By Anthony J. Sadar and JoAnn Truchan
Teenagers, like many adults, are not too old to believe in fairy tales. But, youngsters typically have much more time and energy to devote to acting on their fantasies, like the one showcasing a global-warming goblin.
For example, from May 7 through May 14, kids the world over were to tramp in the "iMatter March" to convince adults that the most pressing global issues are not bloody terrorist attacks, abject poverty, tyrannical socialism, or even kooky environmentalism, but rather the planet's real peril comes from climate change.
The week before the marches, some of the participants were plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in federal court against EPA chief Lisa Jackson, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and others. The kids claimed they have a profound interest in "ensuring our climate remains stable enough to ensure their right to a livable future." Their support and talking points come from high-powered climate prognosticator James Hansen, whose sincerity and ability to convince is not in doubt. Additional support and encouragement for the youth is coming from numerous progressive organizations who have become exasperated with discerning adults.
Most adults (this excludes heavily-financed global-warming gurus and their minions) have come to realize that one of the solid truths in life is that no one knows the future. And, if someone claims to know that the Rapture will occur on May 21st, or the earth will end on December 12, 2012, or the globe will be intolerably warmer in 2050, they're usually deluded, arrogant, or both.
Well-grounded adults understand that the future is not fixed, or many simply lack the interest to care. Adults, after all, have adult responsibilities.
So, if the climate scare-mongers can't frighten the adults, the next logical step is to heap angst on their children who then frighten (or better, pester) the adults into action.
Oscar Wilde once said, "In America, the young are always ready to give those who are older than themselves the full benefits of their inexperience." What was true in 1887 is still true today, as those with limited or non-existent adult responsibilities can find the time to take up causes. However, there is a reason why 13-year-olds are not allowed to drive, purchase alcohol, vote, or hold elected office -- they simply lack the experience to do so intelligently and with maturity....
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