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Re: Santorum Criticizes Obama's Parenting
Wait, how do we know she's not down there for some sort of mission or charity work?
The teens in jr. high and high school I knew who traveled to Mexico for spring break did so to build houses.
College? That was a differnet story....
I have no problem with children having experiences. Hell, we are taking our kids on a Mediterranean cruise next year. Would I let one of my kids go abroad at the age of 13 without me or my husband? Probably not. But like I said, the Obamas have the luxury of knowing that 20+ secret service members are babysitting their daughter.
I do not see how the Bush twins being arrested for underage consumption has any place in this conversation. They were 18+ when they were arrested. How is that Dubya's fault or poor parenting? Oh yes, because the b.s. of blaming him for anything and everything is the liberal way. Guess what... It's also over played as fuuuck.
Malia, 13, accompanied by Secret Service agents, has been in Oaxaca in southwestern Mexico for a school-sponsored service project.
- from the AP
You're having a bit of a "the point ------------------------------- you" moment, aren't you?
Untwist, take a breath, then read heather's explanation.
ZOMG THE LIBRULS ARE GONNA GET YOU!
I didn't bring up bush or his kids.
And I trust the school my kid will go to. They can take her abroad. I think it sounds like a fabulous experience.
Well actually Snookums, one could argue that the sole job of a parent is to rear his offspring to become productive, law-abiding citizens in society. With a key emphasis on law-abiding. Therefore, one could theorize that young adults who don't heed the letter of the law reflects badly upon your parenting skills, thus meaning that you failed at a crucial component of parenting. In other words, you didn't teach your kids that underage drinking is illegal and bad and you could go to jail. Now, that's bad parenting. Allowing your kid to go to Mexico for a school trip =/= bad parenting.
But, Santorum lives in some alternative reality that is grounded in shiit he pulls out of his azz and tries to pass off the new Ten Commandments or something. And today it's letting your kid go to Mexico. In my days, I've seen kids go to New York and overseas for various school related trips.
Now, if you don't like my Bush example, would you prefer that I use Bristol Palin as an example of bad parenting? Here's a kid who clearly disobey's Mommy's Edict of Abstinence and gets pregnant. *shrugs* Now, if the POTUS kids have been labeled as off-limits, don't start pulling shiit like this out and then pitch a hissy fit when folks start pointing out all the inconsistencies in this line of mud-slinging.
FWIW - I don't give a rat's right butt cheek about Bristol or the Bush twins. All I'm doing is highlighting the hypocrisy and stupidity of Santourm's Tuesday drivel.
Wow, I guess that makes me the worst mom in the world for moving my two kids to Saudi Arabia. The entire country is under a travel warning. ZOMG!!!!!
The U.S. government is continuing to send families with children to serve in Mexican border cities. I'm pretty sure Malia with her security detail is going to be ok in Cancun, or whereever she's going.
Birds of a feather, flock together.
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Am I the only one who doesn't see this as a criticism of Obama's parenting skills? I see it more as a criticism of his leadership skills. Now we can argue whether it shows a lack of leadership skills, but I don't see Santorum saying Obama is a bad parent.
Also, I dont see him talking badly about the kids/criticizing the kids, so I'm not sure why the unspoken rule that "President's children are off limits" is even mentioned here.
I partially agree with you. I think Santorum's focus is more on whether Obama is "setting the right example" or being hypocritical by issue travel warnings and the letting his daughter go there because she is adequately protected.
BUT there is no travel warning for the part of Mexico where Malia is so that line of thinking doesn't really hold water ultimately. There is no leadership fail here or anything like that. Some parts of Mexico are considered safe, some aren't, and Malia is in one of the parts deemed safe for American tourists (as far as i can tell.)
I do think the rule about the President's kids came up because as soon as Santorum says "well you're letting Malia do X" then the kids become part of it, you know?
A) At this point in time, if my child's school was having a trip to Mexico (even in one of the locals without the travel advisory), the only way I would let him go would be with a small army of secret service agents and I'd bet that factored into at least some of the parents' decision.
I would agree with you re: the fact that that part of Mexico is safe. I disagree that because his child was mentioned that it is inappropriate. Usually when we say the kids are off limits it's wrt being critical of them (ie. Bush twins, Palin's daughter, Chelsea's looks, etc).
Yeah. The travel warning does not apply to th entire country or even most of it. The first paragraph is the mildest intro to a travel warning I've seen in years if not ever. Nothing about "continued risks" or "all but essential" or "avoid all travel" as most of them do. I don't have it in front of me but I believe it begins "millions of Americans travel to Mexico each year for business and pleasure without incident ."
Besides. The president doesn't issue travel warnings...
I have to agree, although I would amend this to say, "Way to turn a legitimate Santorum Stoopid into a "people hate Mexicans" thing." There is plenty about Santorum to criticize here; I see no need to inject conjured issues.
So, so this. There are parts of Mexico that aren't safe, absolutely. There are also parts of various places in the U.S. that you'd have to be a pretty big dumbass to traipse around in, too.
pshhh... All of Mexico is a big drug cartel. Much like Texas. I wouldn't let my child visit Texas.
::broad sweeping generalities::
This. There are plenty of places in Mexico that are safe and I would have no issue sending my kid there. There are probably more people murdered each day in D.C. than in many parts of Mexico and I somehow managed to live there.
So do all the other kids on the trip have irresponsible parents as well? Especially since they won't have 20 secret service agents following them around.
Santorum once again showing his inability to focus on important issues and ignorance of foreign relations/diplomacy.
Off to the beach
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Funny that you mention that.
After the article broke, it got scrubbed for being a little "too much" in the way of privacy concerns.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/03/media-scrubs-malia-obamamexico-story-117970.html
I wouldn't let my 13 year old go to Mexico without me but I wouldn't let them go out of the state without one of their parents/grandparents.
That being said, I don't care if anyone else does and it certainly doesn't make you a crappy parent, provided that there are more than 7 chaperones for 125 kids anyway.
Click me, click me!
is this what happens during election season?
Being a child of a diplomat that sent most of my childhood living overseas and being classified as a potential terrorist target, THIS is the part of the story that bugs me the most. WTF is Santorum doing broadcasting where Malia is? IF you really want to discuss bad "parenting" I think putting other people's kids at additional risk is a pretty big "parenting mistake."
You know, I travelled all over the Middle East as a child. I've lived in countries when the US Govt was not only telling tourists to stay away but were shipping out Americans for their safety (and I stayed). We had one trip where we missed fatal bombings by minutes--3 times in one day. The only time in my life my parents would not allow me to go on a school trip because they were concerned about my safety was immediately following the onset of Operation Desert Storm. And the trip was to NYC.[Cue the Pace cowboys: New York City!?!]
That was my first thought when I read this...perhaps Santorum would like to draw a map in the sand of where Malia is as well (ala Geraldo during Desert Storm).
Oh, this should help *insert eyes rolling out of head*
Sanitarium should issue an apology this. Flat out.
I was 14 when my mom sent me to a poor town in mexico with my church. We set up church, gave out food, clothes and walk around town. I thought I was cool giving my leftover pesos to the local kids.
I highly doubt she is going into a poverty striken town during these times, but she could be there for something similar.