“We have to break our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families and recognize that kids belong to whole communities.”
Oh that's just nasty. That's really gross.
Why is she doing this? Why do people do things like this? Why is she equating a "community" with "public education?" Those things aren't synonymous; in fact, they're almost antithetical. And what does it even mean, "Kids belong to whole communities?" How is that even a rational statement, and who the hell gave her a job as a TV show host? Oh, right, MSNBC.
Look, I get it, in part---I understand why it's so seductive to want to collectivize responsibility. It makes things easier on everyone, sort of, for a little while, at least until the bill comes due and you realize that your kid can't spell at a third grade level when he graduates high school. But when Junior is a little boy, it's kind of fun, I suppose, to slough off your responsibility for his education and his well-being onto "the community."
Just the same, it's startling to see it so nakedly and brazenly stated by ol' MH-P. I'm stunned she didn't drop something about unions in there. You gotta do the unions if you're on MSNBC. You just gotta, unless you're Joe Scarborough.
It's a mercantile way of looking at children: they are a product that we 'invest' in. Of course, there is more than one definition of invest:
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Expend money with the expectation of achieving a profit or material result by putting it into financial schemes, shares, or property, or...: "getting workers to invest in private pension funds"; "the company is to invest $12 million in its new manufacturing site"
Devote (one's time, effort, or energy) to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.
I believe this lady is talking about the first sense of 'invest,' while the investment that a family puts into rearing their children is of a much different nature: I believe the expectation in a loving family is for children that are loved and encouraged and nurtured and challenged and enjoyed; and for a family that is (most of the time) joyful and secure and warm and stimulating. That second definition of 'invest' simply cannot be duplicated in an institutional setting with 25 kids and one teacher. Ain't happenin'. The schools invest in their 'product' of children in order to get a productive, employed, law-abiding citizen. Nothing wrong with that per se, but a family can ensure that as well--AND the other things as well.