Friday, as we were waiting for some of the family, I was reading Cassie's post and clicked on the video. It was a little girl talking about her father al-Khiwani and how the Yemeni police took him away for writing about the slaughter of civilians.
My six year old niece was sitting by me. She asked why I didn't play games on the computer like her mom. I said I like to use the computer to read. She asked me what I was watching. I told her about the little girl and her father. She asked why the people took him away. I said, "Because, in his country, he is not free to say what he wants."
"Ohhh," she looked perplexed for a moment. Then she said, "We're free to say what we want."
Yes. Out of the mouth of a six year old, the simple truth.
I said, "Yes. Yes, we are."
She contemplated a few more seconds while we watched the video. Scarily, I was sure she was actually reading the subtitles with me. Then she asked me if anyone else was taken away for writing about it. I told her I thought he was the only one. Everyone else was too scared. Somebody had to stand up and say "stop it."
"Oh," in her little girl's voice. Two clicks later, "So, if he didn't stand up, the bad guys would keep killing people."
It was my turn to sit in stunned silence and contemplate. The world had just tilted a bit on its axis. First, because I never said they were killing people. Second, that she understood explicitly what was at stake. Third, that a six year old would understand what many adults do not: somebody had to say "stop it", even if they put themselves at risk.
I finally replied, "Yes, that's right. The bad guys would keep hurting people."
She watched the video for another minute and then asked, "Are we getting fireworks today?"
"Yes. We are going to go in a minute."
"Okay." She jumped off the couch. "I'm going outside to play."
The world was made right again.
Out of the mouths of babes. Now I understand why they tell you not to let young children watch the news. It is not because they might be scarred for life, but because they know more than you do. I am daily convinced that, if six year olds didn't find all the prevarifications and obsessions of adults so parochial and boring, they would take over the world.
My six year old niece was sitting by me. She asked why I didn't play games on the computer like her mom. I said I like to use the computer to read. She asked me what I was watching. I told her about the little girl and her father. She asked why the people took him away. I said, "Because, in his country, he is not free to say what he wants."
"Ohhh," she looked perplexed for a moment. Then she said, "We're free to say what we want."
Yes. Out of the mouth of a six year old, the simple truth.
I said, "Yes. Yes, we are."
She contemplated a few more seconds while we watched the video. Scarily, I was sure she was actually reading the subtitles with me. Then she asked me if anyone else was taken away for writing about it. I told her I thought he was the only one. Everyone else was too scared. Somebody had to stand up and say "stop it."
"Oh," in her little girl's voice. Two clicks later, "So, if he didn't stand up, the bad guys would keep killing people."
It was my turn to sit in stunned silence and contemplate. The world had just tilted a bit on its axis. First, because I never said they were killing people. Second, that she understood explicitly what was at stake. Third, that a six year old would understand what many adults do not: somebody had to say "stop it", even if they put themselves at risk.
I finally replied, "Yes, that's right. The bad guys would keep hurting people."
She watched the video for another minute and then asked, "Are we getting fireworks today?"
"Yes. We are going to go in a minute."
"Okay." She jumped off the couch. "I'm going outside to play."
The world was made right again.
Out of the mouths of babes. Now I understand why they tell you not to let young children watch the news. It is not because they might be scarred for life, but because they know more than you do. I am daily convinced that, if six year olds didn't find all the prevarifications and obsessions of adults so parochial and boring, they would take over the world.
Rights are secured by might and action, not words on paper, last time I checked. And they sure as heck can't be secured by people thinking those rights will disappear if we don't treat the terrorists right so they won't "hurt us".
When the citizens of America can produce things such as this, not to mention all the decadent swingers parties going on in urban centers, the greatest danger to our "liberty" is not from treating people too harshly.
Most people will say to the guys speaking up against killers and thugs, in this fashion.
"Why don't you keep quiet so they won't harm my family"
People would rather do nothing, they would rather take inaction and keep their heads in the sand, than to do something proactive simply because the terrorists might "surge" or the thugs might "feel dissed".