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A look at Bill O'Reilly's new book, Kids Are Americans Too
By Julie Marsh |
October 23, 2007
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"You, kid, are an American. You have an obligation to be a good citizen. That means that you should be honest and pay attention to what happens in the United States and in the rest of the world too."
- Bill O'Reilly, Kids Are Americans Too
Bill O'Reilly -- host of The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel -- has written a new book for kids all about the basic workings of the US government and how the authority of parents and schools affect kids' rights. Kids Are Americans Too is full of real-life examples that relate back to situations that kids might encounter themselves, from the ideals of the Founding Fathers to the role of the judicial system to decisions made by parents and teachers that were fought -- and sometimes overturned -- by kids.
O'Reilly's tone, while more objective than I expected it to be, varies between authoritarian (How many kids do you know that like to be called "kid"? I never did), sarcastic (I think Britney Spears and Paris Hilton are ridiculous too, but snarking on them doesn't bolster O'Reilly's message), and embarrassing (His original "raps" made me cringe. I can only imagine how a teen would react). He does have paragraphs of lucidity -- even poking fun at himself now and then (which is probably more entertaining for his adult readers than kids) -- but he invariably missteps as noted, which only serves to dilute the point he's trying to make.
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Even more bothersome to me are the conclusions that he often draws after describing a real-life example, conclusions that don't necessarily fit with the information that's been given. The story told in the "Welcome" chapter is one example: A mother is contacted by the sheriff because he suspects that her daughter's boyfriend committed a crime. The daughter arrives home, takes a phone call, the mother picks up the extension, and she overhears the boyfriend describing the crime. O'Reilly defends the mother's right "to protect a child from harm." While I think that the mother was within her rights to pick up the extension, it makes me wonder about the communication and trust in that family. Might talking to her daughter -- long before she got involved with this boyfriend -- have been a better idea?
O'Reilly concludes that the mother in this story was protecting her child from harm "by overseeing her daughter's ties with an obvious criminal." It only became obvious once she picked up the phone; such a description is misleading. And again, if the mother already didn't trust this boy, why did she allow her daughter to maintain ties with him all along? Plainly, it's not as easy as O'Reilly makes it out to be.
Another example is the story of a high school literary magazine function that took place outside New York City. To make an inordinately long story short, three girls were suspended (and then the suspension was reversed) for using the word "vagina" on stage -- because school officials stated that the girls had promised beforehand not to do so. The girls insisted that they never made such a promise. O'Reilly described the events that transpired after the function, maintaining a calm and objective tone throughout.
So I was quite surprised when I read his conclusions:
...if it's true that the girls did promise in advance not to say the word, then [by not punishing the girls, the superintendent] sent a very bad message to all students in the district: It's okay to be deceitful.
Yes, the community served by John Jay High School obviously included a number of kids and adults who believed the girls were being censored. But that doesn't mean that the mouthy trio should be allowed to get away with falsifying their story.
What? In one paragraph, O'Reilly writes "If (emphasis mine) it's true that the girls did promise in advance not to say the word..." In the very next paragraph, O'Reilly not only describes the girls as "mouthy", but concludes that they shouldn't "be allowed to get away with falsifying their story." Which is it? Did the girls lie or didn't they? And does O'Reilly adequately support his opinion (clearly, that the girls lied) on this point?
If I read this book as a teen -- mind you, one who was a lot more respectful of authority than O'Reilly himself, based on his personal youthful description in the book -- I would have been confused and intimidated. Basically, the message he's giving is that if those in charge agree with you, you're a good kid -- and a good American. But if they don't, you're open to harsh judgment and criticism simply because they don't agree with you. I wouldn't find this book reassuring or educational at all.
And that's what I find most regretful. A book like this one should inspire kids to think about situations, analyze others' behavior and decisions, consider how they would act under similar circumstances. Perhaps they might act in a way that Bill O'Reilly finds objectionable; that doesn't necessarily make them wrong.
I'm working hard to raise my girls to think for themselves, not to parrot what I might say or do under every circumstance. Yes, I'm the adult, and it's my responsibility to guide them, and it's their responsibility to listen. But do I have all the answers? No, and I shouldn't act as if I do either. That's a recipe for disappointment on all our parts.
Instead, I want them to think and analyze and consider, without fear of whether I will necessarily agree with them. Perhaps they'll be able to defend their position; perhaps not. Regardless, I'll be proud of them for having staked one out.
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| Julie is a former Air Force officer and professional project manager turned web writer. She spent four years at the Pentagon and five years in New York City, and her suburban life in Colorado seems pastoral by comparison. She's no political pundit, but she is a rational thinker determined to chart her own course whether the other parents approve or not. She writes for Cool Mom Picks, The Soccer Mom Vote, mothergoosemouse, and is co-founder of The Parent Bloggers Network. |
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