Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
This kind of bothered me. How about you?
Two weeks ago, my husband and I made the decision to homeschool our oldest daughter. There were a lot of reasons, but a few sprung from the pretty convincing book by Marybeth Hicks called, Don't Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid. Now, she doesn't advocate homeschooling. In fact, I think she'd rather us stand up to the garbage by being active in the school community. But we had other reasons for homeschooling as well. Maybe I'll elaborate in another post. (I really should be going over linking verbs right now anyway.) But the point is, I think this is some pretty serious Kool-Aid.
Just curious what you all think ...
h/t Melissa Clouthier's Twitter feed.
Ed note: Member Barbara Lydick posted about this back in August. Hope no one minds the rehash!
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Feb '11
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
Ursula -- Welcome to the wonderful world of homeschooling! I hope and pray your family will find it a blessing as ours does!
This video is so depressing one does not even know where to begin. But in answer to your post question, yes, cute kids can be wrong many times a day. Mine are certainly cute, and often wrong! Heck, even ugly and annoying kids can be wrong!
Jul '10
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
I thought age brought wisdom.
Apparently, I am correct.
Jan '11
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
A virtual garden of useful idiots.
Yes, I know, don't blame the children. But I didn't intend to suggest that the children were innately idiots, they are taught to behave like idiots. I seriously doubt that any of them understood the basics much less the fundamentals of what they were speaking. They look so earnest and so innocent in the presentation, but when you consider who put the propaganda into their mouths, it all looks ugly.
Perhaps the worst part is that the unionized teachers who inculcate such nonsense are themselves useful idiots, but, unlike the children, they're old enough to know better. And, unlike the children, they profit from this nonsense.
Homeschooling is a great idea.
Aug '11
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
"The Van Jones Group" pretty much says it all, doesn't it?
Question: how is this video being used? In schools?
We're in our second year of homeschooling and this second year is going much better than the first. Not that the first was bad, but our seven-year-old regularly tested her boundaries. This year she's far more compliant, but still gripes about math. (The six year old is either the most agreeable student ever, or she's pulling an Eddie Haskell on us.)
Aug '10
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
Augh! Pet peeve alert!
There's nothing wrong with Kool-Aid!
The folk at Jonestown drank Flavor-Aid!
Ok, I feel better now...
Dec '10
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
I would suggest that blaming it all on the unionized (or otherwise) teachers misses the target - badly.
If the parents of these kids disagreed politically with these statements, there's no chance they'd be in this video, regardless of what claptrap a teacher may have tried to inculcate them with. From personal experience of shepherding my kids through 16 years of public school now, the kids who spew this garbage are universally - as in 100% - from households where a) the parents already spew the same stuff; or b) the parents are for one reason or another out of the picture.
I'm not saying that there aren't teachers trying to indoctrinate the kids, but an involved parent can set the kids on the right track. Blaming it all on the teachers just further excuses parents who aren't staying connected.
Feb '11
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
The left understands that co-opting the educational process from start to finish is the crucial element in implementing their long term objectives. If their hold can't be broken we really are doomed.
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
The Great Adventure!: I would suggest that blaming it all on the unionized (or otherwise) teachers misses the target - badly.
If the parents of these kids disagreed politically with these statements, there's no chance they'd be in this video, regardless of what claptrap a teacher may have tried to inculcate them with. From personal experience of shepherding my kids through 16 years of public school now, the kids who spew this garbage are universally - as in 100% - from households where a) the parents already spew the same stuff; or b) the parents are for one reason or another out of the picture.
I'm not saying that there aren't teachers trying to indoctrinate the kids, but an involved parent can set the kids on the right track. Blaming it all on the teachers just further excuses parents who aren't staying connected.
Agree completely.
BTW, our choice to homeschool had virtually nothing to do with our daughter's school or teachers. In fact, in our experience, teachers and administrators have been completely motivated to do right by our and others' children. We have encountered no individuals who we believed to be agents of the left, etc.
Aug '10
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
It's horrifying that people are willing to use innocent children this way.
Sep '10
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
Utterly vomitous agitprop. The comintern would be proud.
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
Ursula, good luck! I've seen friends do home-schooling very successfully.
The video is ghastly - a moveon.org production, I see. But there's no evidence that teachers are using that particular video in the classroom, right? Right? Right? (in ever-rising tones of desperation).
Dec '10
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
Ursula Hennessey
Agree completely.
