In the News
There is more to life than problems in the rain forest
Mark Rosman

I think a lot about telling the truth to children these days. I have two children, ages 10 and 12, and they go to good public schools; places where, I'm sure, the teachers and administrators care about doing a good job for them.

However, sometimes I get the feeling - a feeling I cannot prove - that when it comes to the problems of our state, our nation and our world, my children are not being told the truth in their schools.

The children seem to spend a lot of time learning how to save the rain forest in a place they may never visit, yet very little time appears to be spent addressing the ways to solve the problems that exist in their hometown, in New Jersey and in the United States.

So I debate the issue internally; Should I leave it up to their teachers to fool around with saving the rain forest, or should I talk to them about the problems that will really impact their lives in the hope of preparing them to make difficult decisions in the years to come?

For instance, what should I tell my children when we drive through Freehold Borough and they see a hundred men standing in front of a convenience store, hanging out?

I am certain that I should tell my children this: "Those men used to live in a country where there is no work for them and the economy is bad, so they came here, perhaps by breaking our immigration laws, and now they have to look for work every day. They are having a negative impact on our community, and we have to figure out how to stop people from coming to America illegally."

Here is another question that has been asked by two astute youngsters: "Are people from around the world trying to kill us?"

It is not always about the rain forest, you see, and obviously the topic of global hatred is not being discussed in their schools, or they would not be asking me and their mother about it. I am certain that my children are not the only ones asking parents these questions.

I have made my decision. As I see it, they must be told the truth now - even if it is not pretty - so they can protect themselves later. They must be and will be told that some people are trying to kill us because we are Americans, because we have freedoms that some people abhor. If I don't tell them these things, who will?

It is difficult to talk about these issues - illegal immigration and terrorist attacks - without scaring children. They should not have to know this at 10 and 12. However, my fear is not about scaring them. My fear is that if I do not say these things today, the rain forest will survive, but the precious United States will not.

Mark Rosman is the managing editor of the Tri-Town News.