Kiddie campaigns get a split decision
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BY ERIN ANDERSEN / Lincoln Journal Star
Two moms. Two activists. Two differing views on where their kids should stand in the debates of politics and social causes.
MaryAnn Norton’s daughter was just 6 months old when she attended her first political rally.
In the eight years since, she and her younger siblings have been to many more. And Norton and her husband, who frequently find their views differ significantly from family and neighbors, work hard to explain objectively how people can love and like each other but fervently believe opposing ideologies.
Jennifer Rokeby-Mayeux, on the other hand, makes no secret about her values and beliefs to 3-year-old son Max, but stops short of bringing him along to rallies or even dressing him in the bevy of T-shirts and onesies that proclaim “Bombs Are Bad for Babies and Other Living Things,” “Save Some Green for Me,” “Two Mommies, Double the Love” or “War is Poop.”
“I see it as using children as pawns,” said Rokeby-Mayeux, who was born and raised in Lincoln and now lives in Arkansas. Her concern — these are adult issues, adult events and adult topics that no 3-, 4- or 5-year-old child can completely comprehend.
Norton disagrees.
“I don’t see it as using children as pawns, but rather including them in the parents’ lives,” said Norton of Lincoln. “If the parents are politically active, it makes sense that they would like their children to be so.
“That’s not to say that the parent won’t also allow the child to make their own choices in the future,” Norton said.
And therein lies the rub. These tikes are clueless as to what’s a Huckabee or an Obama, let alone able to grasp the concepts of global warming, universal health care and gay marriage. Should their parents turn them into diaper-wearing billboards proclaiming: “Mommy and Me for Hillary,” “My Mama’s for Obama,” “John McCain for President” and even Democrat/Republican “In Training”?
It’s a question parents are relatively polarized on. Last fall, a Parents Magazine blog asked: “Political clothing for children: Yay or Nay?” It sparked a very divided discussion — especially when you consider all the various issues — gay marriage, abortion, immigration and the war in Iraq.
Jennifer Weiss, co-owner of babyPolitico.com, a company that designs and sells children’s clothing espousing social/political causes, sees no difference putting a tike in a pro-evolution onesie and dressing them in a jersey or tee advertising products, teams, vacation hotspots and businesses.
“When you are putting them in a corporate logo T-shirt, you are sending a message there as well,” Weiss said.
Besides, little kids never get to make a decision about what they wear, Weiss said in a telephone interview from her New York home.
BreeAnne Clowdus, owner of TinyRevolutionary.com, a company that sells American social statement-making baby T-shirts and onesies, also sees no problem with it.
“What a lot of people’s approach is that you should not force your beliefs on your kids; that they should just figure it out. But you have to parent. You have to encourage them along a path, at an early age, get them to have compassion for their fellow man,” Clowdus said in a telephone interview from her Atlanta, Ga., home. “Children are bright and can have a great impact on the world.”
Besides, children already have been standing beside parents in numerous social causes — especially when it comes to the pro-life issue, say Lincoln moms.
Tammy Swisher admits she has mixed feelings about kids wearing political tees, although she is perfectly comfortable with babies and toddlers dressed in ‘I support …” shirts.
“I have a problem with parents taking their kids to abortion rallies and that kind of thing,” Swisher wrote on the Journal Star’s Family Talk blog. “I doubt most of these kids understand the complex issue this is, and while we influence every aspect of our children’s lives in one way or another, I think with some things children should be allowed to grow up and make up their own minds.”
Norton echoed the sentiment. “Having an 8-year-old holding up a sign asking for peace is completely different than having them hold up a sign with an aborted fetus on it,” she said.
Clowdus said the distinction lies in how you present your message.
When she designs her onesies and tees, she works to keep the message positive and nonadversarial. While many companies like to take off on the notion that something/someone “sucks,” she strives to take a more peaceful tone — with “Bombs are Bad for Babies” and the popular “War is Poop” shirts.
“The last thing I wanted to do was slap people up any more than they already do to themselves,” Clowdus said.
Jennifer Yeager, co-owner of Sassyonesies.com, an online company out of Richmond, Va., says slogans need to be fun, witty and reflect the personalities of both parent and child.
“Our stuff is pretty tame,” she said, noting their huge selection of children’s clothes includes offerings from both political parties, as well as social issues, cute sayings, vacation spots and Sesame Street.
Clowdus and Weiss said their companies are about more than making money.
“Our goal through our company is to raise issues that are of importance for our children and future generations. Issues we think are significant for everybody in the country and for the future — global warming, nurturing the environment, universal health care,” Weiss said.
The earlier the better. The company’s logo shirt says it all: “Activism starts early.”
“Our general position is that as parents, we are involved in child rearing; part of our responsibility is to impart good values on our children,” Weiss said of herself and her business partner, Lauren Brown.
And that’s why parents need to think things through, Rokeby-Mayeux said.
“I would love to raise a child who shared my views on the world and politics. I could try to indoctrinate him with my message, dressing him in T-shirts that support my favorite candidate or my agenda. But I choose not to,” Rokeby-Mayeux said.
“I want to raise him to be an independent thinker and allow him to form his own opinions. I know just by living together and raising him that some of my beliefs will rub off on him. But in the end, I hope that he challenges me. And I will respect his views even if they are different than mine.”
Reach Erin Andersen at 473-7217 or eandersen@journalstar.com.
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Sylvia wrote on February 8, 2008 4:57 pm:
Lincoln Mom wrote on February 9, 2008 9:10 pm: