Allez les Enfants.

I read today that thousands of French school kids took to the streets in protest at the decision to send two young immigrant students back to their own countries. They raised their fists in solidarity, and some of them called for the head of the French Interior Minister.

Well now, the problem with kids is that they see things in simple terms. They want what they see as being right, and if that means compassion, justice and a generally humanitarian priority, then so be it. They don’t yet have the adult mind, enfeebled as it is with the cares of pragmatic exigency. They don’t fall back on ‘ah, but it’s complicated,’ as adults do, especially politicians. Their view is ‘We want what’s right. If there are consequences, we’ll deal with them.’

I like these kids; I salute their attitude and their actions. I’m even tempted to wish they’d get the head of the French Interior Minister, although I’m sure they won’t. I’m sure the politicians will largely ignore them while making the right noises for the sake of PR. Making the right noises for the wrong reasons is something politicians frequently do.

I think that politicians everywhere should take notice, however, because these kids are the next generation of voters. And I have a sneaking suspicion that today’s generation of kids won’t allow their minds to be enfeebled in the way that previous generations did. I think we have a generation coming through which has unwittingly taken heed of Khalil Gibran’s instruction to parents in his homily on Children:

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts.