I'm listening to you, Rush and Sean

Hey! I just realized that I've been raising my daughter incorrectly. In fact, I've been influencing children across this world in the wrong manner. Why, you ask? Well, recently, there have been a couple of troubling incidents that have happened across seas. It seems like we (I must take responsibility, too) burned some Qur'an, and our President apologized to the Muslim people for this action. He acknowledged it as a mistake. It sounded reasonable enough to me, but boy, I was so wrong.

All across the airwaves of America's conservative media, there was outrage at our President for apologizing to "those terrorists". Why should our President apologize to "them", spoke the talking heads? That is a sign of weakness. Now, mind you, these are the same people who often claim to own a corner on Jesus' teachings. You know, the ones that say, "Love thy neighbor" and "Pray for your enemies" and "forgive those who do you wrong" and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"...yeah, that Jesus, those teachings.

And then more recently, an American soldier went a little haywire and open fired and killed 16 Afghans. And once again, our President apologized for this atrocity. Interestingly enough, the talking, conservative heads, like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, remained mute on criticizing President Obama on that apology. Why no speak, babbling brooks?

Here's my question (or issue): why do we bother teaching children lessons that they need not apply when they become adults? If it is all fairy tales, then I prefer that we skip that chatter, and give the children the hard lessons. Here's what I learned are the adult rules:

1. Play fair, unless you can get away with cheating
2. If you physically hurt somebody, make sure that they stay down
3. During war time, rules don't apply
4. If you hurt somebody's feelings, too bad for them. Apologies are for sissies.
5. Only use truth or religious passages if it can justify your hatred

I've decided to re-teach my daughter. Why have assemblies on anti-bullying or violence prevention, since they are not used once a person turns 18? I think it's easier to teach children to destroy their enemies, than to help, understand, or forgive them. But then again, who is my enemy?

Can you hear me? Fear is ceasing me? There is a new enemy. Who is my enemy? Now, they are surrounding me, for all along my enemy has only and always been me.