(The Daily Horn) – During a recent visit to an elementary school in New Jersey, Joe Biden made the unusual decision to advise students not to answer difficult questions. Rather than making an effort to build connections with both his supporters and people who oppose him, he told students, “When you’re president, see all these people here? They’re with you all the time, they get to ask you all kinds of questions and you try to figure out how you’re gonna avoid answering them,” which begs the question…what, exactly, is hearing that in a school that is supposed to encourage asking and answering questions teaching our children?
Biden Is Supposed to Be a Role Model for Students
No matter what side of the political spectrum a president falls on, students see him (or her) as a role model. Children don’t think about politics in the same way that adults do–they are simply fascinated by the person who gets to run the country. Having the opportunity to meet any president of any political party should be a positive experience for young students that introduces them to someone who encourages them to do their best in school, ask questions about topics that interest them, and prioritize learning as much as they can to set themselves up for success in any future career they choose.
What Is Biden’s Stance Teaching Our Children?
Biden’s decision to encourage students to avoid difficult questions instead of thinking carefully about the best way to answer them is hardly the attitude most parents want their children taking in school and in life. Do we want our children to grow up believing that giving up as soon as a controversial conversation with a friend, challenging course in school, or new job that includes responsibilities they are not used to gets “too hard” is the right answer? Where would our society be if everyone decided to avoid everything they thought was difficult instead of trying harder?
Our children need to develop a strong work ethic now to become responsible members of the workforce in the future, and parents need to be diligent when someone in power is teaching them that shutting down as soon as they are challenged is the way to go.
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