Dear Tell All: Forget about whatever political differences I might have with Sarah Palin. As a mother of a 15-year-old and a 12-year-old, I'm shocked at the kind of children she's raised. Her 16-year-old, Willow, and her 20-year-old, Bristol, have been in the news for their foul exchange with Facebook friends. One of these friends expressed a mildly negative opinion about Palin's new TV reality series, spurring an extended outburst from Bristol and Willow. They spewed out slurs like "effin fat as hell," "faggot," "dumb ass" and "low life loser," plus innumerable four-letter words.
I blame Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd. These are the apostles of family values, right? So what kinds of values did the parents instill in their children that they feel comfortable lashing out at others in this fashion?
Some will let the Palins off the hook by saying that they have no control over what happens on their kids' Facebook accounts. With Bristol, okay; she's now an adult. But with 16-year-old Willow, why don't the parents have any control? I didn't allow my kids to have Facebook accounts unless they gave me their passwords. I told them I'm not going to monitor everything they say, but they know I check in every once in a while to make sure the discussions are appropriate. As a result, they don't use bullying tactics or coarse language. Unlike Bristol and Willow, they've learned that it's not an acceptable way to conduct a conversation.
Sarah Palin is the one setting an example for them with her own coarse language. Rather than making reasonable arguments, she often resorts to middle-school-level insults. I'm thinking of her accusing president Obama of having "no cojones," sneering that reporters searching for the truth are "impotent" and "limp," and other such comments. It's no wonder her kids think it's fine to talk the way they did on Facebook.
Responsible Parent
Dear Responsible: Do you have any intention of declaring your candidacy for president of the United States in 2012? I'm considering supporting you.
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