Strollerderby

Whether or not we are willing to admit it, whether we are liberal or conservative, we all raise our children with our own values, politics, and beliefs. They learn cumulatively from our conscious actions and our subconscious influence. I take my children with me into the voting booth and, like the author, see no problem with parents exposing their children to our right as American citizens to peacefully protest our government.  

The sign used as an example may not have been accurate in the hands of an elementary school age child but, by way of contrast -- other examples of children’s signs:

“I read as much of the Stimulus Bill as my Congress.”

“I’m only 11 – I can’t pay for this debt.”

“Don’t bankrupt my future.”

“Congress – Get your hands out of my piggy bank.”

Wow- We have Obama to micromanage our country and now Jeanne to micromanage how we parent our children.  Jeanne, it's really none of your business if kids go to protests with their children.  I imagine that you are a lot like the congresswoman who called the participants of tea parties despicable- and was married to a criminal arrested for felony fraud.  I imagine that if you spent more time examining how you parent your own children, instead of others, they would probably be happier and more well adjusted.

I think the headline is very misleading.

The Dylan quote is genius! It's a free country - let them hold whatever damn sign they want! Even if they don't totally grasp what's going on.

So, do you think that the sign-giving parents actually EXPECTED anyone to believe that their child pays taxes? Because THAT I would call deception, or an attempt at it.

Chill out.

Maybe the kids should have held up signs that said "I love my tax-funded education and can't believe my idiot parents brought me here". Anyone who doesn't want to pay taxes shouldn't be permitted to drive on our nation's roads and highways, call the police, enroll their children in public school, to enter public parks ... the list goes on.

Bullshit. Make up your mind. You start off the article complaining that conservatives are crossing a line giving their kids those signs, then come back saying they're hypocrites for complaining when liberals did the same thing (although how you can know that those specific ones were the ones making all that noise is impressive, because I know that you would never stereotype a specific group based upon their beliefs), and then you end the article saying that they should be dragging their kids to protests, just giving them more appropriate signs.

I agree with Patricia- the headline is extremely misleading. In fact, I think this entire article is poorly written and basically reactionary. From my perspective, you wanted to just be able to comment on how conservatives are such idiots for throwing these tea parties but didn't want to come off as such, so you threw in a red herring. The whole quote "I may not agree with them, and I may have laughed hysterically at the use of the word teabagging, but I respect the "partiers" right to protest." came off as vastly condescending, especially using quotes around the word "partiers". You clearly look down on these people, you don't hide it particularly well. Next time, just come out and say what you want to say- you think conservatives are stupid and uneducated- the impression you gave off was, "well, even stupid people have the same rights as we do but it really sucks because it would be better if their vote didn't count." Way to go on showing how you don't discriminate against someone for their beliefs. You really showed me.

Don't get me wrong, but the protests were about a lot more than just taxes. Another big focus was spending, which (whether you like it or not) does effect the future generation.

That, and it's getting kids involved politically at a young age. Whether you agree with the message or not, it's good to get them involved young.

I don't mind paying taxes, I'd rather pay a lower amount though.  I don't mind paying for parks, schools, etc, but I do mind paying for studies on the mating practices of the North American yellow moth (or other similar crap).  But that's just me.

Much as I'm for reading carefully... the headline does not match the conclusions of your post.

Personally, I have no problem with kids at political rallies.  I'd much rather see children at a political rally than at the Hannah Montana concert, ya know?  And today's children are going to inherit an unsurmountable debt from the rest of us.  It isn't fair, and they're not too young to object.

@Jeanne: You agree with the bipartisan sign, so that one's okay, but the kids shouldn't be holding conservative ones? Who's the hypocrite here? This is why I don't think parents should bring kids to protests--all of the adults involved are just using them. Parents use them to garner media attention, and members of the media/blogosphere use them to make hollow political points about what children "should" believe.

The right has become the looney left! Hilarious.

Amazing how many people have no qualms about sticking a pro gay marriage sign into their child's hand yet flip out when other parents brings their kids to protest high taxes.

Incredible.

Of couse Kids should be at the Tea Parties

Kids are ABUSED bt Tax Payer funds daily in most if not all Western Countries.

Most certainly mine - New Zealand

Onward - Jim

Way to go Lex.  Very condescending comments.  Not sure who she was trying to kid (no pun intented)here, anyone who reads this blog knows how her wind blows.

If anyone believes that what the government is doing now will not affect our children, they are fooling themselves.  And not one of these "partiers" was saying that no one should pay taxes, ever.  Get real.

Hats off to a large group of Americans who made their voices heard in a calm, non-confrontational manner and wanted to involve their families.

