blacksundae

MetaFilter’s billyfleetwood posted an absolutely wonderful comment today. Here’s a snippet, but you should probably read the rest of the thread for context.

Nobody trains their kids to be killers. Your hyperbole shows an astounding and dare I say juvenile lack of understanding of the world, and the people in it. People raise their children to believe in things outside of themselves. Family, community, country, tradition. People raise their children to believe in simple things like right and wrong, good and bad. and you know what? There is a great benefit to us all in people raising their children to believe in such things.

So sure, we could ask hundreds of thousands of young men and women to follow your lead, abandon their trust in their communities, their country and their traditions. We could raise our children to believe in noone but themselves. We could stop telling our kids that Being President is a noble aspiration, that the word “leader” is a word we reserve for the best and brightest.

We could stop teaching kids that they shouldn’t take their privileges for granted, and that under no circumstances does freedom require sacrifice.

Or we could continue teaching them all of those things, and instead of cynicism, demand that the the few people we choose to lead us not shit on those beliefs, misrepresent that truth and send our kids off to kill and be killed for profit, politics and a misguided sense of personal glory.

The thread. Made me kinda misty.