The ubiquitous nature of the modern media, with 24-hour cable news and instant satellite feeds, coupled with the penetrating force of the Internet, means that media strangers now enter our homes to answer our children's queries. As I listened to the proceedings unfold, I was aghast, like so many Americans, at the swirl of nastiness, the flow of partisan bickering, and the mean-spiritedness that formed the scaffolding of so much of the debate. With shrill rhetoric and wagging fingers pointed across the aisle, Republicans and Democrats alike seemed locked in an absurd and vicious battle royal. As the head of a private elementary school, I witness the same behavior every day on the playground. Skirmishes erupt, arguments pierce the air, and disagreements cloud the issues.
Children are naturally feisty and even venomous at times.
They learn early on how to use words' jagged edges to harm. When their disagreements become overheated, we separate them and give them a timeout. Red-faced and sputtering, they accuse one another of misbehavior, wave their hands excitedly in the air, and struggle to comprehend their peers' point of view. Their code of conduct requires punishment. There aren't many shades of gray in children's hard and competitive play.