2001 Soap Box Archives

Is it good for the children?

Some time back I was visiting an acquaintance and we started talking about children. He said something that really got me to thinking. He said that everything that is done in this country should take into consideration how it would affect the children, or as he put it, is it good for the children. When you think about things in that light they take on a whole new meaning. For instance, when legislation is passed we should be concerned about how it will affect the little ones. When a criminal is sentenced or a medicine is approved we should take into account how it’s going to affect the children. When we do environmental impact studies we should do studies to determine the impact on our children. We have been fairly vigilant in civil rights and protecting minorities while far too long the most helpless segment of our society goes without notice. They are abused and neglected and brought into the world carelessly by people who have no intention of caring for them. Too often when a child abuser is brought to justice the court is more concerned with the rights of the criminal than with the rights of the child, never really considering the horrible fact that a helpless human being has been scarred for the rest of their lives. Politicians make education a political football, a way of garnering votes, catering to the teacher’s unions and the powers that be rather than taking into consideration how well educated our future generations will be. The television networks and Hollywood film makers fill our theaters and airwaves with filth, trash and mindless drivel, not even caring what it does to impressionable young minds. It’s the bottom line which motivates these people with precious little attention to scruples and morals. Food manufacturer’s make and advertise products which they know full well are not healthy for growing children. Cereals and fast foods with advertising campaigns designed to catch the eye of little people who know nothing at all about nutrition. The worst kind of neglect is that practiced by parents, and I’m not talking about the scum bags who abuse and refuse to support their offspring, we all know about them, we read about them in the newspapers all the time. the parents I’m referring to are good people, who work hard to support their families but get their priorities out of whack. And before some of you start firing off irate e-mails let me explain myself. I am the first one to realize that there are a lot of situations in this country which absolutely require both parents to have a job. But there are many cases where both parents work to provide luxuries and perks, and I don’t blame anybody for want the finer things in life. But is the second car and the overseas vacation really worth raising a latchkey child who has to fend for themselves for several hours a day. Never in the history of this planet has there been as much harmful mischief for a child to get into, and as many predators roaming the streets stalking innocents. Maybe when we consider a move to another town, a job change or any thing else important in our lives we should ask ourselves this question. Is it good for the children?

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels