[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.