The children in that picture look like they were sitting beside the sign, not holding it or claiming that they work pay taxes, or mortgage. Often times photos like this get taken out of context. More than likely the parents of the children made the sign, brought it to the tea party, protested while holding the sign for a while, set it down with their kids while they went off to get lemonade or do whatever and while they were gone a photographer came by and snapped a photo. I highly doubt the parents made the sign expecting their kids to hold it and protest for them.

As long as no one under the age of 18 was teabagging or being teabagged, I'm content.

The Huffington Post is famously liberal and so the photos they took showed this slant or chose the outliers to interview or focus on.  The liberal media downplayed this event as a few crazy, racist, uneducated conservatives but it was large, diverse, successful and will continue, in spite of what the liberal media didn't accurately report.  

I hate how the disgusting sexual references were brought up in reference to people who participated.  Shameful.

I loved that families participated.  

I loved reading clever signs being held by kids.

I loved the enthusiasm for a specific cause other than "Change."

Check www.fairtax.org for more info on a great alternative choice to the IRS!  

*shrug* The inaccurate signs held by kids (or just snuggled up to by kids) at the teaparties are about on a par with teeny babies wearing "I (heart) Obama!" onesies. So what? The signs and onesies obviously reflect the parents' biases, and that is as it should be, in our society where parents are free to attempt to inflict their political beliefs on their kids. (The kids have the last laugh when they grow up, of course, and completely ignore what their parents taught them. :)

I took my toddlers to the tea party in my hometown and (gasp!) put signs on their stroller! O, the political incorrectness! Their sign? "Will we be paying *your* debt in *our* old age?" It got a lot of honking and thumbs-ups from passersby.

Finally, as others have noted, the media in general has misrepresented the tea parties. They were held on April 15, but their primary focus was the rampant and yes, even insane spending levels our new president and congress are galloping into. The taxes are a red herring. It's the spending that will bankrupt our society.

Sorry - did I miss these protests when president Bush was increasing government spending and running up the debt?

My thought is, if these people don't want to bail out home owners in trouble, so be it. They should have the choice. If they want foreclosed homes in their neighborhoods, and wish to see their property values decline rapidly, they ought to have the choice.

ps - for those saying the kids were not holding the signs, or they were taken out of context, they are probably right, in this instance. But in our local paper, they had direct quotes from kids complaining about taxes. maybe these particular kids were well educated in politics and economics, I don't know. I just know they were quoted.

@Dad- even if these kids were expressing an opinion on raising taxes, even if they weren't perfectly educated with complete knowledge on every issue on both sides, so what? Do you think any adult has every single fact straight, with absolute knowledge of what is best in any situation, or they won't express an opinion of it? Or is it just that kids' opinions are worth less than ours? I remember when I was young- only 11 or 12- and I went and talked in front of a city council (probably one of the most terrifying experiences of my childhood) about whether or not the library should be moved- and I've rarely been as angry as I was the next day when an article was written up in the paper denouncing the adults in the situation for "using children to move the voters".

What I got up and talked about then was what I felt then- it applied to me, and I was appalled that I was thought of as a puppet, parroting out words that grownups told me to say. If kids want to say something about this, they have every right to do so- especially since they'll be the ones inheriting this mess.

Interesting-complaining about using children to further ones social/political agenda.  No one does this except those mean white conservatives, right?

Just read the posts on the AntiRacist parent and an interesting paradox prevails. On this site white parents will confess their contrived white guilt and often agonize about adopting a "unique" child from "gasp" another culture. What will they teach this child about the evils of white European society?

After Obama's election a parent of Asian descent wrote a letter to her children speaking of her fears that someone (whites of course) would not allow him to take office. She further wrote her children that Americans (white people) never would accept her.  All in all the Left hides its indoctrination under the guise of sensitivity and multiculturalism.

Wow. Good comeback. Because that's exactly what I said- that you don't have the right to disagree with people in my so-called version of America. At least I said your article gave me the impression that you were just being incendiary and condescending. Again- my impression. What I was really pointing out was your seeming rudeness and lack of respect for those who do believe differently than you. But go ahead- prove me wrong.

Jeanne Sager is a person who "laughed hysterically at the use of the word teabagging" do we really need to go any further here??

That kid could possibly be in a wealthy family and he might one day face the issues that his parents face and one day he will understand that it is not morely correct to pay for what another person lacks.  People are just mad at the fact that they dont have as much as the next.  How about all you democrats pay my taxes and tell me how you feel. Make your own damn money and pay for your own items.

P.S The photo was totally taken out of context get a life. Get a life lazy fools your end will come very soon.  Just a slight glinch in the matrix for republicans