Raising homeschooled teenagers in this current political climate is not fun, and that, my friends, is putting it mildly.
I’m frustrated. No, wait. I’m angry! Just think of all the years, I have spent as a parent raising children to love the Lord, do what is right, play fair, share, compromise, and think of others.
I teach my children to think, to form opinions that are sound. If they disagree, they can state these politely and without malice. It is the art of rhetoric and argumentation that is based upon evidence whenever possible. I work at modeling character qualities, not always successfully, but I try, because I know that character is caught more so than it is taught.
And what does the government do? It undermines my parental authority because I care. I care about my rights as a citizen… and my children have watched and listened as I’ve taught them how I feel about the following:
- The new health care plan.
- The raising of the debt ceiling only to hand a future generation the bill.
- Non-compromising politicians on both sides who use well-orchestrated press releases, and buzzwords that incur the wrath of my remote control to change the channel.
- The disregard for many of the articles of the Constitution that leaves me stunned.
- The repayment of a fallen soldier’s loyalty with total disrespect of memorials and funds.
Who is to blame? We are.
As we waste our time blaming sides, our rights are being stripped away one by one, and my children see this, clearly. They ask: what can we do?
My parents were Italian immigrants who fled to this country because of Mussolini; they came to the United States of America, because it was the Land of the Free. My parents insisted I speak English and were happy they became American citizens. They taught my brothers and me that education was important and entrepreneurship was the key. They owned a bakery, ran a dress shop in the basement. My father finished the dresses in our home, for those who did not want to buy off-the-rack clothes. My parents later purchased and ran a very successful restaurant. We lived many places: New York, outside of Ontario, Canada, and in Winter Haven, Florida. My parents were not afraid of hard work; they taught me that very well. They taught me that freedom was won with integrity and honor – and most of all we must be informed.
So can you imagine my chagrin when I heard my smart, beautiful, happy go-lucky, softball-playing teenage daughter told me, “I just don’t care anymore, Mom. I’m tired of being angry.”
What!
This was her response to an invitation to watch the news with me, and, it was a conservative news station. She doesn’t care? How did that happen? Didn’t I teach her better? Didn’t my carefully-selected history and government classes with God as the focus and the Constitution as a pillar show her time and time again that if you don’t care your rights will truly be stripped?
Yes, I did teach her better, and I know her response was a defense mechanism because she was weary of hearing the bickering on T.V., and so am I! As a Christian I know my hope is in God, not politicians, but I will not stand idly by. I will be praying. Every single one of those politicians has my prayers, because my God is a righteous one and His ways are not mine. I continue to hope for my children and for my country, the Land of the Free.
How are you encouraging your children with our current political mess? I want to know.
Felice Gerwitz is the moderator of Current Issues & the Constitution with her brother-in-law, Professor Wilson. The show airs in the archives.
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