On Sept. 23, Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old activist from Sweden, gave a speech before the United Nations Climate Summit. She chilled her audience with, “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words…We are at the beginning of a mass extinction…”  

Public schools in New York gave hundreds of kids excused absences so they could participate in political climate marches last week as if it were a religious or political holiday. Adults using children to bring attention to their political ranting are a real danger to our young people. The children themselves are caught up in the hysterics and are frightened. Another attending child said, “All our futures are in jeopardy and we will be the last generation to survive.” Adults are hurting children pulling them into their causes.  

Indoctrinating children has become a major push of activists.  Schools and colleges are now teaching our youth with political ideals. On many colleges, campus students cannot even speak freely without being sharply criticized or censured. Sadly this is even happening in our elementary, middle and high schools too. School books and curriculum are even now controlled by specific agendas.  

The activist knows that no one is as malleable or as easily indoctrinated as children, so they use them. The activist has learned that children get instant attention, so they use them. Parents have even used their own children in protests and confronting politicians. With education a low priority, parents take their students out of school to attend rallies and protects. It is no wonder that the United States students perform near the middle of the list of 57 countries of the world.  The 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress rate only 37 percent of 12th graders tested proficient or better in reading, and only 25 percent did so in math. 

The hysterical activist would do better for their children if they kept them in school and taught them, not contempt for our country, but how great a country they live in. Our children should praise our founders, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and God for giving us our individual liberty, freedoms, limited government, free markets, private property, religious freedom and peace. All students need to study our American history and civics…and civility.

America’s adults need to stop indoctrinating children and encourage them to study and learn what is important in life. The hysterical activists are hurting our children.