Title: “Opinion: Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Activists”
I write this column in the hope that it can be shared with more people, to spread awareness.
To be honest, every column I write is with the intention of reaching a wider audience, that’s just the reality. I believe that what I have to say is needed to some extent. Humbly speaking, I feel that I have been given some writing skills by God, and it is my responsibility to share my insights on life to benefit society. At the age of eighty, I feel the need to utilize my writing abilities more than ever before, to document my thoughts. I rarely take a break; even when I do, my mind is usually occupied with planning what to write next, unless I’m playing tennis; even then, my brain isn’t idle…
Clearly, today’s article title is inspired by the famous American country music of the 1970s, “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”, composed by Ed Bruce and Patsy Bruce, later covered by renowned singers Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. I have been listening to this song for years, it’s very familiar to me. But for those who prefer more simplistic themes, this song might seem unfamiliar.
One line from this song goes like this: “Cowboys ain’t easy to love, and they’re harder to hold.” If we substitute “Cowboys” with “Activists,” the song still rings true, maybe even more appropriately. Trust me, I have experienced this myself many years ago. We were wrong back then. And now, they are in an even worse position.
All of this circles back to the main theme I want to convey: the root cause of the chaotic state threatening our civilization today is the many so-called top-tier institutions, even the world-renowned ones, the so-called “Ivy League”, all the way down to ordinary colleges, becoming celebratory grounds for a group of bloodthirsty maniacs, making the Nazi Party look like… well, I won’t delve further into that.
Unfortunately, 1939 is back. Wikipedia tells us:
“On February 20, 1939, the German American Bund organized a Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden. Over 20,000 people attended the rally, where Fritz Julius Kuhn, a loyal follower of Nazi Germany and an anti-Semitic, delivered a significant speech. The rally, held two days before George Washington’s birthday, was described by the association as a pro-‘Americanism’ event; a huge portrait of Washington was displayed on the stage with Nazi symbols on either side.”
Does this scenario sound familiar? Is the “canary in the coal mine” idiom making a comeback?
Yes, and now it’s even worse. They no longer cloak themselves in the flag. The founding father, George Washington, is no longer revered but just another statue to be toppled. On our prestigious university campuses, the sentiment of “Death to America” has been spreading.
This is the world of Rashida Tlaib. We are just living in it.
(Translator’s note: Rashida Tlaib is a Democratic federal congresswoman representing Michigan, the first Palestinian-American member of Congress.)
Mammas, don’t let your babies grow up to be activists, do you understand what I’m emphasizing?
Of course, I’m not referring to the loyal readers of this newspaper. I would be surprised if they were the kind of parents or grandparents who would tolerate such occurrences. However, if they or you know many people like that, I wouldn’t be surprised either.
Furthermore, I know many good people who are doing their best for their offspring, but have found over the years that the critical race theory in schools (whether overt or covert) and various “woke” monsters, not to mention the concentration issues brought about by Silicon Valley’s so-called genius, are making it impossible for them to achieve that.
Among this generation of college students, about half or close to half seem to prefer Hamas over Israel. When looking for the culprit behind the experiences of this generation of college students, most point fingers directly at the education system itself: from kindergarten onwards, the education system has been indoctrinated with neo-Marxist “awakenings”, it’s hard to imagine it getting any more “awake”; and many also point fingers at the media: they cheer for the education system, they shout for the education system, they defend the education system’s extremist behaviors.
But it all starts at home. In other words, these young people’s parents failed to provide them with proper guidance at home, at least to restrain some of their extreme behaviors. It is the duty of being a parent.
This is not just a matter of shirking responsibility. In more cases than we’d like to admit, parents might even cheer on their rebellious children because they see justification for their own past behavior in their rebellious offspring, only their actions back then were less extreme.
And there are cases that are even more direct and worse.
For example, looking back to 2020, former President Barack Obama proudly announced that his daughters had participated in protests led by “Black Lives Matter” organization. It turns out, this organization not only deceived other black individuals economically but also duped all the well-meaning individuals who contributed to their racial deception. (By the way, this information was leaked by fashionistas from the global women’s fashion magazine “Vogue” headquartered in New York.)
Among the several reasons above, the parental factor may ultimately be the culprit, but needless to say, there’s another factor – our government also bears responsibility, and a staggering one at that, through entertainment events like “Drag Queens for Palestine” (targeted at children only), inciting what conservative activist Christopher Rufo calls an internal “racial revolution”.
Clearly, we can’t know how many of these protesters come from single-parent households, but it’s almost certain this proportion is high. It’s a nationwide disaster in itself.
In general, it’s hard to know how many of them there are, and it’s even harder to know who they are, as they usually hide their faces behind masks, disguises, or Palestinian scarves. They do so out of fear of COVID-19 or more likely fear of being identified by potential future employers.
What we see on campuses is essentially a product of families imploding gradually, or worse, already imploded. This is largely the result of intentional actions by all parties involved.
Centuries ago, 18th-century British novelist Laurence Sterne used the term “hobbyhorsical” to dismiss this topic as trivial. But now, the social environment is vastly different, reflecting the level of societal civilization we are in. We can only commend governors of states like Texas and Florida for stepping up and appropriately utilizing the National Guard, allowing their universities to return to their true purpose of education.
Concluding, here’s a good piece of news: though long overdue, the Ivy League and similar institutions have finally lost their former luster. It’s widely reported that many students and their families – not just Jewish families – have decided to go elsewhere, to the Midwest and South, for potentially fairer education.
Some students even think going to college is not the best choice and opt for vocational schools. They are doing just fine. By the way, I wonder how many vocational schools are holding demonstrations in support of Hamas. I wager, not many.
Lastly, let’s talk about one term – “activist”. This term was originally used to describe followers of causes we generally consider noble. I say let’s borrow a phrase commonly used by students, “bag it.” Let the term “activist” remain with the Left. This way, you won’t end up with your children growing up to be the “activists” – that’s probably not the kind of people you want.
About the Author:
Roger L. Simon is an award-winning novelist, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, and a columnist for “The Epoch Times.” His new book, “American Refugees: The Untold Story of the Mass Migration from Blue to Red States (2024),” is published by Encounter, New York. He has been banned from X platform, but the public can subscribe to his newsletter.
Original:
Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Activists
Published in English by The Epoch Times.
This article represents the author’s personal views and does not necessarily reflect the position of The Epoch Times.