(VIDEO) My seven-year-old daughter talks about immigration.

[suncrafter]

My daughter and I created the following video after our Mexican-born neighbors (who were in the US illegally) and their three-year-old (American-born) daughter were forced to move to another town by a bullying police officer. My two daughters were good friends with the three-year-old and they were very disappointed that she had to go. I, myself, was very fond of the family too - but my own attempts to help and protect the family failed. My daughter asked me if there was something SHE could do. Creating a cool video (addressing the issue of immigration) was the best I could think of. My daughter and I both had fun making the video. We hope you enjoy watching it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98mgdN9eTdY

[xoxoxoBruce]

It's a shame to be indoctrinating a 7 year old kid, that shouldn't have to worry about this shit.

[DanaC]

Said seven year old clearly does have to worry about this shit, as it has affected her seven year old friend and family.

I don't see this as indoctrination: this looks like a really great way of exploring this issue with a kid.

I could well see my youngest niece doing somethng like that at seven years old. Both my nieces had strong (small p) political views at that age, along with strong views about religion (though I believe Amelia has softened somewhat on that since she became friends with a Christian girl at school).

Fantastic video. Your little girl is adorable. Clever and confident and bright as a button. Wonderful.


[eta] I find the idea of keeping kids politically 'innocent' slightly ridiculous. Kids have to deal with the ramifications and results of adult political thinking all the time. They form views at a young age. It is the parents job, in my view, to help them understand the adult world and that includes its political sphere. If the parent subscribes to a moderate mainstream political view, then society deems that acceptable.

Nobody gets too het up when a kid draws a picture of Jesus delivering the parable of the Good Samaritan. Nobody would get too upset if the little girl on that video had been telling kids to listen to their teachers, study hard and always show respect to a policeman. We expect them to learn lessons about authority: yet our current authority model is not without political foundation, nor was it uncontested in its formation. How we order society at every level is political. They cannot remain politically innocent, they can only be kept politically ignorant.

Naturally, parents and family are the first people who will influence a youngster's political understanding: that's part of their job. They are there to guide that child and teach them how to live in the adult world. Talking about immigration in the light of her friend's experience, is no different than sitting down and having a discussion about racism after they've seen someone at school teased for being black. LL's little girl was clearly well up for this video, inspired by the horrible things that happened to her friend as a direct result of adult politics. No different than her making a video about racism, being nice to animals, or telling other kids about the dangers of drugs.

[classicman]

Thats fucked up.

[DanaC]

I disagree.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Said seven year old clearly does have to worry about this shit, as it has affected her seven year old friend and family.

3 year old and criminal parents.

I don't see this as indoctrination: this looks like a really great way of exploring this issue with a kid.

Exploring? This kid is exploring nothing, this kid has been told what to think, period. That's indoctrination.

I could well see my youngest niece doing somethng like that at seven years old. Both my nieces had strong (small p) political views at that age, along with strong views about religion (though I believe Amelia has softened somewhat on that since she became friends with a Christian girl at school).

At 7, the views they have on religion and politics, are what their parents, or someone they are trying to please, have told them. Parroting to please.

Fantastic video. Your little girl is adorable. Clever and confident and bright as a button. Wonderful.

Bright enough to know what will draw praise from the authority figures in her life.

[eta] I find the idea of keeping kids politically 'innocent' slightly ridiculous. Kids have to deal with the ramifications and results of adult political thinking all the time. They form views at a young age. It is the parents job, in my view, to help them understand the adult world and that includes its political sphere. If the parent subscribes to a moderate mainstream political view, then society deems that acceptable.

Then they end up like UG, fully formed views by 10, and completely immune to reason.

Nobody gets too het up when a kid draws a picture of Jesus delivering the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Oh, you've forgotten rkzenrage?

Nobody would get too upset if the little girl on that video had been telling kids to listen to their teachers, study hard and always show respect to a policeman. We expect them to learn lessons about authority: yet our current authority model is not without political foundation, nor was it uncontested in its formation. How we order society at every level is political. They cannot remain politically innocent, they can only be kept politically ignorant.

