Living Up to Our Children’s Expectations
Because nothing I could write to commemorate this day would be more powerful than what follows, I give you a speech written by Emily L. Hauser’s son for his sixth grade Language Arts class:
My Dream
I say to you today, my fellow Americans, that in 40 years we have accomplished something phenomenal. On April 4th, 1968, the legendary Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated for believing in freedom. On November 4th, 2008, exactly 40 years and 7 months later, a black man known as Barack Obama was given the position as the most powerful individual figure in the United States. Yes, what we did could be classified as amazing. However, our work is far from done in the endless struggle known as human rights. Many kinds of people still fight for equality. It is my dream that all of these people will be treated with equality and kindness.
I have a dream, my fellow Americans, that one day this nation will stand as one, hand in hand, with every race and religion. Muslims, Hispanics, Asians, Black People, White People, all people will regard each other as equals.
I have a dream, my fellow Americans, that one day you can love the person you choose to love and no one can say otherwise. That you can devote yourself to someone and not be discriminated no matter what gender they are. That the only boundary love will know is the content of your character.
I have a dream, my fellow Americans, that one day money will not serve as a boundary between humans, but instead only serve to bring them closer. The rich class and the middle class and the poor class will live together, supporting and caring for each other.
I have a dream, my fellow Americans, that one day all of God’s people, regardless of their race, age, economic status or any other separation that serves as a dividing line will be united as one. Many people have been fighting the war for equality for too long. It is my hope that the end of this war is on the horizon.
My fellow Americans, I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day no one in this world will be able to push you down, regardless of any stereotypes. I have a dream that in all 50 states Muslim Boys and Muslim Girls and homosexual boys and homosexual girls and rich boys and rich girls and poor boys and poor girls and all of the boys and girls of America will join together and nothing in the world will be able to stop them.
My fellow Americans, I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day no matter what your community thinks of you, or what your friends think of you, or what you think of you, when you have a choice to make, your decision is the one you trust.
This is my dream. This is my hope, my wish, my desire, my own personal Messiah. I have a firm belief that this day will come, slowly but surely, and when it comes all classifications of people will join in a splendorous celebration of connection and peace. When this day comes the earth itself will cry out: “I have witnessed a miracle!”
written by Ted L____, 6th grader
January 13th, 2011
We should all be so lucky that every child in America thinks as Ted does. I congratulate Emily for raising such an extraordinary kid.
[cross-posted here at ABLC]
West of the Cascades
That is Pure Good. May this be a snark-free, troll-free thread.
alwhite
incredibly mature for a 6th grader, she should be very proud. Not just the thought but the technical skill is exceptional.
Omnes Omnibus
Nice dream. Smart kid. Insufferably proud mom.
freelancer
Reach out and touch faith.
Omnes Omnibus
Marvin Gaye, “Abraham , Martin, and John”
Trainrunner
Flame away, but children are children. They don’t understand things. And is always skeeves me out when we appropriate their uninformed refrigerator-magnet cliches as some kind of wisdom. It’s like when parents force their kids into the parents’ religion. Let them have their own minds, and let’s never forget that they are unformed, uninformed minds.
But what does Justin Bieber have to say about all this?
Loneoak
“Splendorous celebration of connection and peace” should be a tagline. We should have at least one snark free tagline, and I nominate that one.
Angry Black Lady
well, it was a good 5-post run.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
Glorioski, thank you for this ABL! This is wonderful. Thank you so much!
He is such a wise kid, and though I, as a writer and his mother, can see the parts where he has knitted together the thoughts or vocabulary of others, I think that being able to do that, and do it well, at age 11.5, with large pieces of your own, very special wisdom — why, that’s a pretty amazing thing. (For instance: Can you tell whose kid has had to suffer the occasional lecture about how we’ve been treating Muslims in this country..?)
I think my favorite parts are two:
1) Where he borrows (and he knew he was borrowing it, so as a writer, I know that’s ok!) Dr. King’s “content of their character” and applies it to love. Because he’s right, my 6th grader is. Love should be about the content of the beloved’s character, and nothing else.
2) The neologism “splendorous.” Because honestly, isn’t that more splendid than splendid?
@Omnes Omnibus: Insufferably! Indubitably insufferably!
Omnes Omnibus
@Angry Black Lady: Yeah, some people can’t see a punch bowl without shitting in it.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
@Angry Black Lady: I know, right? I just told you in an email that I would troll-bash anyone who takes on my kids, but you know what? No, I won’t. Because the trolls don’t deserve my time.
AliceBlue
Ted, hold those thoughts for the rest of your life!
