A Child’s First Exposure To Protestors - The Dissident Dad

“Black Lives Matter” read clearly in large bold letters across several handmade signs at the Austin State Capitol building this past Saturday. 

My wife and I had been looking for something to do, and ultimately decided to take a tour of the Capitol building, have a picnic on the grass, and stroll around downtown Austin. Little did we know a planned protest was scheduled, which filled up the State Capitol building with fellow anarchists and libertarians, as well as plenty of communists, socialists, and black power enthusiasts. My kids asked what was going on. There was yelling, a higher than normal police presence (although nothing like we’ve seen in other cities), and people running around with large signs.

My instinctive reaction was a mix between annoyance and anger. I don’t like seeing advertisements for further tyranny; like communist logos, socialist demands, and of course, a call for the very statists that have caused all our problems to introduce new laws. However, before I answered my children’s questions as to who they are, what they are doing, and why they are mad, I took a split second to think it through. My answer was that these are people mad at the government because they feel like the government is picking on them for their skin color. 
As I said this, I almost felt regret. Did I just expose an innocent color blind child to racism? Did I just point out that skin color is an issue? I hate this topic, because I feel like I myself am color blind, and I know for certain that my kids are. They’ll play and talk to anyone without ever questioning any difference in that person’s appearance.

Hopefully I didn’t tarnish their young minds by introducing them to some of the harsh realities of this world. As far as some of the protestors’ solutions, I tried to look past that and just put it out there that these people are mad at the government (the status quo). This is certainly something my kids can identify with, because they know my wife and I are not big fans ourselves.
For a moment, I wanted to shield them from the yelling and waves of people flooding into the building, but upon further reflection, I considered 3 valuable lessons.
1) Dad isn’t the only one. Being surrounded by statists in our everyday lives, it was refreshing to see other people flexing their sovereignty with some civil disobedience, and openly calling out their grievances against the government. Yes it’s true, there are others out there that don’t support the police state.
2) It’s okay to stand up to the government. Protesting unjust laws, unjust systems, and a corrupt oligarchy is normal and healthy. You don’t have to just take it.
3) We should always be able to express our anger without turning to violence. I did point out to my kids that the state officials (police) were the only ones that showed up with guns, Tasers, and other weapons that day. All in all, I am very pleased that we ran into the protestors since physical protesting on the streets really isn’t something that I ever see myself doing.
Instead, I prefer to protest with my dollars on a daily basis, where I spend, how I save, and even how I make money. Certainly the videos I make for FutureMoneyTrends are a form of protest, since they are educational in nature and expose the criminals running our economy.This past year I protested California’s high taxes and business regulations by moving to Texas, and if Texas turns into Texifornia one day, then I may just up and leave the U.S.
However, ultimately, my most significant act of protest is in how I raise my children to think for themselves and to not be obedient.
– Daniel Ameduri aka The Dissident Dad

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