Kids, toddlers, and babies at the "Tea Parties"--THIS pisses me off

[underpants]

For all the work I have done on three separate campaigns since 2004 not one not ONCE did I ever even consider taking my now 3 year old anywhere NEAR a campaign event. Not once.

I was asked about this by my folks and my wife's but we had already (at the very instance it crossed our minds) decided that it was proper and it wasn't fair. We would make time for either one of us to go but not with Josie.

She isn't old enough to make up her mind

I hope she is smart enough to think like I do but she is her own person...or will be when she needs to consider such things

That is absolutely intolerable - and yes this goes for anyone doing this for any reason.

IMHO

[stillcool]

1. Nah...I've seen lots of kids..

at political rallies..which is what this was. I always associated protests with marches, and lots of police. Republicans do it differently I guess?

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Reminds me of the Palin campaign rallies.

"Exploit" is a word that comes to mind.

[sandnsea]

3. I've seen kids at lots of Dem/Left events

Maybe you don't take yours, but lots of people do.

[emilyg]

11. You bet. I took my kid.

[applegrove]

4. I would think that taking a kid to a demonstration is a good thing so long as you stay miles away

from any violence. I used to go to war memorials with my dad as a kid. Had a lasting effect on me. I just wish I had been to demonstrations as a kid though.

That being said I don't think it is very healthy for anyone to go to a tea bagging party because unless the person happens to be actuallly rich..they are just being used by the rich so the rich can try and squiggle out of paying like 3% more in taxes. I don't reccommend that anyone, let alone children, allow themselves to be used.

[mitchum]

5. Pimp the kids

[noamnety]

6. I don't have a problem with that.

I've seen enough little ones at events for the left that for a while during the 2004 campaign cycle I was stuffing a bag with slimfast bars, because I always seemed to see the kids whining for a snack and the parents didn't have anything handy. It was nice to be able to offer the parent something that wasn't complete junk that was a single serving and in a sealed wrapper that they could give their child.

I think it's probably a good thing for a kid to see their parent being politically involved - even if they grow up to have different views than their parents. At least they are getting a message about citizen participation and democracy.

[walkaway]

7. Don't worry, as soon as they become teenagers they will be running away from these geeks

The teabaggers are the least cool group of people in the world. Young people skeeve at goobers like this.

[csziggy]

8. The most kids I ever saw at a protest was at a "pro-life" one

And they had very young kids waving signs at the edge of the traffic driving by. Since there were already police there, I let it go, but I did think about calling the child protective services. It looked dangerous for the kids.

[seabeyond]

9. i have been taking mine since babies, even in the voting process. some in 2004

a lot in 2008 but they were 11 and 13 by then. i think it is a wonderful lesson and experience and knowledge for kids, and all can be done age appropriate. but then when they were young and in a christian school that turned harsh with 2004 election and the harsh rw christian coalition starting about 2002, we have always tackled tough social issues and none of this is new to them

further

i insist my kids aren't allowed to parrot. they are not allowed to state opinion if they have no idea what they are talking, they must express and expand in thought and explore all sides and the biggest i insist with my kids, even in disagreement they MUST MUST have RESPECT for differing views and people at all times.

i dont have a problem with the right bringing these kids to this event. it is the anger and hatred that i would have issue with exposing the kids to because as i said previously and will reiterate, i insist we are respectful to one another at all times.

[underpants]

20. post #19

Okay I should have been more clear. I am really opposed to using them as props not taking them to events like this.

[seabeyond]

21. i will say, after posting this to you, i was watching maddow and some of the signs. disgusting

revolting, hateful, wrong and those are the kids of things i will not allow children to be a part of. NOW, i would stand off and allow the children to see this stuff, (not be a part) and we would use the hate, the ugly as a lesson in what is not healthy, good and acceptable in our family and why it is wrong and hurtful to individuals and us as a nation

[TahitiNut]

10. I admire the ethical line you've drawn.

Clearly, not everyone would be as diligent in keeping one's political opinions from being imposed on their kids, but I respect the attention to such details in being committed to such principles.

[Luminous Animal]

16. Indeed.

And, no doubt, underpants, is similarly diligent in keeping any and all opinions to himself until that time his kid is self-aware enough to make up her mind.

[Luminous Animal]

12. I took my kid to every event and protest

since 4 months old when I carried her in an AIDS march. I marched every night for weeks in protest of the first Gulf War when she was a little over a year old. By the age of 13, she was prepared to be arrested protesting the invasion of Iraq.

Are you saying that you do not influence your daughter in other areas of her life?

I see no problem with the left or the right raising and involving their children in their political activities. Both the left and the right bring their children to church and, certainly, kids are not old enough to exercise their own free will as to whether or not there is a god?

Other values that I "imposed" on my child... giving to the homeless, volunteering at the food back, cleaning up the beach, picking up trash in front of the house, lending our friends and neighbors any possession that they needed, eating only organic, buying only used items (except for the things that we bought for "Toys for Tots").

While she was growing up, I lived and breathed political activism. I could no more exclude her from those activities that comprised me as a human being than I could have excluded her from teaching her how to garden.

When I was 5, I brought cocoa to strikers in with my mom. I walked the picket line with my dad and I was proud to do it. At age 10, I organized my first charity benefit show with the kids in my neighborhood and did so for the next 5 years. I went on my first anti-war march with my Aunt when I was 9 and there was no doubt that I was (and still am) anti-war.

[Bluerthanblue]

17. word up!

We teach our children by our examples- My kids have joined me in nearly every socially relevant activity I've been involved with since their births- from protesting Seabrook to protesting Iraq-

I wouldn't put a sign around their necks- (but I haven't forbidden them to carry signs they made themselves) and USE them as props- but to forbid them from participating? no way. For some reason the concept reminds me of 'abstinence only' sex ed.

:shrug:

[underpants]

19. Of course I influence her

I try to anyway but we are careful about discussing things in front of her-not that it work, she invited an Obama song all by herself.

I should have included in the original post that I understand if you can't find someone to watch the kid and really feel the need to go AND
if you are just trying to expose them to different experiences like my always making sure she sees me run marathons and reminding her every day that "Daddy went for a run today" (to make sure she is aware of exercise being a daily activity option) but my problem with this is using the kids as a prop or using them to get on camera which IMHO was widely done today.

I am not backpedaling I just should have been more clear.

[NeedleCast]

13. Do you have the some intolerance for people on the left who do it?

[mwei924]

14. I would never take a kid out of a school day for a protest...

If the President or a really good candidate had a rally, probably yes. But protests can get really nasty..

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Freepers keep the tea bagging in the family.

[DangerousRhythm]

18. Agreed... this one is pretty disgraceful:

That poor kid. There were some other kids there holding up signs but the one I took above was probably the worst of it.