How Reversing The Routine “Do It for The Kids” Guilt Manipulation Can Bring You Victory!
For decades governments at every level have used the kids as the shill for expanding government. As Professor Stephen Baskerville writes in his critical book Taken Into Custody,
“It costs nothing to proclaim one’s concern for children of course; many people today derive substantial income through the industries ostensibly devoted to children. Yet we should be wary of the claims of those who profess to be moved by pity for other people’s children. Using children to tug on our heartstrings is not only a weakness of the sentimental; it may be a ploy by those cynical and unscrupulous enough to exploit children for their own agenda. Children are now a major source of political leverage…. for a host of government officials, journalists, and academics. ”
We disagree with Baskerville on one point. We would replace “…it may be” with “…in most cases it is…”
What may be hard for some readers to understand is that such ‘guilt manipulation’ truly does have a religious undertow to it. For community activists to better understand the real nature of such manipulation and to equip you on how to turn it back on their heads, we can’t recommend a better book than Politics of Guilt and Pity.
To purchase it Check Here
A Christian businessman from Illinois who led the school tax opposition fight in his own county, pointed out precisely where God’s people first used “the kids” as an excuse to remain in bondage. After previous complaints to justify themselves were invalidated by God’s mighty deliverance, the people of Israel finally pull the “trump card” on Moses: “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill…our children…?” (Exodus 17:3). Many Christians would rather kill the souls of their children for eternity in the vacuous public school, than face public charges that they don’t care for “the kids”! Often some of our most strident opponents are evangelicals.
Also consider Paul Dorr’s essay titled “Do It For The Kids!”: A Vain Pursuit of Atonement For Guilt, found Here.
Most local governments (especially government school districts) have been modeling wasteful spending, excessive borrowing habits and reckless disregard for the real wealth of their citizens for decades. The citizens are there to plunder, in their view. Too many children receive this ‘spending lesson’ all too well and quickly enter into society buried in college debt, personal debt, household debt, etc.
Copperhead-assisted school tax campaigns regularly take ownership of the message that the proposal before the voters sets an example of ‘poor money management’ for the children of the community. In fact, the best thing the district can teach the children is how to better manage their current assets and unchecked expenses. Teaching good financial stewardship is far more important to the children of the community than building a massive new sports complex.
After explaining this message in a few sentences we then make it clear, “Do What’s Best For The Kids, Join Us & Vote No!” It is a powerful, effective message. To hear an example of a radio ad run in Omaha, NE, against the Omaha Public School during their November 2002 campaign to pass a five year levy override, totaling $110 million, listen Here.
Reversing the guilt manipulation is a key to winning on Election Day!
If you need help putting this message together for the first time in your campaign, contact Copperhead Here