As a father, I’ve learned that kids pay attention to more than we think. They learn from the stories we tell them and from the example adults set. I have two boys at home and a daughter due any day now. Like most parents, I want my kids reading books, asking a million questions and using their imaginations. I want them to learn to be curious, thoughtful and kind.
Seeing the White House turn “The Magic School Bus” into artificial intelligence-generated propaganda about deportation struck a nerve with me. Something generations of kids grew up with because it made learning fun shouldn’t be turned into a vehicle for cruelty.
What frustrates me even more is that parents here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland have real problems demanding our attention. Kent County is fighting to replace an aging middle school. In Somerset County, the school board is facing an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit over transparency, book removals and curriculum decisions. We spend far too much time trying to make each other angry and not nearly enough time solving the problems right in front of us.
With my daughter arriving any day now, I think about this more than ever. I want my kids, and every kid on the Eastern Shore, to have good schools and the confidence to think for themselves. Our kids are watching us. We need adults who lead with both strength and decency.
Dan Schwartz
Democratic nominee for U.S. House of Representatives’ Maryland District 1
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
