I love reading RighteousBabe's diaries and comments. She's thoughtful, and the Left needs to be more welcoming to teenagers like her.
Here's what I hate. Every damn time she writes anything, she attracts comments like, "You're very articulate for a teenager," or even, "You have wisdom beyond your years." If these sound to you like complements, you need to read below the fold.
Does anyone ever respond to Kid Oakland by writing, "Wow! You're really articulate for a Negro"? Does Mary Scott O'Conner get praised for having "wisdom beyond her gender"? Does Pastor Dan get, "You're much sharper than most Christians?"
No.
But some misguided Kossicks think good writing from a teenager is an excuse to put down youth as a people.
This is important for the left because without youth, we have no future. Yet time and again, young visitors get the message they are not welcome here, or they get the message, "Okay, we'll tolerate you, but not your little friends."
Today, I see diaries about Scholastic Books publshing biased teacher guides for this 9/11 movie. And I see comments like, "I won't let my kids go to class if that guide is used." Not, "I will talk to my children and make sure they hear the truth," but, "I will use censorship to control my kids." Great attitude. I guess that Nurturing Parent thing is only metaphorical. At least some supossed liberals are proud to be Strict Fathers in real life.
Of course, lots of Kossicks are great, sensitive people. It would be wrong to generalize. But damn it, sometimes some people here, intentionally or not, can really get under my skin.