-Caveat Lector- from; http://www.zolatimes.com/V3.25/pageone.html <A HREF="http://www.zolatimes.com/V3.25/pageone.html">Laissez Faire City Times </A> ----- Laissez FaireCity Times June 21, 1999 - Volume 3, Issue 25 Editor & Chief: Emile Zola ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tomorrow's Allies Today by Sunni Maravillosa Many mainstream Americans are beginning to realize the degree to which their freedoms are being infringed or stolen outright by US governments, from the feds down to the local mayor. Some of the credit for this realization goes to freedom-loving individuals and organizations that work to educate people about the abuses of the state. Yet much of it is simply due to Clinton and Congress themselves for the freedom-stifling activity they�ve engaged in the past several years. As the clamor begins to rise�and well it should�a new minority group is beginning to add its voice to the din. This "new" group is the youth of the country. Many of them, with the assistance of their parents, or in spite of their parents� �help�, understand that tyranny is around the corner. They are ready to take their part in the fight for freedom, and they are more than just "misunderstood kids". They know that, when it comes to freedom, minors have been left standing on the street with their noses pressed against the glass for years. Unlike previous generations, however, these young people intend to do something to change the status quo. Discontent is nothing new�that seems to be part and parcel of the teenage experience in this country. For that matter, the checking of the Bill of Rights at the schoolhouse door isn�t all that new either; since the 1970�s at least, courts (including the Supreme Court) have ruled that the first amendment does not apply to school newspapers, or to public school students who want to publicly acknowledge whatever god(s) they worship in school ceremonies. For years, young men in most states have been required by the feds to register with Selective Service upon turning 18, yet are unable to drink alcohol legally for three more years. Teenagers and enterprising children are expected to pay income tax on their earnings and savings, yet are not permitted to vote, the cl earest case of taxation without representation there is. Over the years, however, the encroachment on kids� liberties has quickened on a pace outstripping that for adults� freedoms. Kids are learning some harsh lessons from their treatment. Within the past five years, the number of young people being disciplined for violating school rules has skyrocketed. In the name of trying to curb "gang violence", certain articles of clothing or colors of clothing have been prohibited in schools; many public schools require uniforms in an attempt to legislate the problem away. Under the "zero tolerance" drug policies of many schools, children who bring and use medicines from home without school permission have been suspended�even if the offending substance is only a cough drop. Bombing the Kids As a result of the Columbine school shootings barely two months ago, scores of students who�ve made any kind of reference to bombs or shootings at school have been summarily suspended. In one case, middle school students who waited a day to report a friend who threatened to blow up the school were themselves suspended for not snitching fast enough. Schools have also tightened the pressure on anyone who is different in some way�such as the boy in Virginia who was suspended for dyeing part of his hair blue. Children who choose politically incorrect themes for creative writing assignments can find themselves in trouble too, as did the nine-year-old boy who was charged with writing "a threatening note". The "note" was part of a class project to create a positive fortune cookie message; the boy wrote, "You will die with honor." What do youths learn from these cases? They learn that, despite their capabilities and intelligence, they are largely treated as second-class citizens. They learn that rights do not apply to them. They learn, from the very adults who are supposed to be positive role models for the children, that "freedom is for me and not for thee". The marketplace is also brutal in its treatment of today�s youth. Malls have rules prohibiting "hanging out" or groups of teens walking around. In many stores, teens are routinely scrutinized as likely shoplifters, even with no probable cause. Despite the facts that many teens hold at least a part-time job and have more disposable income than many other age brackets, the stereotype of a teen as an irresponsible slacker leads to their being treated as potential criminals instead of valued customers. They learn that the saying "money talks" applies only if one is above a certain age. The state is perhaps the largest enemy of youth. From small towns to large cities, loitering laws are being used to disperse groups of teens who are doing nothing more than gathering to socialize, curfews based on age are passed, and laws prohibiting bike riding, skateboarding, and rollerblading on public sidewalks leave kids no place to go�and little to do�to have fun. The federal government places age limits on a large number of activities, including working, in the name of "protecting" children. A bill currently being considered�the so-called "juvenile crime bill" would tighten some of these age restrictions, and also would make juveniles tried as adults subject to incarceration with adults. So much for protecting the children! This "justice" bill has some 55 amendments that allegedly focus on youth crime and violence, but many other rights-trampling proposals are hidden in its 600-plus pages. Among the most egregious of these are the provision enabling police to intercept electronic communications without a warrant, and the provision expanding asset forfeiture to include state laws�even misdemeanors. These portions apply to everyone in the US, not only juveniles. Young people learn many interesting lessons from such shenanigans. They learn that "protecting the children" is merely rhetoric, and a convenient cover for "whatever we can get away with". They learn that burying nasty surprises in big packages is a successful tactic, as is bait and switch. Hearts and Minds Today�s culture enables or adds to the alienation and discontent teens naturally feel. In commenting on his failed proposal to prohibit the sale of explicit sexual or violent material to minors, Representative Henry Hyde (R-IL) said, "[T]he real problem is what�s going on in our kids� minds and hearts and souls" (*). Hyde is more right than he knows. The feelings of despair, of not being cared about, run rampant in today�s kids. We see the results in the teen suicide rate, the date rape rate among teens, and the escalation of violence in once-peaceful suburban public schools. But out of the youth population springs tremendous hope. The source is the aforementioned teens who understand and value freedom, and who are already active in the movement. Recently, winning essays of the Liberty Round Table contest for young scholars were published here, and demonstrated just how aware many youngsters�even as young as seven!�are of the important issues of today. Their context isn�t one of Lyndon B. Johnson promising "The Great Society", nor Nixon disgracing the presidency; they�ve grown up seeing the effectiveness of grass-roots activism in the environmental movement, and with the skepticism of politics-as-usual that Johnson, Nixon, Clinton, and so many others have helped create. The combination of street-smarts, youthful optimism and energy, and conviction make this group of individuals a force to be reckoned with. We adults who are engaged in the battle ignore these allies at our own peril. Some of the issues important to libertarian youths are theoretically sticky�one twelve-year-old may be mature enough to make informed decisions regarding her budget, whereas many 32-year-olds have great difficulty in that area. The issue isn�t so much about age, however, as it is about personal responsibility. What these young people are asking for is the same thing many libertarians claim to value�the right to decide for themselves, without the state sticking its nose into private affairs. If a young teen can support himself without welfare, and meets all his obligations under his own initiative, then why shouldn�t he be able to vote if he wants to, or kick back a beer in the privacy of his own home? Being 14 should be irrelevant. Adult libertarians would be well-served to heed the message of younger libertarians in their quest to end the second-class status of responsible minors. Helping them to win now by taking their issues and efforts seriously, working with them, and encouraging their participation in more general liberty-oriented issues will encourage them to stay active in the fight. That investment into today�s youth will help ensure that our work continues after we are gone. Intergenerational cooperation will also help overcome the negative stereotypes many people have of young people, and will make it more likely that future generations of intransigent freedom-lovers will follow. That�s the best possible legacy to pass along. (*) Henry Hyde quotation from "House moves on gun, youth violence measures", June 16, 1999, CNN, http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/06/16/gun.control/. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sunni Maravillosa is a psychologist and web mistress for the Liberty Round Table (URL http://home.lrt.org/ ). -30- from The Laissez Faire City Times, Vol 3, No 25, June 21, 1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Published by Laissez Faire City Netcasting Group, Inc. Copyright 1998 - Trademark Registered with LFC Public Registrar All Rights Reserved ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, Omnia Bona Bonis, All My Relations. Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End Kris DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
