"Now Johnny, stop hitting Billy." Anyone with a boy must have said that at one time or another. When we did, very few people would chide us and call us poor parents for saying it. I doubt if anyone would call us naive or plain stupid. Certainly no one would call us traitors. We want our sons to figure out different ways of getting what they want without resorting to violence. It's all part of being a parent.
What if people saw their role in politics to be parents instead of children? Instead of children electing parents, parents elect their children. Instead of the National Capitol, Johnny and Billy are fighting on the playground. The story might continue something like this. Angry, Johnny will respond, "Billy won't let me stop. And if I stop hitting him, he'll follow me home or start hitting Jimmy."
Very calmly you respond, "You're much bigger than Billy. He shouldn't have hit you first, but he's younger and doesn't know how else to tell you that he doesn't like your using his mitt when you're playing baseball."
"But I need the mitt. Coach says I'm the most important person on the team and I have a right to borrow any equipment I need to be able to play. If Billy would ask Coach, he'd know that I'm right."
"Billy doesn't see it that way. All he knows is he wants his mitt back. The rest of the team will have to help you try to convince him. You can't do it alone."
Johnny, yelping as Billy kicks him again, tries to pin the young ruffian back on the ground. "Don't you see that If I give in to Billy now, he'll kick me everytime he wants something. And it won't be just me, it'll be everyone on the team."
"Yes, it might happen that way. Then the team will have to decide whether to throw him off the ball club."
"Ow," Johnny says, shaking a newly-bitten finger. "Can't you see? He won't stop. He'll just keep bugging us."
"Then the whole team will have to work together to stop him. He'll soon realize that if he doesn't change his ways, he would have to leave and no other team would want him, either. No one will talk to him. He'll be all alone in the world. If he's still determined to hurt someone, he'll have to come to realize he will be hurt very badly himself."
At this point, you, the parent have fulfilled your obligation. If Johnny gives back the glove, he has fulfilled his. If he doesn't, then Johnny will have to face some consequences himself. You may have to take him off the team. All the names he will call you will be met with a deaf ear.
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