A couple of centuries ago, children were considered their parents properties, their parents made their decisions for them.  Today, they are the states properties,the state makes their decisions for them.

     I wonder if we will ever get to the state where they’re considered people and not property, not as big or fully developed, or as competent perhaps but people none the less.

     In as much as I accept that they might not be equipped to make some decisions for which they don’t yet understand the lifelong implications, I am even less convinced that the state is equipped, or even has the right motivations.  As near as I can tell, as much as it gives children’s welfare a lot of lip service, the states only real concern is the well being of the ruling elite and their further concentration of money and power.

     I believe that if they were allowed to participate in society to a greater degree, have a voice in it, the world would be a better place.  Education would be more successful because they would have a better understanding of what is relevant to their lives.

     I remember sleeping through history class most days and never really had an interest in it, until I had a teacher that had one arm, having lost the other in the Viet Nam war, and all of the sudden history became relevant and I never slept through class again.

     I wonder, if kids had more say in society, would we still have wars, global warming, nuclear waste?  I wonder if they had some say in the beginning, if they might be more fully participatory and less apathetic as adults?