Although, I realize the importance of bestowing values upon your children, was it really necessary for them to accompany you to the rally? Politics are something that infants and children generally know nothing about. Why should they? They’re children. Standing your kin outside for an hour, in the middle of January,to honor YOUR political beliefs seems a bit self fulfilling. Don’t you think?
–BIG L
This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2010.
As long as they don’t make them carry signs and wear buttons I don’t think it’s too bad.
Not at all.
My children go with me, ask to go with me, it’s exciting for them and they now ask intelligent questions that I answer honestly and give different view points on the pros and cons of what we are doing there and why “some” people believe its right and others believe it’s wrong.
My children do not nessecarily have the same beliefs as me, but they do realize that it is important to challenge things that impact them, our community and our world if they believe in the cause themselves.
I have seen these “values” come into play when trying to be deterred by a guidance counsellor to take “basic” level courses and standing up and saying to that counsellor “No, I know I can apply myself more and I won’t limit my future, I am choosing academic courses”… if that is what I am instilling in my children then paint me guilty of doing so.
Happy to be raising independant thinkers, it’s what every parent should aim to do. Better than sitting them infront of Teletoon or the Wii.
it’s all part of a democratic process, that by the way, should be taught to as young as possible. to instill some sense of open honest representation to the people.if you never take you kid to anything else, at least know that by doing this one thing,you might have produced a better citizen,and/or politition for tomorrow.hat’s off to those that did take their kids.and to the o.p. here,get a fucking life.
Why not ?
We make them go to the church of our choice…which was forced on us by our parents & their parents, & so on,& on & On ! ! !
Teach them early …all politicians are crooks.
All of them are evil
& all of them are liars.
And it is a rare occassion that there is one elected, who actually puts the interests of the people who elected them, above their own interests…& more importantly above the interests of the “Party”…which is in charge of them & isn’t elected ~;) wink ,wink
But don’t bother to teach them, they are all the same & no matter what choices we make, we’re phuqued . Save somthing for them to learn on their own, so they don’t get completely discouraged.
I think its great to get kids involved in this kind of thing.
It teaches them that democracy is something valuable and worth engaging in.
Maybe they will be less likely to grow into apathetic teenagers and non-voting young adults. It is scary that our governments are chosen by senior citizens, for the most part. They are the only demographic that consistently shows up to vote….
Not that seniors don’t deserve a say – because of course they do – but lets face it, we need some youth and energy injected in there as well! Teaching kids that politics are important sows the seeds. So yeah, you’re wrong OP.
Well, it’s questionable how much an infant is going to get out of the experience, so the OP has a point. My guess is they just couldn’t find a sitter.
I could see the point if the rally would actually be worth attending. Problem with that particular rally is that it was a massive circle jerk, and didn’t do shit.
Besides, I seriously doubt that a child has the complex thinking to deal with complex issues like proroguing Parliament, and the political motives behind it. A teenager maybe, a child, no. Kids nowadays aren’t allowed to be innocent, allow them to revel in that ignorance before you expose them to the daily shit that is being an adult.
That’s like parents who force their children to attend church. How about letting the children decide what they believe in and when to go. Stop brainwashing children!
Big difference between dragging infants and toddlers to a rally because you don’t have a baby sitter and forcing them to hold placards they know/care nothing about and brainwashing. Let’s not get carried away here.
I was 9 years old when my parents took me to my first rally. I had so many questions, but they answered every one of them. That first rally instilled in me a sense of pride in our democratic system here in Canada. While More is right that the system is full of crooks, not every single one of them is evil. My parents taught me this right from the beginning and I couldn’t wait to start voting. When I finally reached voting age I was so excited to cast my first ballot that I was literally shaking. I think democracy is a wonderful thing and that everyone should excercise their right to vote. If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain about poilitics. If you’re not willing to put forth the energy to try and make a change, you have NO right to complain about it afterwards.
I don’t think theres nothing wrong with it . It wasn’t like they brought them to “bunfights ” on the streets. The faster kids learn – the faster they become part of and learn our process.
I would have a problem if it was a violent protest – which I don’t think it was . Longs they weren’t holding placards . People have to stop sheltering kids anyways on another point . The sheltered they are – the more they show up on her with a lame bitch .” oh really I didn’t know bums existed in halifax – really I’ll write a bitch to warn others ” , Thats what I think sheltered kids become .
Our politicians will be as crooked as we allow them to be.
Toss democracy. Develop benevolent dictator robot.
Unfortunately it takes a few rabbble rousers to take a peaceful demonstration into a riot. I for one will not put my children into a potential firestorm. They are worth more than any belief.
