Submitted by John House, Sep 16, 2007 19:10

I remember George Soros' almost surreal accounts of his childhood in Austria. To survive, he cataloged the looted items from Jewish families, all the while concealing his Jewish identity.

Regardless of what a parent had done, or what one might suspect that person has done, the child has an innate trust. Whether in Nazi Europe, in the Jim Crow South, or in the contemporary United States, children are morally innocent and totally within the power of adults who affect them. The way we handle social differences, crime, and political conflict can either inspire them or scar them deeply. We are completely responsible for this conduct.

Without regard to the merits of the parents' actions or beliefs, every single adult has the duty to respect a child's right to innocence and optimism. While we Americans are generally not as malicious as Nazis, our short sighted and abusive manner of public discourse has the potential to injure children...children whose only crime is not choosing parents properly. We adults are completely responsible for the harm we cause.

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