by MACUB

Created on: February 15, 2007   Last Updated: July 15, 2011

We have been taught to 'respect' our elders. Our elders, generally speaking, are those adults over age 18 or those whose care in which you are placed. This 'rule' is reinforced in the 10 commandments as 'Honor your father and your mother' so your days will be long...' It is further bolstered with 'Children, obey your parents in the Lord...'

There are times, however, when your parents are not 'in the Lord' or your elders are not following societal guidelines. At these times, when you are placed in an uncomfortable situation, you must make a choice; you must protect yourself.

Children have a right to be free from physical and sexual abuse. They have a right to not engage in criminal acts or to be used as a pawn to entice another to engage in criminal acts. Children are not dumb and they are not 'little adults'. There is a reason they are called 'minors'. Their reasoning and defenses are not within mature limits until they are approximately 18 years old: Some people do not reach this level, regrettably until they are in their 30's.

From infancy, children hear and learn proverbs from various fairytales. They know they 'should not cry wolf', they also know it is 'wrong' to steal, kill, etc. They know the difference between a good and a bad touch. They will actively communicate, in their own language, a distaste or distrust of a certain person. They need not be required to 'confront' an adult, unless they are ordered to do such by a court of law. Physical evidence, their demeanor, and the elder's mode of operation will all speak for itself. Children need not be 'enticed' with candy, tricked by someone who feigns their need of assistance, or money to know what people are Good. They, the children, will readily tell you.

I have children who are in college and one who is 2 years old. The toddler will readily tell me, when we are in a store: "That's daddy". At first, I thought that she was confused and had mistaken her father for another person. After noticing this behaviour for a couple of weeks, what my child was really saying was: Mommy, that person over there is a daddy! Each person that she identified as a daddy was in fact a daddy: daddy being an adult male that has children and could be trusted. This was confirmed over and over again. This child could sense the Good and was repelled by the confused and the bad. This is from a child who does not know the difference between 'right' and 'wrong', but she knows 'Good' and is repelled by 'Bad'.

Children will respect their elders: Now, are people who look to harm children an elder? I think NOT. Such old persons are not respectable.

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