I think you brought up a missing point that wasn’t seen Bro Tim . I for one never thought of that . But for me – my kids are adults now – so they can decide for themselves !!
I have mixed feelings about robot dictators.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilk08Yt4huo
I have mixed feelings about Democracy. But I don’t have a clever video to support them.
Oh well – atleast we aren’t in china where you just get killed for protesting or locked up !!!
I was in China this summer. It was cool. Not a gun in sight. Excellent food.
My mom took me to fabric stores when I was a kid, I’d rather have gone to a protest.
You could have started by protesting your parent’s decision to drag you along to fabric stores!
“Hell no, don’t you know,
these floral prints have got to go!”
“Denim, cotton, polyester,
My hate for mom is gonna fester!”
LMAO well done Miles… you have a knack for it!
If the rally organizers advertise by saying it’s a family friendly event, that is the open invitation I say.
The end of another day… until tomorrow fellow bitchers!
My Mom made me go to church each Sunday, but never attended it herself–she hated those self-righteous hypocrites. I guess it was the base that she felt it important that I know–like teaching a kid about the importance of voting while making statements like most politicians are dishonest.
She also dragged me to country music concerts (old country music like Hank Snow)–for cultural awareness?
But the worst was Sunday drives, so we could appreciate our world–with the backseat stuffed full of fighting kids, parents up front screaming for us to settle down, the inevitable fart causing uproar, and the frequent carsickness spew, the aesthetic value of rolling hills and babbling brooks was pretty much lost to us.
I, on the other hand, dragged my kids to such things as peace and nuclear disarmament rallies. It was simply for lack of a babysitter, in most instances, that I took them. I actually exited one march when it started getting verbally hostile because I had them with me (not to mention that hostile peace protesters disgusted me).
I think they just tagged along to inflate the number of protesters reportedly present.
should have hired kate and the kids….
all the people you can muster
It doesn’t even come close to forcing your children to attend church, having boys circumcised against their will, etc.
church…take a pass, i always came out scared and confused…once i became older and researched it i knew why
Better chance of having your kid diddled at church then at a rally !!! You forgot that one .
I’d rather sit my kids down and explain why that particular protest was a thinly-disguised partisan political rally and explain to them all the reasons we *won’t* be attending. But I don’t have children yet.
“” that particular protest was a thinly-disguised partisan political rally”‘
Pray tell us, LisaBabe, exactly which “party” does one need belong to in order to object to a Prime Minister that ignores his own caucus, stifles any dissent within his own party (ask Garth Turner!), appoints non-epected people to his cabinet, demands that his own party’s MP’s pre-approve ALL communications and press releases with the media through the PMO…and finally, prorogues parliament in when the heat gets a bit much in his dough-boy country kitchen …and proceeds to wipe his born-again ass with the Canadian charter of rights?
This fucking dough boy is never gonna get a majority, and it’s just killing him, hahaha.
Harpers a piece of shit . You need not belong to any party to protest the fucker . Yep BMF – it’s killing him !!!
I love political apathy. It brings out the most hardened opinions.
I can’t wait for the Wildrose Alliance party to go federal, if they aren’t already. Fractioning the right will help tol get rid of a conservative minority.
it was better when they were marginalized now they have spread…i suspect harper is not human
Sounds good in theory miles…after all the same is happeneing with the center-left, giving us this stalemate in the first place. 65% of us who want a vibrant active parlimentary system, vs the 35% that are happy with a “benevolent dictator”, as long as he’s a right-winger.
That’s why so many on the right are indifferent to the prorogueing…they think parliament is a waste of time…filled with dirty liberal commies questioning the president they voted for…Harper.
“Just let him do his job!”…I’ve actually heard that sentiment from the right….and having just rolled into Cow-gary, where the signs say “More alberta, less Ottawa”, there’s a certain stench in the air, and it ain’t just sour gas.
Mind you, the bulk of those signs were painted when oil was $150…there’s some fading around the edges right now, lol….
Yep miles , the alliance beat ass and took over a long time running strong hold in calgary .
I disagree BMF. The centre-left hasn’t fractured so much as the NDP has moved to the centre. So, the moderates that voted Liberal because the NDP “socialist” ideals scared them too much to vote NDP, have started to vote NDP because they’re less scary. Tommy Douglas is doing somersaults in his grave.
By the way, one could argue that the Conservatives are a left of centre party in a Political Science-y sense.
You’re right about those who voted for the Consevatives not giving two sweet shits though. They’re happy to erode the process and march endlessly to an Americanized system.
there is no conservative party in Canada they’re all fucking evil neo-cons which are almost as bad as commies
Dr. Fever, your words embiggen us all.