TaMara (BHF)
I am humbled by this.
suzanne
Good job, Emily. :) He’s obviously a great kid.
freelancer
@Trainrunner:
It may surprise some here to know that even I’m in the Dawkins’ camp of “Yeah, let’t not teach religious dogma to children until they’re old enough to wrap their minds around it,” but where in the name of holy hell did anyone say anything bad about instilling your values into your children? Compassion, acceptance, our common ties as human beings, if that’s “indoctrination” then you need a hug.
TaMara (BHF)
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: This.
Dorothy Rissman
angry black lady, Yes, some people have the capacity to only focus on the small part of things. I think the kid is amazing. May more children be like him.
Davebo
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther:
Don’t worry, I’ll take the 2100 to 2300 shift. I’m sure we can cover the overnight with our current duty roster.
Well, provided BoB doesn’t get trashed tonight.
iriedc
It’s lovely. Thx for posting.
Ruckus
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther:
You just keep on with your kids. Ya done good.
When I was a kid I heard jackoffs tell me and other kids that we weren’t smart enough or wise enough to have opinions or know what was going on. I didn’t call bullshit then because they were adults and I wasn’t, even though I knew they were wrong. I call bullshit now though. Kids aren’t necessarily stupid, they are uneducated, hopefully getting less so day by day and somewhat lacking in experience. But if they listen to people who listened to the jackoffs when they were young they will grow up to be stupid. Look around at the peetardiers, who are mostly old white morons who most likely believed the adults that they were too stupid and unwise. And haven’t changed.
ETA That writing is grand by any standards.
Sockpuppet
I think Ted is destined for a weepy goth phase in a couple of years. Something to break up the soulcrushing monotony of being mommy’s little mouthpiece.
burnspbesq
If you like a little irony on MLK day, try this.
The University of Alabama is putting the finishing touches on a long and expensive renovation of Foster Auditorium, where George Wallace stood in the schoolhouse door in 1963. Beginning next month, Foster will be the home of the Tide’s women’s basketball and volleyball teams. The women’s basketball team is coached by Wendell Hudson. Yes, the same Wendell Hudson who was the first black scholarship athlete in Tide History.
sports.espn.go.com/ncw/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=6026162
Punchy
Yikes is this kid living in his own reality. Who’s gunna break him the news that Hispanics and other Browns cant possibly be American?
Joseph Nobles
Did Ted know the full meaning of everything he was saying? I doubt it. You could spend several lifetimes trying to plumb the depths of a phrase like “That the only boundary love will know is the content of your character.”
That’s why it takes a kid to say something that profound, something that correct. Most adults would not dare utter a sentence like that, knowing what kind of trouble it might get you into.
gnomedad
@Trainrunner:
When I was a kid, I thought this was funny; maybe still is:
Ruckus
@Punchy:
Did you even read the piece?
It’s an ideal. An idea he has that would be nice to see.
Kind of like the idea what the world would be like if you weren’t such a moron.
General Stuck
Very impressive young man. When I was in the sixth grade, it was all about building a better spitball, and worrying if the kooties had me. Though it was also my first sweetheart, who one day slapped the living shit out of me. And when I asked What?, she told me she saw it on a soap opera and wanted to try it out. Great
Face
I’m surprised this isn’t being flagged by the school Admin for its gratuitous references to gays. Had this been penned south of the Mase-Dix, I’m pretty sure Theodore would have earned himself a trip to the principal’s office, if not 3 days in solitary.
asiangrrlMN
@Trainrunner: Really? You’re going to hate on a kid who’s trying to embrace equality, compassion, and diversity? I’m not going to flame you. I just feel incredibly sorry for you if that’s truly how you feel.
Children are capable of seeing and feeling many things. I think it’s great to try to nurture their better natures.
@Omnes Omnibus: I would like this comment if I could.
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: You go on being proud of your kid. He’s on his way to being a fine young man.
Wilson Heath
How soon before some winger mouthpiece gets a flash mob to inform us what kind of counter tops the Hausers have?
El Cid
I happened to end up reading various archives of MLK from 1967 moving to a public opposition of the war against South Vietnam. I actually didn’t know that the NAACP had criticized him for this, fearing that it was a weakening of the civil rights movement, a diversion. A very challenging, and interesting, year.
Punchy
@Ruckus: It’d also be ideal if Africa could be free of starvation, Republicans would become normal again, and the Pirates would win a World Series. That too would be nice to see.
RosiesDad
Emily:
You should be proud to have raised a young man able to think about what is important in his values to and care about how people treat each other. Ethics and responsibility are a big nut for an 11 1/2 year old to handle.
