3rd Grade Politics: "Ahhhh! I Hate Bush"! Reply: "He Brought Us Freedom"!

[leftchick]

Oh My God, I was not prepared for this today. I volunteer in my nine year old's third grade computer class. (his art below :) ) The teacher was talking with other students and presenting searchable websites on a projection screen. Up comes Yahooligans.com and a GIANT photo of bush with a "get to know the president" link. I noticed a little boy, who is new to the school, to my left cover his face and say... "Ahhhh I hate bush"! LOL! I was tickled pink yet apprehensive because this is a Catholic school in a conservative state. I looked around and the little gal next to him, who I know her mom is a bushbot, is LIVID! Her face got all dark and she scowled and said, "our president has brought us freedom! He has brought us freedom! Are you crazy?"

Cute rational little boy said.. "I hate him! I wanted Kerry to win"!

bushbot baby said... "Kerry is a Liar, He Lied about everything"!

At this point the teacher got back their attention and never even heard what I heard! :eyes:

I told my son to go up to brave boy tomorrow and tell him how much we agree with him. He is my hero!

:loveya:

[Duer 157099]

1. I know some kids like that little girl

My son has friends of all political strips, but I like having Air America on the radio whenever they ride in the car with me :-)

[arcane1]

2. I know a few adults like her too

[daleanime]

3. Oh my God....

I'm so stuck between the image of the cute, sweet children and the trash talk garage the pass for our polities right now.:cry:

[Radio_Lady]

43. Could you please translate this into English? Really, I don't even

understand what you mean.

But thanks for posting... I guess your fingers were flying faster than your mind!

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[Cocoa]

4. maybe the girl was in that orphanage in Iraq

remember that bogus story about the troops "freeing" the orphans right after the invasion?

[leftchick]

7. yeah but she is a home grown freeper progeny

Her mother I avoid like the plague. She is gross with all of her bush decals on her SUV. :puke:

[SmokingJacket]

5. I wish kids didn't have to be burdened by politics...

Little kids like these, I mean. I wish I could somehow have sheltered my own third grader -- but my husband and I talk about politics so much, he can't help but absorb some of our anxiety and bitterness about the situation. :(

[The Wielding Truth]

42. Yea, children deserve a time of innocence. In a perfect or just world.

It's when adults live in that sweet illusion without opening their minds and using an adult view of a whole world that is so wrong.

However it is never too early to tell children that there is no glory in war and if you have reached that point you've failed and you have to do all you can to get out.More blood shed does not in any way promote peace,or solve problems or misunderstandings.

So It's never too early to point out that the harsh word or stupid action can be sometimes forgiven but not always forgotten. And it's better to be cautious with your vengeful thoughts even when you've been unreasonably harmed.

That's why good and smart people organize,legislate and weigh individual circumstances before the pass judgment. That's what adults do.
That's what DU adults do.That's all as parents we can do.

[livvy]

6. Interesting story....

I have a 4th grader in my room that downright scares me. We were talking about Iraq, and his solution was to just drop the big one on the country. I was relieved that most of my class thought his idea was a bad one. I reminded him about what had happened when we did that to Japan, and how many people were hurt, and affected by it even many years later. We had read the book, "Sadakko and the Thousand Paper Cranes", so he had some background. He was unmoved...us or them mentality, and no sense of conscience or sympathy. It really upset me. I guess I know where his parents loyalties lie!
In our discussion, kids said we went there to get rid of the WMD that Saddam had. When I told them that we hadn't found any, and that current information indicates that it was known before we went that there weren't any, one astute little guy said, "Well, then why did we go there?" I told him that was a really good question, and that people were trying to figure out the answer to it. He was kind of outraged, and he touched my heart with his righteous displeasure!
I have a pin I wear every day. I made it to remember and honor all the service members who have died in Iraq. There are little spools with numbers on them that hang from a pin. I never said anything about the pin, but one little girl couldn't stand it, and finally asked how come the numbers were different than what they were the day before. I explained it to her. Now every day the kids check out the number on my pin. One little boy said how sad it was, and even was compassionate enough to add the thought that it wasn't just them, but their moms and dads, and maybe even their kids.
We've had some pretty good discussions about Iraq, and some other political happenings. I try to be careful about what I say, and encourage them to do most of the talking. It amazes me how intuitive kids can be. You also get a good feel for what their folks are thinking.

