As kids, we are told that we can grow up to be anything we want to be. With hard work and determination, anything is possible, right? That is why when you ask a child, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" the answers are typically princess, astronaut, or President of the United States.
Children have a certain confidence about them that is inspiring. Over time, the world tries to destroy that confidence and tell people that they are not good enough to achieve their dreams. As a result, from a young age people do not want to bother pursuing their goals because they will most likely not reach them. I say it is time to end this cycle. We need to stop letting people tell us that we are not good enough.
I believe this starts with the media. Every younger generation is increasingly paying more attention to everything the media has to say. What is popular, what they should do, and what they shouldn’t do. We need to start pointing out the ridiculous ideas the media set before us and bring light to the negativity the media brings.
The Washington Post posted a political cartoon on Wednesday, Dec. 23rd illustrating Ted Cruz’s two daughters as his dancing monkeys, as seen below. It made a mockery of Cruz’s daughters who are only seven-years-old (Caroline Cruz) and five-years-old (Catherine Cruz).
Has the world become so hardened that we have to start making fun of children to make ourselves feel better? These children are going to be the future of this country, and we are going to sit by and watch as they are bullied from such an early age. We need to stop this. We need to stand up and point out how wrong this is.
We cannot expect the future of our country to get any better if we are going to sit by while very public outlets, such as The Post, berate children who did not deserve to be slandered. Cruz’s daughters cannot even stand up for themselves. Emotionally, this has an effect on kids that could last a lifetime. We need to put an end to this kind of bullying and call the media out for being the bullies.
If we want to continue enjoying the optimism of children when they say they are going to be the President of the United States one day, then we need stand up for what is right and hold the media accountable. Change begins now, and change begins with you. No matter how old or young, you can make a difference.
The Washington Post has since pulled the cartoon.
The Post’s editorial page editor wrote: "It's generally been the policy of our editorial section to leave children out of it. I failed to look at this cartoon before it was published. I understand why Ann thought an exception to the policy was warranted in this case, but I do not agree."
