"Daddy, What's a Union?" 10 Words Our Kids May Not Recognize

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/153681/%22daddy%2C_what%27s_a_union%22_10_words_our_kids_may_not_recognize/

By far, the laziest, most vapid articles annually published during this post-holiday season are lists of the past year’s top 10 words and aphorisms. Admittedly, the sloth of such an endeavor tempts me. But as a new dad obsessed with my 1-year-old son’s future, I think I’ve got a more worthy list to add to the pile — one of current words and phrases that my kid may never know because they might end up as relics of a lost vernacular.

Here are those harrowing 10. I hope I’m wrong but fear I’m not.

10. “Civil liberties”

My son will surely read the U.S. Constitution in civics class, and he’ll see stuff about rights to jury trials, due process and protection from unreasonable searches. But these freedoms have been extinguished by presidents successively claiming powers of indefinite detention, warrantless surveillance and assassination of American citizens without charge. Assuming there’s still an ACLU that sends me mail and assuming my son sees the mail, he might ask, “What are civil liberties, Dad?” My response: “Good question.”

[sinkingfeeling]

1. So sad, so true.

[Autumn Colors]

2. Huh?

"My son will surely read the U.S. Constitution in civics class"

Public schools still offer civics classes?

[dipsydoodle]

3. To most children I'm guessing unions are

a bit bigger than shallots.

[HuckleB]

4. +1

[xchrom]

6. hey HuckleB!

[ForgoTheConsequence]

5. That's where it starts.

Then its....

Daddy whats a vacation?
Daddy whats a doctors office?
Daddy whats a weekend?
Daddy do I have to clean the toilets at school again?

[msongs]

7. start with a rote regurgitation pledge to a piece of cloth. kids know not what those words mean

in most cases

[Blue_Tires]

8. #1 brings a tear to my eye as a former journalist...

somewhere on that list also belongs, "monopoly"...They used to be something we feared, regulated and broke up if they got too big...Now our government actually encourages them to form and the word is just a board game...