So, I'm having a conversation with my nine year old daughter... Date Thursday, April 25, 2024 - 08:17 PM PST Topic Politics We were watching one of my favorite movies from my childhood... Cloak And Dagger. I was taking note of the fact that the father went to work and left his 10 or 11 year old son alone. I mentioned to her, "Did you see what just happened?" She said, "He..um.. left him alone?" I said, "Yes. That's generally how thigs were at that time. Parents left their kids alone a lot." This got into a huge discussion about how things were when I was growing up, how parents were too busy to take care of their children, and the children had a lot more freedom than they have these days. These kids in this movie were allowed to run all over, doing whatever they wanted. They had bus passes and went all over the city on their own, without parental supervision. I know it was a movie, but it struck me that things really were like that at the time. Then, I asked my daughter a question. I asked her, "Which would you rather have... ultimate freedom, with absolute security, or absolute security without any freedom? Think carefully. Answer what you really think, not what you think I want to hear." She thought about it, thought about her capabilities at the age of nine, and at first said that she would like security, but with freedom as well. I told her that wasn't how it worked. That freedom and security rarely go together hand in hand. It was one or the other. She thought about it for a while, then said she would rather have freedom, even if it meant that she and she alone would be the one to worry about herself. I was very proud of her. This is one of the children who will grow up in this world. One of the children who are forced to wear helmets to ride a bicycle, or else be fined. It gave me hope, that maybe, when this child grows up and can make her own way in the world... this child might have enough in her to help make changes in the world she lives in. Maybe she isn't the only one, either. Maybe this next generation will be the ones with the courage to stand up and take their freedom... even if it means losing a bit of security. This article comes from Shmeng http://www.shmeng.com/ The URL for this story is: http://www.shmeng.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=756