Children: Opening Our Hearts and Minds

Abortion is a touchy subject. Most people don't like to talk about it, because it makes them feel uncomfortable -- just like religion and politics. There is an important difference between the former and the latter, however: human lives are stake with abortion. No matter
what your personal feelings are on this heated issue, you may look at things differently after reading this story:

I have a 2nd grader and a 3rd grader. This year they are both attending a public school. My children, like so many children their age, have been exposed to the topic of the 2008 presidential election like no other generation before them. My husband and I read newspaper articles, and watch a lot of news coverage relating to the election. We also, like many parents, have conversations about issues pertaining to this election. Consequently, many children when asked to vote for a presidential candidate will mimic the views of their parents and/or caregivers.

Over the last few weeks, both my 2nd and 3rd grader have come home excited, with stories about how they were able to "vote for president" in their classrooms. After sharing their stories, we discovered that both of our children had voted the way that my husband and I would have voted. Based on the outcomes in each of the classrooms -- Obama won by a few votes in each class -- it seems that many of the children voted the way they had heard their parents speak at home ( I say this, because we are now residing in a state that has historically gone "blue" (democratic) in past presidential elections).

At the beginning of last week, my third grader came home with a story that she had heard on the playground. One of the children had told the other children that Obama was "for killing babies in pregnant mommies tummies." The playground discussion went round, and round. Then, the story spread throughout the lower grades in the school (those that share similar recess times).

At the end of last week, the classrooms held a second mock presidential vote. This time the results were surprising: John McCain won by a landslide in both of my children's classrooms. The reason for the complete 180 in the outcome? The playground story about Obama's position on abortion. Little children just could not fathom the idea that anyone could be for "killing babies in pregnant mommies tummies."

Children keep it real! They view the world through innocent eyes and hearts. I wonder how many of us, would truly be for abortion if we had to explain what abortion is and the reasons that we are "for it" to our children. Perhaps many of the children from my children's school, went home and asked their parents about abortion and whether, or not, their parents were "for abortion." Perhaps these children opened the eyes, hearts, and minds of their parents in a way no other adult rationale could ever have.

God Bless the children (both born and the unborn).