...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Wednesday, August 13, 2003
      ( 10:01 AM )
 
How To Talk To Your Kids About President Bush

Thanks to Maru for pointing us towards Katrina Vanden Heuvel's article giving us Tips on How to Talk to our children about President Bush...

ON THE EVE of the Clinton impeachment hearings in 1998, the
Sexuality Information and Education Council sent out ''Ten Tips
for Talking about the Starr Report with your Children.''

[...]

It's now 2003, and if the events of these last weeks don't provide
parents with that special opportunity to talk to their children about
the president and values such as truth, lies, and consequences,
then I don't know what does.

So, with all due credit to the Sexuality Information and
Education Council, here are ''Tips for Talking about President
Bush with Your Children'':

Think about your values as they relate to this situation. What
are your family's values about telling the truth? What would you
do if your child lied to you and when you scolded him or her, he
or she replied: ''I am not a fact-checker.'' Or added, ''Isn't it
time to move on?''

Ask your children to tell you what words mean to them.
Explain that words have consequences and lies can come
in two, six or 16 words.

Clarify facts. Give short, age-appropriate answers.
Explain that shifting strategies at damage control only lead
to more unanswered questions. Make clear that even if
facts are malleable for President Bush, they're not malleable
in your home. Explain that even though the White House
strategy may be to say whatever is necessary, even if they
have to admit later that what they said the first time wasn't
exactly true, you don't do it that way yourself.

Ms. Vanden Heuvel makes a good point underneath her satire. One has to wonder what the parents who declare "I still support him because he is a strong leader" are communicating to their children. It's okay to lie, mislead and start wars, but only if you're "strong" when you do it? These are not the values we teach our children, they shouldn't be the values we project to the world. Now's also a good time to teach our children how lots of people voting can actually change our country for the good...



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