I think democracy is a fanciful illusion, a chimera. A multi-headed Hydra.
I was politically jaded by my teens. I’ve been politically jaded for a long time.
Well a hundred or so people in a city of 350,000 + does not sound like a rousing success to me.
I like protests – as long as they do not turn into riots.
Just think, kids. If this were the US, your protests would be halted by police and you’d probably be arrested for expressing opinion. Count your blessings and privileges that protesting is still “legal” and even “tolerated” in Canada.
People are all for free speech but will shit on a protest in the same sentence and it boggles me. But, I guess national rights are not as important as individual opinion.
“”They’re happy to erode the process and march endlessly to an Americanized system.”‘
Indeed, but only when “their guy” is Prime Minister.
Dr fever – Agreed that the NDP has moved to the ‘center’ in my lifetime…I suppose most political parties in any democracy, when they sniff a bit of success tend to do that. (or think they sniff it) But whatever labels we use: left, center-left, etc etc, would you not agree that the vote of most Canadians is “split” between the 4 parties that are NOT the Reform/Alliance Party?…sorry, the CPC
I think it’s time to consider a merger, seriously, of the 3: Liberals, NDP and the Greens (the Greens, provided they ditch their stupid ‘animal rights’ kookieness, and go back to the Pre-May days)
Otherwise I predict a long torturous reign of the CPC, in a minority. Now, this beats the hell out of handing a majority to this coven of born-again creation-believing homophobic morons…as we’ve seen, they’ve been forced to adopt SOME ideas e.g. stimulus, same sex marriage, pension splitting to name a few, from the “enemy”.
MY fear lies in the sneaky underhanded stuff they slide by us all under the cover of darkness (and that they know the opposition won’t call an election over many things)…like more RCMP powers without clear accountability, more Draconian drug laws, more power to the PMO….an office with more power than the US president as Garth Turner describes in “Sheeple”*, which I’ve just finished reading so I’m all fired up!
I swear…this account of goings on inside the CPC caucus, before he was thrown out for pushing, erm pension splitting on his blog….it’s chilling! I’m talking prayer circles, moments of silence for Jeebus, bullying, threats….the “wives” getting in on the action ….read this, you’ll never think of Harper the same way again….and Turner backs it all up as well…at least he ain’t been sued yet!
* Sheeple…a name that Kay might get a kick out of, I know I did.
Martym— that’s a misconception. Conservatives are closer to fascists then communists.
Shrike— What a cromulent thing to say.
BMF— I will admit, an alliance/merger of the 3 main opposition parties sounds nice, but it would need to be done much like the Conservatives did with the PCs and the Alliance. Also, it would only need to include the NDP and Liberals, because the Greens have a conservative fiscal agenda which wouldn’t work in a leftist-leaning party. Also, the NDP would have serious reservations about any such alliance, simply because they’re a growing party and membership is increasing. It was only going to work before simply because Dion was such an ineffectual leader. Either way, get settled in for a series of Conservative minorities and majorities. The Baby Boomers may have grown up in the 60’s, but now they’re old so they vote Conservative!
While I may check out Garth Turner’s book, I’d have to be cautious about it, knowing the nature of the backstabby Conservatives. Secondly, he could say just about anything that was said in caucus, because those sessions are private, and are only open to conjecture. So at the worst, it could be a lie we can’t confirm, or half-truth we can’t confirm, or at best it could be a truth that we can’t confirm. Maybe that’s what we truly need; a transparent government. Wait, we have that. We all know that Harper is a US-style theocratic conservative that would disassemble Parliament if it benefited his Albertan and rich Ontarian patrons.
NGF— I don’t mean to shit on protests, I think they’re a sign of a functioning democracy, and if we didn’t allow them, we’d be no better than Iran.
However, some protests are just giant circle jerks, like this one. Protest something that can’t be seen as a partisan political venture.
HKM onthe HRM ” Hostile Peace Protestors’….LMAO, those are my favorite kind !!!
What is a better irony than a peace protestor, engaging in violent behaviour ????
Lovin’ it !
My mother took me to the 1995 Montreal rally against the referendum (and separation of Quebec) with the other 500,000 people, and listened to Jean Chretien, and was part of something historical. Even at the time, I realized how cool it was to be there, and my appreciation only grows with time. So shut up, bitcher, at least their parents care enough to INSTILL THEM WITH VALUES.
“I was in China this summer. It was cool. Not a gun in sight. Excellent food.”… Yeah and Mussolini alledgedly made the trains run on time too.