I usually reserve this blog for updates on my family and positive musings on life.
But, today, I digress.....
Last night, as N and I finished up with children's choir and were headed to pick up L, I heard some disturbing conversation coming from some elementary age children.
These kids were discussing how if Hillary Clinton is elected President it will be the anti-Christ having power. What?!?!? First off, where are they hearing this? My guess is at home and it really bothers me. Why? Several reasons:
1) Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on politics (I certainly have mine!) but we must be careful how we discuss politics around children. Should a candidate be described as the anti-Christ simply because we don't like them?
2) We should be teaching our children respect for others. In particular, respect for adults. If they don't hear it from us, guess what? they won't hear it or learn it.
3) I believe that God will place into power the person who is right at this time for the job. It may or may not be the person I think should be in power, but I should respect and honor that person. If for no other reason than because it's the right thing to do. God gives us authority in our lives and we are to honor that authority whether it is a President, Pastor, teacher, parent, boss - whomever..
4) Why not discuss the issues with your children in a very positive way? Discuss what are the most important issues for your family or for our country and have your kids research to see which candidates tend to line up with their opinions. Have them decide whom they would vote for if they were able to vote. (Not who the parents would vote for, but them) This could be a great exercise in learning as well as using their abilities to make independent choices. A skill they will definitely need later in life.
It makes me sad to see young elementary aged children already voicing the opinions I hear from adults all the time. Often, misinformed, paranoid opinions without much basis in fact.
Please vote. Please explain to your children the voting process and the issues. But, please, please, please don't tell your children that any of the candidates are the anti-Christ, a terrorist, or any other negative thing that just isn't true!
Thank you!
2 comments:
Anti-Christ? I don't think so. We all need to remember what kind of things we are teaching our children. I agree, positive lessons are really the best ones. And what better one than the process of voting. They will surely experience voting in their own schools in the not so distant future.
It sure is easier for me to see the flaws of others and I so enjoy doing that rather than taking on the hard work of introspection. If I manage to be able to stay safe here long enough, my rut grows so deep that its edges become my horizon. Inevitable anti-Christ behavior in other persons comes into view occasionally from my safe niche. I see it for what it obviously is; the spectre of evil trapping me where I am. And so I teach my children what home looks like. And they war with that all their lives; home in the safe rut where fear drains or home on the scary plain where they can lift up their eyes and see, that on that "good" Friday, most everyone found a way to be an anti-Christ. But the story didn't end there...
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