Protective parents destroy society from within

If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.
- Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (1928- )

That's a tough one to swallow, isn't it? If we truly believe in freedom of expression, then we must allow, unimpeded, expression of ideas that are revolutionary, anti-social, potentially treasonous, prejudiced or obscene.

Isn't that like inviting your own society to be destroyed by itself, like cannibalism? Bear with me to see how this would not be the case.

There has been a movement in western countries for many decades that says, essentially, keep the children innocent for as long as possible. Aren't they cute at two years? Why can't they just stay that way?

Look around you. Has this deep-seeded practice worked?

We have pets for people who want what they own to remain the same. Children are for growing. They are not pets and they must not be kept in the dark.

The job of parents is to grow their children into confident and competent adults. That can't be done by keeping them ignorant. Nothing gets better with ignorance or denial.

Parents desperately need teaching moments in the white bread world that most families live in today. Actions and ideas that clearly violate what most of us believe in provide just those moments.

Those who want to keep their children innocent for as long as possible invariably wait too long. The negative influences are out there persuading the kids to go their way, to do their own thing, stuff their parents wouldn't want them to do. It's exciting for them to taste bread that's not white.

Keeping kids on a leash, whether the leash be real or emotional, is wrong when it means that the parents don't fulfill their essential responsibilities to teach their children when they are young.

Every parent must be a teacher. Every teacher must be a substitute parent. The evidence to support this abounds in sociological literature.

When parents refuse to be teachers and parents do not allow teachers to fulfill the role of parent when their children are in their charge, there will be trouble.

Look around you. The trouble is everywhere.

And so easily solved if we would only let go of this stupid notion of treating children like pets.

Bill Allin
'Turning It Around: Causes and Cures for Today's Epidemic Social Problems,' striving to teach parents how to be teachers and teachers how to be in loco parentae. The book contains manuals for parents and teachers, something not available anywhere else (in this form).
Learn more at http://billallin.com