Who's Kids?

A very little boy goes off to school.

Who's Kids Are They?  

Your kids are your kids.... right?  Well, not if some people have a say in the matter.  They want your kids and they want them young.

Why?  Because they believe that your kids are, one of  our nation's most valuable resources.

 You might not think of your kids as a "natural resource."  A natural resource being more like a kind of rock or mineral, or trees in a forest, or the water in a freshwater lake; but some people do think of kids this way, and there are many groups and individuals who would be happy to put that "resource" called children into their own hands and under their control.

It's sad, but true.  To some people, your children are merely a natural resource waiting to be exploited, managed and harvested, like other natural resources, especially if they see this has the potential to create a financial profit or political gain.  It's an investment in their future to do so

It's no wonder that "name brand" companies and corporations, like, for example, Juicy Juice, or the Carnegie Corporation, pay big dollars to advertise their names  (oops,) "donate" large amounts of money to nationally networked children's television programs, like Sesame Street on PBS.  As investors, they know that children will grow up and be the adults of tomorrow's world, all the while the company name or product will be firmly established in their brains.

There is an impacts too on the lessons learned in the education of public schools where children are taught many things... much more than ust how to read and how to write.  Publishing companies vie for prominence and the material in textbooks curriculum is scrutinized, objectives must be met, so that children show they are successful in knowing what the school officials dictate as being most important to know.  These people also need your kids in order to have a job and make a living, they need kids to be enrolled in school in order to have a job.

There re many professions whose livelihood depends greatly upon the school community. There are teachers, principals, secretaries, lunch ladies, nurses, custodians, psychologists, construction workers, bus drivers, textbook writers, kids books and novel writers, and those who work in commercial food distribution, to name a few.  It's a demand  and supply sort of thing.  These people have jobs as long as kids go to the school.  Schools depend heavily on attendance to financially survive. 

It has been said that "the hand that rocks the cradle, is the hand that rules the world," and there are those who want the authority to rock the children in your family's cradle.  People want to make your kids, their business.  They want power and influence over the youth of the world.  Some even think that your kids belong to them already.

In fact, there was a sign  about five year ago that began to grace our city streets. You might have seen it.  It is a picture of a pretty pinwheel made up of rainbow colors, which read, 

               "Our kids: Our business."  

You might also have seen all the pretty toy pinwheels in front of the local hospital or neighborhood day care center too.  In April, there was a display of these in front of Spokane Community  College, these too are placed around our community yearly as part of the "Our kids: Our business," campaign.

But what does "Our kids: Our business" mean?  What do these pinwheels represent?
 
Their website reads:
(Note: The boldened words are their own.)

"The pinwheel symbolizes the innocence of childhood and reminds us that the adults in the community bear responsibility for ensuring that each and every child is safe and healthy.  Our kids are our business! "

This is what they say as they assert their desired dominance and control over all kids, "each and every" child, claiming their ultimate "responsibility" for the well-being of ...."all"...... kids.

What this sign really should read is, "Your Kids, Our Business."  But that would be too revealing.  It might offend parents, making them think that someone was preying upon their kids.  But businesses, not only look good when they support a good cause, they also see some investment return over time, or so a 2007 Spokesman Review article titled, "Investing In Children pays off in Cold Cash," reported.    

Now, perhaps as you read this, you are thinking that the pinwheel and the slogan is nothing more than a honest community-oriented anti-child-abuse campaign, targeted at low income families, you know, those that need it most.  You are right.  It is an "anti-child abuse" campaign; and certainly a lot of family-friendly, caring, honest people are involved.   But the pinwheel  and the organization's own words, speaks for itself.  Behind the idea of "helping to prevent" the kind of child abuse that is too gruesome to describe,  is another agenda.  In fact, the program heads tell us that the focus has broadened from child abuse prevention to the nurturing of all kids at all levels.

The program is about gaining political control over other people's children, about starting children in school at an early age.

"A year of child care 

in Washington state costs more 

than a year of tuition at a 

Washington state college."  

                          David Lawrence, Child Education Advocate

This is supposed to scare you.  Do you even realize how expensive school for a little tiny three-year-old is?

The idea is you could really save yourself some money and help your kids be smart before going into kindergarten at the age of 5 by enrolling them in this program, (paid for at the governments expense.)  Never mind that it will require higher taxation from those who work and pay taxes in order to pay for it,  Never mind that it will mean more government spending, and ignore that even greater national debt.  


