How would you feel if your 16 year old DS wanted to become a 'young conservative'

[BigSandyBalls2015]

That is all!
Opinions please.

I'd be thinking, 'who are you and what have you done with my DS?'

Slarti
You honestly know multiple people who have set up multiple charities? All from one political persuasion?

Yes. Two local charities, one for the homeless and the other in educating children excluded from mainstream education. Both of which were set up by small c conservatives.

I also know a couple of very much left wing people who have started charities too.

I'd think fine.

Archery M4Dad have you been in an Academy or Free School lately? Some are great, but some are incredibly status-driven, corporate, and absolutely hardline on unthinking compliance at any cost. The teachers are often as cowed as the kids. The idea that our children are being taught by free-thinking lefty hippies and Marxists is about 30 years out of date (and it wasn't true then, either).

DS 14 is at an Academy. He came home recently saying that school has to close early on a Monday because the Conservative Government won't give the school enough money to stay open all day. Obviously that was entirely factual and not at all left-agenda propaganda

I'd be very shocked. He's very interested in current affairs and politics. I'm rather left but DH is rather right so he does get influence from both of us at home. He's very like me in his political views though, so yes, I'd be very shocked.

However, if his polictical view changed, I would respect that (woulnd't be happy about it though).

What are you saying, User - that the school actually do have enough money but they're lying about it to infest young minds with left-wing sentiment?

whatsthecomingoverthehill

Assuming that because someone is a conservative they are incapable of critical thinking is bigoted wank.

Would apply it if DC wanted to join any political party - not just restricted to the Conservatives.

Too many underlying forces in UK politics skewing party ideals for their own ends, a bit more critical thinking about end games wouldn’t go amiss.

You could call it Cross-party wank if you like.

I’d wonder we he can’t do drugs like normal teenagers to rebel and where I’d messed up so badly as to raise a child with no empathy.

righto

at so many funny posts. OP how would you feel part tell. or is this a desperate Tori attempt to find out how to attract the young Corbyn lovers--.

*pray

Aha, one of those threads where OP never returns.

I'd be rather pleased that my 16 year old showed an interest in politics and current affairs and merely ask why they wanted to join whatever 'young party' they wanted to join. I might have some concerns if it was an extreme organization like the BNP or Isis, but the Conservatives are hardly extreme and neither are any of the 'mainstream' political parties.

Fair enough, RG. In a question posed simply about joining the conservatives it would perhaps have been helpful to make that clear.

Worried. Teenagers should rebel against their parents. Those who don't end up like ed miliband.

DS 14 is at an Academy. He came home recently saying that school has to close early on a Monday because the Conservative Government won't give the school enough money to stay open all day. Obviously that was entirely factual and not at all left-agenda propaganda

Education funding has gone down in real terms. That is fact not left wing or any other type of propaganda.

Well young people are more likely to be unrealistic dreamers, and that's why the majority of youngsters who are into politics at the moment get involved with the likes of momentum and Corbyns Labour.

Don't worry though......... They will grow up and see sense.

I hope I have brought mine up better than that

@SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace

"Which things on this thread [do] you think are examples of bigoted wank?"

I would be really upset - and suspect he had been abducted by aliens.

Wonder where I'd gone wrong?

I would be extremely upset.

Privately horrified

Hugely disappointed that they'd suddenly stopped being a caring and compassionate individual.

Disappointed. I'd have thought I'd raised them to be better people

I'd be disappointed with a frothing thick racist.

Like I had failed.

disowning the little shit?
wishing I had aborted him 17 years before?

I'd feel I'd failed to give my child decent values

//--------------------

They're from the first page.

The bigotry shown towards anyone who dares not be worrying far left wing would be frightening if it weren't consigned to MN and a few other echo-chambers.

Do you not think they're good examples of bigotry and a refusal to consider opinions differing from your own?

I would feel bemused mainly...
Probably also disappointed and concerned.

But would try and cheer myself up my imagining lots of interesting debate around the dinner table and trying to explain and understand the different viewpoints.

I'd have to say I'd be amazed that anything the tories were doing at the moment was attractive to ANYONE, let alone a 16 year old.

I don't like Corbyn at all but I can't see him losing the next election because the current conservative govt is an absoulte shambles.

I don't think that saying you would be disappointed if your child grew up to have values that are very different to yours is bigoted wank.

But @topicOfTheDay how are those phrases bigoted? They're people expressing emotions, which is what the actual question was: how would we feel?

And you're quoting out of context here too: the one about frothing racists was actually pointing out that there's a very broad church in the tories and she wouldn't have a problem with a well-thought out reason for being in the party. And the disowning/aborting poster was definitely speaking tongue in cheek/making a point about the thread, and added 'am I doing this right' to point that out.

Because it's been thrown around a lot by people in this thread:

"Definition of bigot: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially one who regards or treats the members of a group (such as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance."

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bigot

The quotes you've pulled are not people saying they are intolerant of other people's views. They're saying that they disagree with them, which is not the same thing.

Though, also: www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/word-bigot-loses-all-meaning-201004292689

"disowning the little shit?
wishing I had aborted him 17 years before?"

This one was an obvious piece of "fake news"
As you must have noticed as you C&Ped it. But why let the facts get in the way of a good story?

Is there still a Young Conservative bit? Didn't that get stopped cos of nastiness/bullying.

The average age of a typical Tory voter is now 70+ years. So they'll be extinct in another 20 yrs.

When I was 16 most kids in my town joined the YCs because all other youth activities had been closed down for lack of funding. (v Tory area).

Two years later the party realised the number of YCs joining the actual Party was around nil and shut down the local YCs. Fair enough I suppose.

I would see it as an excuse to grill the child on effects of various policies which would probably make them at least be quiet about it and learn more about statistics if nothing else.