’t understand about abortion.
If kids are too young to know where Iraq is, then they can’t understand about the war over there.
If kids are too young to understand how solar energy vs nuclear energy, then they are too young to understand about that debate.
If a child doesn’t know the difference between a legal immigrant and an illegal immigrant then they are too young to understand about that issue.
For example, my kids learned what abortion was when I told them about how babies are made.
This past election, I had my 14 year old son go to vote match and read up on the issues. I didn’t tell him who I was supporting. I told him he needed to figure out where he stood on the issues and then find a candidate that he liked based on that. (He matched Fred Thompson!!)
My 12 year old twin girls don’t understand all the issues (the economy, healthcare, and Ira are the most confusing for them). My girls were shocked that their “Christian” friends were supporting Obama because of his abortion stand. My girls understand that. My girls also understand about the whole global warming issue. My girls also understand the whole education debate because we had lots of problems with public school.
Last summer I listened in on several conversations between my 9 year-old niece and my 11 year-old son. They were discussing how disturbing Obama was and some of the issues he was running on. They really hoped voters wouldn’t be stupid enough to elect him.
I was so heartened and proud.
Back during the 2004 presidential campaign, a middle school student walked into my room and hollered for a Kerry win. When he couldn’t tell the class why he was for Kerry, I sat him at my computer so he could prove his point. By the end of the hour, he decided Kerry wasn’t the man for the job. The student graduated this last May says he’s now an independent thinker.
My son’s involement with state and local politics began in utero. Working with me on political campaigns has taught him lessons that no civics class could match. He has a firm grasp of our ideals and can apply them to the simplest playground challenge or more complex current event. At 10 years old he’s had opportunities and experiences that we have shared that will shape him into the man he will become. He has attended meetings and meals with mayors, state reps and senators, our State Treasurer, Secretary of State, Lt. Gov and Governor Barbour, not because we are big money donors but because we are in the trenches workers. We’ve walked door to door, volunteered at Party headquarters, worked festivals and voter registration tables.He can “talk politics” not by regurgitating talking points but by expressing his carefully considered opinion. One of my proudest moments as a parent occured at Gov. Barbour’s inauguration last year. Shaking hands with Gov. Barbour in the receiving line, he thanked the Gov and First Lady for “getting Mississippi back on her feet” following Hurricane Katrina.
He’s come a long way from his “Babies For Bush” t-shirt!
Every kid is different, but my 6 and 7 year olds have a good grasp on most of the issues you mentioned. Nothing in-depth, but an understanding suited to their level.
Kids can comprehend and judge for themselves anything you take the time to explain.
Just to let you know, I read this on my phone when I was away, unable to respond. I actually wrote down the url so that I could respond when I returned.
You wrote: This boy wearing the Obama hat was clearly too young to have any sense of self beyond his parents and therefore wore the hat because of what his parents believed, not what he believed. In my opinion, these adults were abusing their parental influence to forward their own support of a political candidate.
The child on your blog was wearing an Obama hat. Should we avoid putting religious clothes on our children, too? Mine wore them long before they had any sense of self, which is your criteria.
Nothing is more influencing than one's religious beliefs. Religious beliefs play into political views. Is that wrong, too?
What about educational beliefs and methods? Medical care? Fancy clothes? Plain clothes? Music? Books?
Should parents avoid influencing their children when it comes to education? How about homeschooling? Those parents are influencing their children's education in the most direct way, and they'll almost certainly have a major effect on their children's political views. Is that wrong?
Or is it "just" politics? And if it is "just" politics, why is it "just" politics? We don't reach our political views in a vacuum. They are the result of our life experiences, our religion, our economic status, our education, and much more.
I look forward to your response.
You signed up on FR just to pimp your blog?
Your sign up date is Aug 18, 2009, you’ve posted three threads, all linking to your blog and one comment.
That is not looked highly upon here.
There’s an acronym for that.
IBTZ
I don't think Addicted To LAW have any intention of responding to you or anyone else. They just post and run. I use the plural, because it appears to be an account set up for a group of people to use, to push their communal blog. They even suggest as much on their FR profile page.
Good catch BykrBayb.
The profile page does use *We*.
From its homepage....
“This program is about Local, State and Federal Government. Providing the Facts that goes with the Analysis and Opinions.
We try to give it to you as straight as possible.”
BykrByb, replies are made when possible. We have to be made a aware if there is a need for a reply. This is one of the reasons why we try to encourage readers to post comments on our main site. In order to properly manage replies.
But thank you for at least saying what you said in a nice manner :) Addicted to LAW just learned about FR and we are looking for ways to incorporate FR into our workflow. I’m sure you are aware FR viewer base beats us by X to the 100th power. So we need to properly evaluate such growth so we don’t seem like a post and run shop.
Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any further questions, concerns or feedback at addictedtolaw [ at ] me.com. I thank you and all the other FP’rs for their comments and support. Now to find the one that I should have had the courtesy to return the comment on.
Carlos Rafael Cruz
Addicted to Law.com
Mountainbunny, I am glad to hear that one of our posts engaged you to take action. While I am not going to speak for the author of the post, Autumn Orton is a away, I would like to respond to your well minded points.
Under normal conditions, I would have to agree with you. But with Obama, the Obama Presidency and the Chicago Administration, this has proven to be a completely different presidential cycle that any of us are really used to. Or can even recognize.
Obama is not a president. While he is the President of the United States, he looks as if he is acting to remove the structure of the Presidency and replace it with Obama. Obama, not President Obama, is a cult-of-personality. If you remember, back in 2004, the left tried to give Kerry a quasi-rock-star status, but that failed. With Obama, it looks as if he is drunk with all the popularity. And with that, his followers are mesmerized by his popularity. Can we say the Moonies. A blind following where the members do not question The One or his ways.
So knowing this, a child with an Obama hat, is not the same as a child with a Kerry hat or a Clinton hat. This, like the public schools, is an indoctrination into a cult following. Look at the actions taken by the administration. Have you seen the BarackObama.com website. Look at all the logos they have. They basically cover each type of mainstream lifestyle. Whatever you want, whatever you believe in, Obama is for you. Not President Obama, but Obama
Knowing what Obama, not President Obama, has been “preaching” what do you think this young child with the Obama hat is being fed instead of taught. What values is Obama espousing. President Obama is not espousing anything because he is to busy apologizing to everyone for America’s evilness. Once again, how is this the same from what Religion teaches. Religion, at least, has a fundamental basic value system it teaches. Even the mainstream Democrats have a fundamental value system they go by. It is just a shame the fridge took over their party, but this was bound to happen with the path they were on.
I believe your argument would have standing if The One wasn’t in office. But Obama is in Office. I do not see this as normal politics. This is politics taken to a different level. Not to be mistaken as being taken the “next” level. This is just a level where we have not seen or experienced in this nation.
Parents should be able to teach their children as they see fit. In today’s world, that is not the case. The public school system and mass media have taken over that job. The courts are working to provide children with indepence from the Parents when it comes to parental guideance. So for those who do not wish to think for themselves, what will they feed their children about Obama instead of teaching them about politics and what President Obama is doing.
Carlos Rafael Cruz
Addicted to LAW.com Editor
Comment Line: (408) 904-7611
Blog pimp on deck.
VK on alert....
How dare you parents try to teach your child values or...anything!. That's for the government schools to do...
IB4TZ!
IBTblogpimpZ. Pollution warning—high levels of ozone on FR this morning.
Blog pimp blog pimp
whatcha gonna doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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