Childhood- development advocate, David Lawrence, who is quoted above, was a key person in the passing of Florida state's constitutional amendment that now provides pre-kindergarten classes for all 4-year-olds in the state. The article, Advocate Highlights Plight of Youngest by Sarah Learning, published in our own Spokesman Review,(2009) informed readers that about 145,000 children are  now enrolled in voluntary pre-kindergarten, (VPK) in Florida where their constitution was amended in order to have children go to school that young, paid for by the government of the state.  David Lawrence who leads, The Children's Movement of Florida, is satisfied that he has been able to intervene on the children's behalf and get them out of impoverished situations, get them "ready" for school.

The goal of the "movement," (as Mr. Lawrence refers to it,) includes programs like Early Head Start.  The premise is that of helping teen moms, single moms and dads, take care of their baby, and have free childcare so that they can finish school.  Again, this is a noble sounding aspiration, but one that is not without a cost, it will probably cost as much or more than a a year of college tuition, paid for by the state.

The term used as an excuse for this is "early intervention."  the the idea is to prevent child abuse and neglect.  The concept is to help parents, particularly those of a low income bracket, but the terminology is telling.  This not really about helping people, it is about control over "all children," "every child," at "every stage of development." Who do, who do they think they're foolin'?

Here in Washington the Our kids: Our business campaign people boldly say, (Underlines are mine)

"WE ARE: A Coalition of Child Advocates~ Schools ~ Businesses ~ Child Care Providers~ Nonprofits ~ Faith Communities~ Recreational Groups ~ Law Enforcement~ Health & Social Service Agencies ~ Individuals~ Families ~Young People  WITH ONE GOAL:  Ensure that all children are successful at every stage of development from birth to high school graduation to productive adulthood."   

The "call to action"  is, they say, a call for,  "a region that supports successful childhood at every stage of development."

Did you happen to notice that there is nothing here about child abuse and neglect?  Do you see anything in there about the protection of "childhood innocence," as the little pinwheel would have us believe? It's odd, but the "Our kids: Our buisness" campaign sounds like it comes straight from the National Teacher's Union, the National Education Association, (NEA) or some socialist rant.  It's no secret, although it is presented in a deceptively benevolent way, this is a movement to usurp parental rights and gain some strange legal jurisdiction over all kids. 

For more important reading about the roots and philosophies the run the NEA,  click here and here.



The pinwheel says, "Our Kids, Our Business." but really, parents are the ones who should be saying to business and government agencies, these are OUR kids and our kids are our business, not yours as big-business and government join forces to take possession of a natural resource that is not their to exploit, our kids.  Hiding behind the innocent appearance of a child's toy, the pinwheel, supposedly concerned about child abuse, the goal is actually to seize control over "all children" at "every stage of development."  Their purpose could not possibly be made more clear.

Programs like Our Kids, Our Business, are not just promoted in Washington. In Idaho, the pinwheels have hit the street and the word going out about "ALL children" is the same.

"... Pinwheels represent our desire for a happy and healthy childhood for all Idaho children."

"All" is an inclusive word. It usually means all.   Here, one again, it  means your kids as well as mine.

Any heartful person would desire for all children to have a happy and healthy childhood, as is suggested, but the notion  begs the question, "Who defines "happy?" Who defines "healthy?"  It  is anybody's guess.  For all we know, a child might be "unhappy" if their parents do not provide them with Facebook, or if they take away their cell phone and do not let them talk to their friends.  Who rightly is to decide these issues of a child's health and happiness?

Answer: The parent who loves and cares for the minor child.

These "happy" and "healthy" statements serve only to occult the more important issues already protected by our laws, that of pursuing "life," " liberty" and our own idea, (not someone else's) of "happiness."Despite clouding the issue, hiding behind "child abuse" as an excuse, it's glaringly evident here, that the movement is more about power and control over people and their kids.... and they want  laws, that give them not just control, but decision making authority and ultimately responsibility for other people's kids.    

Don't let it this happen.

Remember, your kids and everything about them is your business.  Your kids need you in their lives, They need you to love and cherish them, to guide them and keep them safe.  Most importantly, they need you to remember that they are your kids, and this, even if you send them off to the local public school.

Your kids are your kids and they are your business and your responsibility.  They were born to you.



For other articles and issues regarding this subject, see:

Spokesman Review article, 2007
"It takes a village to help a parent raise a child."
Chase Youth Commission
National Children's Alliance 
Promise Alliance 
See also First Focus,  America's Promise Alliance's policy affiliate, which serves as their partner  in advocating for young people.
Our kids: Our buisness Breakfast Guest Speaker Interview 
"Q.What do children need most right now?
A.Healthy, engaging, thoughtful interactions. They need unstructured play. They need to be active and creative, and that doesn’t happen when you are just plopped down in front of a screen."
 (Do you suppose that kids experience this, particularly, "unstructured play," at school? )


Also, you may want to visit, /www.parentalrights.org/



by Lisa Balazs