Children and Politics do not Mix

With all these protests coming out of High Schools around the country, it got me thinking about when I was in school. I only experienced one side of the political spectrum while attending public school, as well all know California is a very left leaning liberal state. Now before I get further into the point of all this, I understand that electing Trump could be scary for people because of some of the things he has said. But if people did some research on how the government works (checks & balances) and looked into some of the things he has been saying recently then maybe they wouldn't worry so much. I want people to not take advantage of young minds to push their agenda, I want our children of the future to be able to think for themselves and make their own decisions. 

When I was in High School I heard from my friends that teachers were teaching liberal policies and discouraging thinking any other way. I consistently heard from my teachers (as well as fellow students) that the liberal way was about helping people and the conservative way is about helping big corporations. I was more of a Republican before I knew better because of my parents and grandparents encouraged it. I never understood why or really looked into any other way of thinking because hey, I was just a kid. Now at the ripe old age of 27, I consider myself to be a libertarian. This came about from doing my own research and being open minded when having conversations with others. I learned that no one really is only on one side of the political spectrum, if they are it is because they are misinformed. It worries me that my generation does not seem to be open minded and seemingly only see's things one way. Our founding fathers didn't share the same beliefs but they found a way to compromise and work together. That is exactly what we need right now! Our country is continually being divided by the media and our political parties. 

I think it is very unfortunate that we consistently have teachers and professors that lean left and very left in terms of their political ideals. We are seeing our college's across the country push the left ideology with no room for any other way of thinking. Unfortunately, I could not find any concrete evidence of statistics, but when you go to school in California it is evident that most teachers are on the left side of the political spectrum. There is primarily only one way of thinking and anyone who thinks otherwise is well not part of the majority. When discussing politics in the classroom, I think it is important to give children as much information as possible so they can make their own choices. Seeing teachers on social media encouraging kids to protest because they think Trump is a racist and going to deport their family seems a little outrageous. Maybe it is hard for me to relate because I am a native born citizen but I understand a bit of how the government works. There is a reason why there are checks and balances so that the President can't do whatever he wants.  If you have a cause to protest by all means do so, it is your right! Just make sure when you are doing it, you understand why and keep that shit peaceful. No one will listen to you if you are shouting and rioting. If you think maybe I am full of shit for not worrying about Trump I have a statistic for you. Do you know who has deported the most illegal immigrants of any president? I will give you a moment to think about it.... ok you ready? During Barack Obama administration they have deported more than 2.5 million people the most of any president. The past twelve years, our voting decisions have been fueled by fear. Whether it is the terrorist's, ISIS, Trump, or Hilary we have been living in fear. No matter what the situation is, we should not instill fear on to our children. We should encourage them to educate themselves and formulate their own opinions. There are no right or wrong answers, only discussions to figure out what is ultimately going to be best for ALL OF US and not just YOU. 

I am not arguing you lean right, left, or to the middle. That is not my choice to make nor would I want everyone to think exactly the same. I challenge you to think objectively and with open ears when discussing politics. You might learn something about yourself!