[leftchick]

8. That is very interesting livvy

Are you a public school teacher? At our Catholic school discussons like that do not seem to happen. It could be because I am in a very conservative state in the south. :(

Your little bomb em all boy sounds like a potential sociopath. How sad is that? Thank God most of your children seem to have the empathy that will enable our species to continue for at least a few more years.

Thank you for sharing that. :)

[livvy]

16. Yes, public school in a mostly conservative upper-middle...

class suburb of a midwestern city.
The thing that really gets me with the nukeboy, is that he is so bright, and a basically nice, polite kid. It is sad.

[karlrschneider]

22. When someone says we should "nuke" them, I always reply

"But those are the people President Bush wants to make free...why would you want to kill them"

[mandyky]

9. Brought us freedom huh?

He's taken more away. Oy

[driver8]

10. If you have children, you know that they are always listening...

even when you think they aren't. My four year old daughter has repeated things that I have said about Shrub to my wife...and I have since learned to be aware where she is when I speak.

I have a feeling that the boy in the original post is repeating what he has heard his father say.

[leftchick]

11. perhaps his parents tell him the truth

Like I do to my children. It infuriates me the indoctination going on in schools. Our children depend on their parents for the truth, it is our duty.

[driver8]

15. Oh -- I meant the kid that wanted to drop the "big one".

We try to be truthful with our children as well. I just don't want my four year old going to school and repeating the rants she hears from me at home.

My daughter knows that I think Bush is not a good President. I don't know if she could comprehend the reasons.

[leftchick]

17. It is indeed a challenge

I have told my boys for years that politics stays at home. Since they were at least five. They have been great about it. Sometimes though I wish I had not. We need more dissidents, now!

[ismnotwasm]

12. I (ahem) inadvertantly

Taught my grandson to say "bush sucks" when we were caring for him the year my daugther was deployed in Afghanistan. I felt a little guilty because he was five. I explained to him that Nana has opinions and not everbody feels the same way I do, yada yada yada. (ugh, I hated that)
Well, my daughter has been back for over a year now, and lives in Hawaii. The kid is nearly 7 years old and he STILL says it. Every time the mans face pops up anywhere. My daughter says "momma you know I can really get in trouble for that" I just gushed about what an intelligent grandson I have.;)
Edit 'cause I can't spell, and my grammer isn't that great either

[leftchick]

14. ROFL!

That is so great! :)

[EFerrari]

44. Don't feel bad. I taught my niece Zappa's "Bow Tie Daddy"

one weekend when I was babysitting.

lol

[Dinger]

13. Awwwwwwww, What A Little Sweetheart

:loveya: :headbang: :patriot:

[donco6]

18. I wouldn't have been able to resist . . .

saying, "My what a silly little girl!"

[leftchick]

19. omg

I wanted to. I have wanted to say it to so many. We Libs are in the minority so it was heart lifting to hear what this little guy said. :)

[donco6]

23. Yes, the little guy deserves a medal fer sure.

:)

[Fountain79]

20. Just to play devil's advocate....

Pretty much any 3rd grader is going to have the politics of his/her parents. I remember being elated when Bush Sr. won against Dukakis in 88 and I was in 4rth grade at the time because my parents where Bush supporters. So it was basically a contest between the politics of the two parents of the children involved. I don't have kids but I guess I don't see much to be elated about.

If I were a parent I would be more elated the day my child questioned my political beliefs.

