"George Bush is a poo-poo-head." At the age of four Alec had declared his political leanings. Now six and in first grade, our son asked for his own dKOS account. He watches me write diaries and sometimes even reads them and asks intelligent questions; he's a good reader for a six-year old. He listens to his mom, our friends, and I discuss politics. He knows about the three branches of government, about how laws are made and comes to vote with us. On Friday he said that he wanted to write his own diary.
This brings up some controversial questions. His mom thinks kids should be allowed to form their own views on politics as they grow, and not be forced to parrot their parents. I believe that our political views should be taught to our kids. I also think that civil engagement should be encouraged at an early age; it's a lack of civil participation at early age that later makes for apathetic citizens.
So I did a little research into politics for kids. And Alec wrote his diary. See the results of both below the fold.
Alec's Diary,
Hi my name is Alec and I am six. I believe that George Bush should not have started the war. He said that there were bad weapons, but there were not. I think he lied about this. He just wanted the oil in Iraq.
We should not use too much oil because it hurts nature. George Bush should not allow drilling oil in Alaska. It would hurt animals and nature. He should tell them to make cars that use less gas.
People should not ride in cars as much as they do now. They should, walk or bike or ride scooters more. They should only use cars on long trips.
I want my own KOS account so I can recommend my Dad.
I hope some people recommend me too.
The end.
I spent a couple of hours with Google looking for and reading numerous sites that mentioned teaching kids about politics. There isn't much out there. There are plenty of sites teaching about civics and citizenship, but that isn't the same thing. There are far more conservative sites that discuss kids and politics, and far fewer liberal sites that do. This isn't surprising. American conservatives have a dogmatic need to spread their beliefs. There appears to be more adherence to family discipline and less willingness to let kids find their own way.
If you're interested in teaching kids about politics, there are several organizations that promote political participation for youth.
Connect for Kids has numerous articles, blogs, and resources for and about kids that deal with social and political issues. They also run a site called Kids and Polititcs with a links to articles on the subject.
Kids Voting USA helps students learn first-hand what voting is all about. Students go to official polling sites to cast a Kids Voting ballot. They participate in the voting process alongside adults. In 2004, 1.5 million students turned out to vote. A little history and rational from their web site:
In 1988, three businessmen from Arizona traveled to Costa Rica on a fishing trip. During their visit they learned that the country's voter turnout is typically around 90 percent. This high turnout was attributed to a tradition of children accompanying their parents to the polls. The men were intrigued by the idea, but also recognized a missing link to education. They launched a school-based pilot project in a Phoenix suburb that has since grown into the national Kids Voting USA organization.
Youth Rights is an organization that advocates, among other things, lowering the voting age. Their web site provides solid talking points and position papers to support their arguments.
And from the Mail Tribune of Southern Oregon here is an excellent list of ways to get kids involved in politics:
· Make family decision-making a democratic process. Involve kids in decisions about where to eat dinner or what movie to see.
· Relate decisions kids have to make at school or with friends to the political process. Explain how compromise can help groups reach consensus.
· Keep current on political news by watching it on television or reading about it in the newspaper or on the Internet. Let your children see that you care about the news.
· Make sure your children see you vote.
· When children are old enough to understand, at age 3 or 4, start talking about the basics of politics and incorporating words such as "voting" and "president" into their vocabularies.
You probably noticed that I've sidestepped the controversy I mentioned earlier. I wanted to leave it for last and to start a discussion of some of these issues. Please tell us what you think.
Should kids learn about politics from their parents and share their views or should they make up their own minds?
At what age do they understand the issues and are able to make objective decisions?
Are kids who are not engaged in politics more likely to become apathetic voters?
Should liberal values be presented as a matter of right or wrong, or should they be presented as a matter of opinion?
Are kids at peace marches and demonstrations participants or props?
Should Alec have a dKOS account? (I vote no; it would not be fair to other Kossacks.)
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Cross posted on European Tribune.