Lately, the Left has become enamored with the supposed “wisdom of kids” regarding political issues that any adult should grasp as being beyond a child’s comprehension.
For a while now, tweets from members of the Left that describe the tweeter’s child having parroted a Leftist talking point — as if pure wisdom is spewing from an innocent who has yet to be corrupted by the evils of the world — have been a target of ridicule from adults who know better.
Apparently we’re supposed to be awed by a child’s understanding of the issue in question, and baffled as to how grown adults can’t manage to see these simple truths. However, being adults who used to be, you know, kids, most of us understand how ridiculous these “Lefty phenom” claims are.
It’s gotten worse.
Slate currently has a video published of kids sharing their thoughts on the Trump administration’s now-ended enforcement of long-passed laws requiring the separation of illegal immigrant children from their arrested parents.
First, as only the most obtuse consumer of media would not understand by now, the separation policy was not unique to the Trump administration. As we’ve covered here at PJ Media, the media initially even tried to blame abuse cases that occurred during the Obama administration on Trump.
Second, it’s over. Trump filed an executive order mandating that children be detained with parents.
Third, the policy — which was enacted both as a deterrent and as protection for the unknown number of child victims of sex trafficking — is no different than what occurs every single time a parent gets arrested and detained anywhere on Earth: the family gets separated.
Most importantly, though, these are children we’re talking about here. As a parent myself, I understand kids to some degree.
If encouraged to do so, they will parrot the talking points of their parents and the media they consume. If Junior is in the room while Rachel Maddow is prattling on, and if Mom and Dad agree, he’ll act like a sponge and accept that as fact. The same is true if they’re watching Sean Hannity.
Kids lack the experience to think critically — and independently — about what they’re hearing and to know they can seek out alternative points of view on the topic. After all, the television said it. Mom or Dad said it. Thus, it must be.
Here’s an example. This is my son standing behind me at the April 15, 2009 Tea Party protest in Albany, GA where I was a speaker:
Earlier, he’d been holding a sign that said: “The government put my generation millions in debt and all I got for it was this lousy sign.”
He didn’t really have a choice about going to the protest because I had to head straight there after picking him up from school, but I did ask if he wanted to carry a sign. He answered “yes” enthusiastically. Same with the quote on the sign. He had his picture taken with his sign because, well, he was a cute kid and they liked the message.
But I had no illusions about his own “wisdom.”
He was parroting Dad’s statements. And having fun.
Treating children as if they understand all the issues and nuances involved, and can articulate an opinion they formed on their own, is irrational. If kids’ brains could actually handle all that, they would be mature enough to handle living on their own.
So how about we stop pretending it matters? It doesn’t. They’re simply saying what Mommy and Daddy want to hear.
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