Re: Children and Cypherpunks

[doug@OpenMind.com (Doug Cutrell)]

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Tim May writes:
>This won't cut it. No outsiders can interfere with how I raise my
>children, in terms of the views I expose them to...
>...I'm getting involved here in this political discussion because some
>Cyherpunks think it's OK to forcibly butt into how others raise their
>children, that this is somehow consistent with a Cypherpunk attitude
>about information and liberty. It's not.

I think the issue is far from clear.  While I agree that the liberty of
parents must of course be protected, I believe that the liberty of
children is an equally important issue.  While I can understand the strong
historical, social, and even biological roots of the desire to maintain
absolute control over one's children, I believe that children do have
inalienable rights as unique and individual persons.

How are we to clearly distinguish between the parent who confines his
child to an attic room 24 hours a day from the parent who puts up similar
informational walls that block his access to knowledge of the world?

Granted, at its extreme, this idea flies in the face of almost all
previous human history.  Nonetheless, the information era brings with it
never before encountered possibilities for new relationships between
children and society at large. Hence, the attitude of child "ownership" by
parents may call for serious re-examination.

I would predict that the rights of pre-adults will become one of the most
important civil rights issues of the next century.

Doug
___________________________________________________________________
Doug Cutrell                    General Partner
doug@OpenMind.com               Open Mind, Santa Cruz
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___________________________________________________________________
Doug Cutrell                    General Partner
doug@OpenMind.com               Open Mind, Santa Cruz
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