[leftchick]

24. when I was nine years old and my Father supported George Wallace

I knew my Dad was nuts.

[Fountain79]

25. There's a slight difference between supporting

George Wallace and supporting Bush.

[leftchick]

26. really?

tell me more....

[Fountain79]

28. If I have to tell you...

then you wouldn't get it anyway.

[leftchick]

29. thank you for clearing that up

:eyes:

[Fountain79]

30. How about this...

Would it be safe to say that your son's politics and the politics of that little boy come from the beliefs of their parents?

[leftchick]

31. I would say it comes from telling them the truth

as opposed to school indoctrination about our "President" and "Our country", which they are fed daily. I feel it is my duty to give them the reality that is lacking in their "education".

[Fountain79]

33. That's your truth....

Just like my dad told me growing up that the democrats were about taxing him and he being a business owner didn't want to pay more taxes. That's his truth....

[leftchick]

34. who do you think?

is this a rhetorical question? He is in Third Grade! The perfect age for his school saying LOVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR PRESIDENT!!!! Who in The Hell Is supposed to tell him the truth if not me?? Am I supposed to hope he gets into an Ivy League College where he might eventually be exposed to some critical thinking skills and perhaps the thought that.... GASP.... BUSH SUCKS??

give it up...

[Fountain79]

38. Exactly....

He's in third grade, she is in third grade, they had an argument based on their PARENTS' political beliefs. You basically applauded the other student's ability to parrot his parents politics. That's the point and I'm done.

[leftchick]

37. so apparently you believed him?

that is the impression I am getting. Why do you post here if you believe that? :shrug:

[Fountain79]

39. I believed it back then...

that was my point...

[tenshi816]

48. Me too!

In my case, it was my mother and I just instinctively knew that the hateful things my mom used to say were wrong and ignorant. I don't know how I knew, but I did.

[Rocknrule]

21. I can't stand

people who think W personally founded America and our freedoms came out of his ass

[Buns_of_Fire]

41. Just think of the new patriotic images yet to be created...

boosh crossing the Delaware, boosh chopping down the cherry tree, boosh's winter at Valley Forge, boosh throwing $200 billion across the Potomac...

[sakabatou]

27. The girl is so naiive...

Let the brainwashing begin!

[Octafish]

32. My niece, before e-Selection 2004, had a similar encounter.

My niece then was in third grade. A girl on the bus told her that her family was for Bush because he'll "better take care of our kind" than Kerry.

Gee. Parents really can screw up a kid's head.

EDIT: Forgot to mention they live in a prosperous Chicago suburb.

[leftchick]

35. some folks on this thread don't seem to think it is appropriate

to speak the truth.

[Fountain79]

40. Never said that...

Just said it was never much to applaud.

[KansDem]

36. "Bushbot baby" needs to learn, or will soon learn...

...that Bush saddled him with debt so massive that his grandchildren will be paying for it...

Try this:
"Would you like this candy bar?"
"Yasss!"
"Sorry, you can't have it...neither can your children...neither can you children's children..."
"???"
"You owe $26,248!...so does you mommy and so does your daddy...and your sister, too!... In fact, your whole family owes $104,992* That's about 209,984 candy bars.** You can start paying by not having this one, so now you and your family will have to give up only 209,983 more..."

$26,248

________
*Assuming a family of four.
**Based on a 50-cent candy bar.

[w8liftinglady]

45. my 9 year-old has one friend who is a democrat

in my neo-con town..he says they make fun of * ...when no one else is listening...too bad they can't speak freely...

[leftchick]

46. I was thinking that as I was walking home from school

It is a shame they can not speak openly of their disdain for the LIAR in chief. I remember very well when I was a kid the dislike openly expressed for tricky dick. It must be the compromised media that makes the difference.

[VolcanoJen]

47. Love that kid!!

Thanks for lifting my mood, babe!!

[leftchick]

49. my boys are what keep me going Jen.

:)