Oh please, spare me the philosophy, this kid has no knowledge of any foundation except the one holding up the house. You can justify your position, she can not.

Naturally, parents and family are the first people who will influence a youngster's political understanding: that's part of their job. They are there to guide that child and teach them how to live in the adult world. Talking about immigration in the light of her friend's experience, is no different than sitting down and having a discussion about racism after they've seen someone at school teased for being black. LL's little girl was clearly well up for this video, inspired by the horrible things that happened to her friend as a direct result of adult politics. No different than her making a video about racism, being nice to animals, or telling other kids about the dangers of drugs.

Explaining what is happening around them, and why the neighbors had to flee the authorities is one thing, using this kid as a tool to spread the parents politics is quite another.
Here we have another Christine O'Donnell-ish tool in the making.

[Cloud]

the little girl is very cute, but the video is disturbing. I don't think she really understands the concepts in the script, which makes her merely a cute spokesman for a parental viewpoint. (10%? Outbreak?)

It would be better, and more authentic, if she had used her own words and said "I'm concerned about immigration because my friend had to move away. Her parents were from Mexico, but she was born here. I don't understand but I think it's wrong."

[xoxoxoBruce]

Cloud gets it.

[Flint]

My seven-year-old daughter talks about immigration? Bullshit.

Call it what it is: I made my seven-year-old daughter read from a script that I wrote, hoping it would have more impact that way. FAIL.

[footfootfoot]

disappointed. I could only get through about 20 seconds. kind of creepy and icky

[DanaC]

I still think y'all are making way too much of it.

I remember at school, when I was about 9 or 10 years old: our class did a little play about the dangers of drugs. The adult teachers gave us the information we needed; including the facts and figures, percentages of youngsters who've tried drugs etc etc etc. We kids wrote much of the dialogue (with assistance) and delivered the play at an assembly.

I look back and I consider that we were delivering a political stance: part of the new War on Drugs. We were mouthpieces for an adult political view. But I suspect very few people seeing us would have considered it to be political. We expect kids to take on board, and even subscribe to 'political' stances all the time.

My ex's kid sister, at the age of 9 (when J and I first met) had to make a display for Easter. She had all the little chicks holding protest signs because the Poll Tax demos were going off at the time. I daresay her school wondered if her political parents had pushed her to doing that: they hadn't. Rosie had come up with it herself. She had formed a political opinion.

All I see in that video, is that when questioned as to why her friend had had to move: her parents explained it in terms they understood: political terms. The little girl has clearly found that interesting and disturbing and wanted to do something about it. Yes, some of the script is adult: clearly, when doing this, the kid has looked to her parent for some of the facts. figures and details: in much the same way as we kids expected our teachers to give us access to the facts and figures of drug use.

Just because the little girl has looked to her parent for the details and figures, doesn't make her a 'mouthpiece' for that parent. They've clearly worked on this together. As a parent/child project.

Again: I see no problem with it.

To me this about the cult of 'innocence'. We expect our kids to remain innocent of the adult world. Except of course they can't actually be innocent of the adult world, as they live in it and are affected by its issues.

[Rhianne]

Would I be right in saying that the folk who don't like it hold opposing views?

[DanaC]

I suspect there is an element of cultural difference here as well. If a British kid did something like that with their parent they'd probably be lauded for being politically engaged; and her age would have made it all the cuter. Kids doing adult stuff = cute. I don't think we have the same expectation of political innocence. At the same time, stuff like the little girls made up for beauty pageants would cause some disquiet in a British setting: that adult-play would not be seen as 'cute' but rather slightly disturbing.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Rhianne

Would I be right in saying that the folk who don't like it hold opposing views?

I can only speak for myself, but no, not entirely. I don't buy the premise this is a 7 year old's idea/execution, even with parent's help. She comes off like the political ads we're inundated with these days, a shill spouting distorted "facts", trying to convince clueless people that life is simple.

[monster]

Oh Ugh. I didn't even make 20 seconds. This to me is on a level with the toddlers in tiaras Dana mentioned. I think you've done your daughter and your cause a disservice.

And there's a good chance I agree with some of what you say. But I can't get past the mode of delivery to find out.

That's a big No from me, Simon.