ABL: Thanks for cross posting. An inspiring read for most of us. And who cares about those who didn’t get it?
Dork
@Wilson Heath: /squints
Appears to be concrete, with blue tile splashbacks.
Lysana
@Trainrunner: Oh, I think someone needs a piece of chocolate cake and a big glass of milk. And a hug.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
@Wilson Heath: @Dork: In this case, wouldn’t it be made of the tears of brown people?
Alison
@Trainrunner: At a time in our society when we have children around his age killing themselves because they’re being bullied relentlessly for who they are (or for who they are perceived to be, which for kids can be just as awful-seeming), acting like kids can’t possibly understand stuff like prejudice and its dangers is fucking stupid. A 6th-grader may not be able to write a dissertation on the sociological history of race relations or whatever, but he/she can certainly understand and speak about the difference between tolerance and bigotry, between love and hate.
Of course they might simplify things, but isn’t that sort of the point? We WANT things simplified, as progressives, in a way. We want people to just be treated equally, no matter their gender, skin color, orientation, religion, etc etc. Humans are humans, full stop. So what’s so wrong about just saying that?
Also, I know nothing about who you are, but it sure sounds like you’re speaking from a place of some privilege. I know plenty of kids his age and younger who have been treated with such hatred their whole lives that they sure as fuck know what MLK stood for and his significance and can talk about it with more depth than a lot of adults. I’d be happy to hear about racial tension from a child of color instead of a white adult much of the time, IMHO.
TEL
Great kid ellaesther!
Makes me think of my baby sister, who when she was about the same age, maybe a little younger, got involved with the “No on 9” movement in Oregon. (Prop nine was an appalling measure in 1992 that would have taken away the right for gay people to work for the state, receive public assistance, etc.) When she found out our Mom was participating in some demonstrations against it, she asked Mom what measure 9 was about. My sister took the absolute unfairness of what the measure was trying to do to heart, and ended up in a classroom discussion about it (little sis was wearing a “No on 9” pin, and got asked about it, which led to the discussion). I can’t imagine how her teacher felt about this, though she must have been OK with it, since she allowed the discussion to happen.
My bigger point is this – when people think kids can’t understand things, I think they are underestimating them. While children don’t have the same capacity for subtlety and gray areas that adults do, they understand concepts like “right and wrong” very well. My sister never lost her passion for human rights – among other things, she’s worked as a staffer for an Oregon senator (Ron Wyden) partly as a result of the awareness sparked by that “No on 9” campaign.
Angry Black Lady
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: amen, sister. amen.
Donut
Anyone being critical of this kid and this really well done piece of writing has completely missed the fukkin boat on what MLK stood for.
In other words, you’re basically just bastard people.
IL JimP
All I can say is that this was great. If only we could live those ideals, that’s why I’m involved in politics. I’m sure many of you are too.
Live the dream, make it happen.
Annie
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther:
You deserve to be proud. Great kid. Nice to know one family dedicated to educating their children in this current political environment, where stupidity and lack of critical thinking skills among our children have somehow become American virtues. Makes me feel hope that such brilliant children still exist.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
@Alison: (Though it should be noted that he is a child of color in the sense that his color is white. We are many, many things in my family, but we are mos def white).
Svensker
Lameass haters got do lameass hate stuff. Pooey.
You got a nice kid there, Ms. Hauser. And on MLK’s day it’s nice to be reminded of purity of heart and soaring idealism. The fact that your son’s innocence pierces the soul doesn’t mean we should turn instead toward cynicism and world-weary sophistication. Bless him for reminding us of our better selves. And thank you.
Alison
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: Actually, that part of my comment was more general, not specific to your kid :) But noted all the same.
geg6
Jeebus, what the hell is wrong with people who are so cynical that they would snark at the very well-articulated idealism of a fifth-grader is considered worthy of snark and jeers. Too assholish for words.
You have a lovely young man there, Emily. Treasure and nuture him.
geg6
@geg6: Jeebus, what the hell is wrong with people who are so cynical that they would snark at the very well-articulated idealism of a sixth-grader is considered worthy of snark and jeers. Too assholish for words.
You have a lovely young man there, Emily. Treasure and nuture him.
geg6
And of course, I get so pissed that my comment is almost incoherent. Oh, well. I’m sure my meaning came across.