BTW, our choice to homeschool had virtually nothing to do with our daughter's school or teachers. In fact, in our experience, teachers and administrators have been completely motivated to do right by our and others' children. We have encountered no individuals who we believed to be agents of the left, etc. · Nov 11 at 9:47am
Thanx Ursula. The topic of home schooling has always been a very touchy one around our home. My wife comes from a family where her father was a dedicated educator his entire life, and we've always been very supportive of our fellow Christians who choose this career path - they're likely impacting more than most in the ministry.
We've also experienced significant levels of "holier than thou" from both home schooling parents and those who choose to put their kids in private Christian schools. I'm quite comfortable that you won't go down that path, but it tends to bring forth a knee jerk from me along the lines of "those who choose to hide their light under a bushel basket..." That reaction makes me every bit as guilty, however.
Jan '11
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
The Great Adventure!: I would suggest that blaming it all on the unionized (or otherwise) teachers misses the target - badly.
If the parents of these kids disagreed politically with these statements, there's no chance they'd be in this video, regardless of what claptrap a teacher may have tried to inculcate them with.
I'm not saying that there aren't teachers trying to indoctrinate the kids, but an involved parent can set the kids on the right track. · Nov 11 at 9:28am
But, involved parents are keeping their kids on track, just the wrong one. Remember, these parents were taught by post-60's radicalized teachers themselves, so it's what comes naturally to them. I commend your involvement with your children's education, but I' agree that the parents of the children in that video smiled while their children spouted the union propaganda. Would you have smiled, too?
The issue here is homeschooling, and that video stands as clear evidence that public schools are making idiots of our children. If you're a parent that provides balance, than good for you, but know that you're rare among parents.
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
These children in this video can have no understanding of the negative implications of most of these policies. But then neither do the adults who made it.
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
The popularity of the planted axiom of this execrable production--that public policy should be set on the basis of emotion not reason--is a key reason we find ourselves in the current mess.
Cuteness would not have moved the Founding Fathers but, alas, it is what passes for argument across wide swathes of the 21st century electorate.
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
The Great Adventure!
Ursula Hennessey
We've also experienced significant levels of "holier than thou" from both home schooling parents and those who choose to put their kids in private Christian schools. I'm quite comfortable that you won't go down that path, but it tends to bring forth a knee jerk from me along the lines of "those who choose to hide their light under a bushel basket..." That reaction makes me every bit as guilty, however. · Nov 11 at 10:44am
I think this is a very fair critique of homeschooling. Something we considered very seriously. Is it better to try and change the world from within or without? Then again, in our case, we had to consider the (our) child. In our case, we are not making some sort of political or religious stand or statement. We honestly believe it's best for our child. That said, we also believe that being a very involved part of society -- secular society, with all its glorious values and flaws -- is crucial.
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
Anon
The issue here is homeschooling, and that video stands as clear evidence that public schools are making idiots of our children. If you're a parent that provides balance, than good for you, but know that you're rare among parents.
Anon, I hesitate to agree with the first sentence. I do think some (even many?) public schools do more good than harm. I do agree that parents must be extremely vigilant. Providing balance takes a lot of time and effort in the form of following curriculum changes carefully and making oneself heard at meetings, etc.
Honestly, I didn't mean to connect this video with public schools. Perhaps noting our choice to homeschool didn't belong in this post. I guess I just had to wonder about these kids, their parents, and what these kids are learning at school that makes them so quick to be part of something with such a clear agenda. Regardless of parent point of view, I would hope that parents would want their children to learn the basics (straight up) before making political statements. Don't we all hope our children come to their own conclusions, achieved thoughtfully, whatever they might be?
May '10
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
I have never understood how people who use children as spokespeople for various political positions can believe that that would be an effective form of persuasion especially when those who are to be persuaded are adults. I know few grown-ups who respond positively to being lectured to by a precocious child regardless of the argument's merits. It's just annoying, and it's hard to escape the feeling that the child - who is obviously too young to formulate the sophisticated arguments they spout - is being used, and deprived of one of childhood's greatest gifts - the luxury of being carefree.
Aug '10
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
Love the "stop recognizing corporations as people" trope at the end. For people who don't realize that corporate personhood is what allows corporations to be held accountable before the law...
Jul '10
Re: Cute Kids Can't Be Wrong, Can They?
Excellent point, Midge. Not to mention, it's the basis on which they're taxed.