PistolWhipt

I got young un's from 4 to 17 and am also considered somewhat "heavy handed". When we start out as parents, we all have grandious ideas about how we are gonna raise our kids, and what things we are gonna do differently than our parents (cuz OBVIOUSLY we know more than they do) and so on and so forth ...

Then reality strikes .... those are the screaming brats in the mall that are cussing at their folks, kicking and screaming when they don't get the crappy little plastic toy in the window.

We see that by good guidance and a firm but fair hand, our kids start molding into the kind of people they should be. Those without kids are entitled to their ideas and opinions ... but without actually "hoeing that row", they are just words.

PISTOL

HOHN

^^^ Really, Begle, I trust you are being sarcastic, as this is about the single most ignorant statement I've ever seen posted on the internet.

It's called PARENTING. If you aren't "brainwashing" your kids, then you are FAILING AS A PARENT.


Need I elaborate more on the ludicrous assertion contained in your (hopefully sarcastic) post, or is it evident to you as well??

JLH

Begle1

I maintain that demonstrating to your child that the proper way to deal with liberals is to run away and isolate yourselves from them is brainwashing your child into an overzealous fear, disrespect or perhaps even hatred of liberals.

I cannot argue on this subject except on one leg since, as I have previously stated, I am not a parent. But here it goes, once more, anyhow: the goal of parenting is to raise a child with as clear of a perception of the world as possible. It is well within the duty of parents to "brainwash" their children into morality or other such beliefs. However, it is not within the duty of parents to "brainwash" their children by altering their view of the world, like making liberals seem like subhumans that must be avoided at all cost. The latter is the course into mediocrity, unflexibility, terrorism, extremism, or perhaps all of the world's problems.

You can teach your child what is right and wrong, but you must retain honesty and set an honest example in order to ensure that you child understands the world for what it really is and isn't living in a virtual shadow his parent's zeal. And it definitely affects your child's view of the world if from your example he comes to believe that one must be afraid of and run away from preaching liberals.


And ultimately, if a parent doesn't affect his child's view of the world and only imparts his sense of morality and beliefs upon the child, then the child retains the capability to become himself and adopt his own code of morality and beliefs at a later date. Otherwise, if the parent does indeed permanently skewer his childs view of the world, then the child will be incapable of developing into himself because he is making decisions based on what his father believes exists, rather than on reality.

gunracer1

man you are off in the head, teaching your children what is right and wrong is pretty simple. heck i know more than a few guys that are murders, i don't bring my children around them either. so by your mindset i need to bring my children to a torture camp just so they will have that experince first hand. just to know it is wrong is not good enough. the worst thing is i can look back and see myself with many of the same views you have now. but when you start thinking about the future of your children you get a better picture of what will help them to become adults, that can take care of themselfs.

Begle1

First of all, I avoid to see how that is the "worst" thing...


I have never said anything about first hand experiance. I don't think that a child has to burn themselves on the stove, or be tortured, or be sodomized in order to form their own perspectives on the world. However, they do need to now what sodomy is, that torture exists and that stoves are hot. And they need to honestly know what sodomy is, that torture exists and that stoves are hot. I'm only complaining on the exaggerated examples which parents are teaching by, the parent that says "everybody from San Fransisco is gay and is doomed to Hell!" or the parent that says "Our troops in Vietnam tortured babies!".

Children rely on parents to recieve a lot (although by no means all) of their knowledge of the world. This must be unadultered knowledge, free of embellishment.

So, let's play the "Good Vs. Bad" game:

Good: Cars are dangerous and kill a lot of people.
Bad: Corvairs are death-traps and everybody that has ever ridden in one has had their ********* burned off.

Good: A lot of Europeans are gay.
Bad: France has a negative growth-rate because all of the men are gay.

Good: Indian's don't like Americans.
Bad: Indians all want to kill American's on sight and will put you in a torture camp!

Good: Liberals are crazy and wrong.
Bad: Liberals must be avoided and isolated because they are all evil.

Notice that none of the examples above have to do with morality. What is right and wrong is open range and must be taught by parents. Nor do I have a problem with the fact that parents don't want their children to relate with those who do not fit in with their morality. However, by running away from liberals you are, through example, sending an unreal and corrupting message about the world. So, if you had it your way, your son would deal with liberals in his life by running away? Or will he just have such a fear of the liberals, for something that you run away from surely must be fearful, that he wants to go Timothy McVeigh and blow them all up? Or, less extreme, he will just disrespect them and go through his life being ignorant and getting fired by all of his liberal bosses.

Ultimately I am saying that it is not wrong to keep your children from interacting with liberals (although that is somewhat crazy and representative of the kind of person you are). However, I do believe that it is wrong to make liberals seem like threats that must be avoided. By doing so you are placing the entire liberal population of America in a false light.

kelley15

When I look in to my crystal ball... I keep seeing a padlock for some reason.

Lary Ellis (Top)

Again we slip into the abyss of nonsense and rhetoric from one who has no experience in the subject but wishes only to set the tone so he may continue to argue the point...any point in hopes of getting the thread shut down.

He succeeded in his goal, but should take note that it was the LAST time it will be allowed here.