I'm reading "Small Acts of Resistance"

[clyrc]

by Steve Crawshaw and John Jackson, a 2010 book. It's a really good book, except that it's making me angry. I make an effort to pay attention to the news, I read DU almost daily, and yet so many of the things I read about in this book are news to me. The chapter called "Women Say No" gave me a particular mix of admiration and frustration that I had never heard the stories of women resisting. If the book is available in the US, I recommend it.

But it is making me think, even more, about my role as a parent and what to teach my kids. How do I teach them to respect legitimate authority while making it clear that not all authority is legitimate? It matters so much to me because I was taught to respect authority no matter what. I was taught to accept and not question and keep my head down and do as I was told. And I am furious, simply furious about that now. It's hard not to see my whole upbringing as a conspiracy to keep the little people quiet. How could I not see the difference between the speeches about Democracy and freedom, and the way those things were repressed? I don't want my daughters to grow up in such enforced ignorance and helplessness, as I was, but I'm not so sure how to teach them differently. I want them to have some respect for legitimate authority, but how to tell them the difference between legitimate authority and oppressive authority?

[jotsy]

1. I have taught my children, which include two daughters.

To question authority when authority behaves questionably.

[JCMach1]

2. You never here about stories like this in MSM, or as part of history...

You would think the status quo doesn't have a stake in showing people that resistance is possible...


:evilfrown:

[snot]

3. One should always question authority.

[lunatica]

4. One good way is to give them books on these women

You can make them read for one hour a day if they aren't readers and make sure to consult with your librarian on the best books about history's strong women. Believe me there are plenty of them. Start with Harriet Tubman, Florence Nightingale, The Women's movement, Sojourner Truth. That will inspire them much more than if you try to lecture them.

Have conversations about these women with them. You'll learn something yourself.

[mdmc]

5. ..

[socialist_n_TN]

6. I've gotten two daughters grown now.............

and they're both pretty close to me and their mom politically, so I think we did something right. :) I think that the best way to do it is to model the behavior you want to make manifest in your kids.

As an aside, it seems that VERY few red diaper babies fall away from their parents politically. Not much rebellion from the kids on that score.

[barbiegeek]

7. Oppressive authority is related to deaths and suffering

IMO Arizona shooting is a perfect example.