I was watching a couple of little kids when my mind started wandering to the interactions between the kids and their parents, as well as interaction with us – perfect strangers. The common concept is that children are a product of the environment in which they were raised. The kids treated like princes and princesses grow up to be selfish, self-centered types, theoretically. There was a book I read some time back about interacting with antisocial personality disorder called “Before It’s Too Late.” The book takes two chapters to discuss the concept that kids not only react to their environments, they act. Kids are active participants in the interactions occurring. They are not simply reactive.
My brother gave me some advice long ago based upon the “Godfather” series. He described the books as an illustration of the application of power. Those who had power stated what they would do, and those without power would threaten. This concept was applied to my interactions with my kids. I decided they would only hear what was going to happen, and not ridiculous threats to “beat them to an inch of their lives”, etc. In other words, I made my words mean something. This was especially helpful with the youngest one who had mental difficulties – many which I won’t cover here. I had to set concrete rules and follow up exactly as prescribed with whatever had been promised. The end result was a kid who would follow my instructions and respond to me even if I had to speak from work over the phone. (I did therapy sessions when the school called) This takes the appreciation that the child is acting, and following the promised response.
Apply this to the present situation with politicians and muslims. Here are two groups that can be seen as acting as children. They are putting their demands and pushing the boundaries to see if there will be a response. The politicians are trying to take, rather, have been actively taking our rights, responsibilities, and freedoms for decades. In response, we, their parents (remember the consent of the governed?) keep sending the kids back to push some more boundaries. They will only stop when the consequences occur.
muslims are the same. They have a destructive ideology not compatible with the freedoms founding this nation and are trying to push the boundaries with the goal of taking over this country. Next year? Of course not. It is the philosophy of incrementalism where they keep pushing the boundaries at every opportunity possible. Just like the kids. The boundaries need to be enforced – yesterday. They can meet at mosque, but anyone disrupting traffic, off to jail. The city not enforcing their laws will loose them to the incremental disruption this philosophy causes. Advice to Michigan: develop a “tent city” like Joe the sheriff has. No prayer rugs, cable reduced to weather channel and c-span, regular meals and proper enforcement of the laws. We are not Saudi Arabia. If they prefer the society there, they may leave – after 2 years behind bars or whatever the law prescribes and a permanent revocation of a visa. If the pres can revoke a teen’s permission to enter our grand United States for calling names, surely terrorist activity is above that limbo bar.