Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
"Daddy, What's a Union?" 10 Words Our Kids May Not Recognize
http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/153681/%22daddy%2C_what%27s_a_union%22_10_words_our_kids_may_not_recognize/By far, the laziest, most vapid articles annually published during this post-holiday season are lists of the past years top 10 words and aphorisms. Admittedly, the sloth of such an endeavor tempts me. But as a new dad obsessed with my 1-year-old sons future, I think Ive got a more worthy list to add to the pile one of current words and phrases that my kid may never know because they might end up as relics of a lost vernacular.
Here are those harrowing 10. I hope Im wrong but fear Im not.
10. Civil liberties
My son will surely read the U.S. Constitution in civics class, and hell see stuff about rights to jury trials, due process and protection from unreasonable searches. But these freedoms have been extinguished by presidents successively claiming powers of indefinite detention, warrantless surveillance and assassination of American citizens without charge. Assuming theres still an ACLU that sends me mail and assuming my son sees the mail, he might ask, What are civil liberties, Dad? My response: Good question.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
8 replies, 1836 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (5)
ReplyReply to this post
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
"Daddy, What's a Union?" 10 Words Our Kids May Not Recognize (Original Post)
xchrom
Jan 2012
OP
sinkingfeeling
(51,444 posts)1. So sad, so true.
Autumn Colors
(2,379 posts)2. Huh?
"My son will surely read the U.S. Constitution in civics class"
Public schools still offer civics classes?
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)3. To most children I'm guessing unions are
a bit bigger than shallots.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)6. hey HuckleB!
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,868 posts)5. That's where it starts.
Then its....
Daddy whats a vacation?
Daddy whats a doctors office?
Daddy whats a weekend?
Daddy do I have to clean the toilets at school again?
msongs
(67,381 posts)7. start with a rote regurgitation pledge to a piece of cloth. kids know not what those words mean
in most cases
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)8. #1 brings a tear to my eye as a former journalist...
somewhere on that list also belongs, "monopoly"...They used to be something we feared, regulated and broke up if they got too big...Now our government actually encourages them to form and the word is just a board game...