Mnemosyne
@TEL:
Adults can sometimes get bogged down in those gray areas, and it takes a kid to cut through the crap and point out that treating people differently is, well, crap.
freelancer
@geg6:
We got it. No worries. :)
Old Dan and Little Ann
My students asked excellent questions on Friday about MLK. Frankly, If one of my students wrote this for me I would be floored. Good for him. But of course they’re only fourth graders. But they did manage to watch his entire “I have a Dream” speech with nary a peep.
Ash Can
Bravo, to both son and mother!
Yutsano
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: The best compliment someone can give sometimes is silence and applause. Which is what I am doing. Now get that kid involved in an Israeli political party and maybe there will be a hopeful and equitable resolution there.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
@Alison: One wants to make sure these things are clear!
@geg6: I got it, too! Thank you. And I will treasure and nurture him, believe you me. In all of his grades. :)
@ all I’ve felt it would be kind of weird to be too present in this thread, so I’ve tried not to answer everyone, but I want to say a big, big, heartfelt thank you to all of you. Ted’s dad (aka: “the husband,” aka “the person who introduced me to Balloon Juice in the first place”) and I are reading these as they pop up, and we are both touched and delighted. Thank you. Most of what you see in the above is stuff Ted was born with, hard-wired, into his heart, and we have only been here to help him channel it. He’s a great kid. A great person. Thank you.
(His sister’s pretty awesome too, but I’ll save that for another thread!)
wasabi gasp
Don’t much like kids at all. I read it. Nah.
Teri
Wow, such a powerful and awesome post. I just wish more people could raise their children with such great ideals and values. Please Emily, nourish his spirit and encourage his idealism. Middle school and hormones are coming soon and the two combined can crush such a wonderful and amazing young man. I hope his peers can recognize and encourage such a seeking and awesome spirit. Mom to Mom….you done good with this kid. I salute you with my “Best Mom” mug of coffee as I try to repair a broken backpack for school that was used as an impromptu soccer ball during snowshoe soccer match on this weekends camping trip. (us “old timers” won cause we knew how to use the snow shoes!) Thanks ABL for bringing this to a wider audience. By the way, love the new sight design. Makes it easier to read and use.
Mark S.
Sweet Jeebus, I didn’t expect trolls to flame this post. Go fuck yourselves, sockpuppet and trainrunner.
You should be proud of your son, Emily.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
@Yutsano: So what you’re saying is that you hate my son.
I kid, I kid! But srsly, Israeli politics? I think that would fall into the “no good deed goes unpunished” column. Oy! ;)
JD Rhoades
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther:
Very talented and perceptive young man, Ms. Hauser. You done good.
Yutsano
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: Hey someone needs to clean up that mishegas that is the Israeli political scene. It might as well be a savant like your son. Maybe he can talk Livni into growing a pair and crashing the Knesset. That could be fun.
PS If I REALLY hated you son I’d tell him to join up with Likud. Or Shas.
cckids
@TEL: My bigger point is this – when people think kids can’t understand things, I think they are underestimating them.
dcdl
@TEL: She is an awesome person who makes a great sis, cuz, friend, etc.
@Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther: You are doing a good job and it seems that your son has an empathetic soul. Keep up the good work and kudos to him.
jnfr
@Omnes Omnibus:
Thank you for that link.
Linkmeister
Late to the party (the bread machine beeped at me, requiring attention), but Emily, that young man should be congratulated and his brain nourished. Wow. At his age I might (maybe) have had those thoughts, but I surely couldn’t have expressed them that well.
piratedan
and on that note it’s also encouraging to note that the little girl who was gunned down in Tucson, well her family donated her organs and supposedly they have saved the life of one child and the eyes are going to yet another. Maybe our children will manage to shame us by their compassion and encourage us to be better examples for them.
Ruckus
@piratedan:
Maybe our children will manage to shame us by their compassion and encourage us to be better examples for them.
One can only hope.
I had a wonderful discussion with a 19yr old customer today. She wants to go to Switzerland or Germany to study art. She wants to enrich the world.
Today the world seems a better place.
Carol
Remember Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Obama were once 6th graders too. Leadership can start pretty early, and the values these kids have could be the values they carry into the work world and beyond.
Erik Vanderhoff
Jeez, Emily, that is one smart cookie you’re raising. I hope I’m that eloquent when I grow up.
mclaren
Excellent post, superbly written as usual. But you mean “childrens’,” not “children’s.” The collective plural (belonging to all our children) not the plural of one particular group of children (i.e., belonging to one person’s children).
Death Panel Truck
Goddamn little communist. ;)
Chuck
I never met anyone who didn’t have a very smart child. What happens to these children, you wonder, when they reach adulthood?
Fran Lebowitz
cipherblaze
A Hip-Hop Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther king Jr. Enjoy!