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Original poster

Would you allow teenager to go to anti restrictions protest

198 replies

Tobeirritatedhdeh · 16/09/2021 16:56

DS is 17 (just turned) and can drive and really wants to go to the protest on the 25th. Would you allow a teenager to go to an anti plan B protest?

OP posts:
Peteycat · 17/09/2021 11:29

"My point was the risk of someone catchng Covid on a protest was little different to the risk in day to day life, so requiring you ds/dd to sleep in their car for ten days is as pointless as it is cruel."

And, and guess what! Protests are OUTSIDE!!!

Frazzled2207 · 17/09/2021 11:43

Probably yes unless there was a CEV person in the house in which case no.
But I'd be very disappointed in him and try and talk him through why I thought he was wrong to go.

OTOH if he went to another kind of protest etc Brexit or environmental, as long as he's just protesting not doing anything silly, I'd be proud.

changingstages · 17/09/2021 12:00

I wouldn't stop them, no. But I'd be crushingly ashamed.

Peteycat · 17/09/2021 12:05

"12:00changingstages

I wouldn't stop them, no. But I'd be crushingly ashamed."

Why? Wouldn't you be proud you raised a child who stood up for what they believe in?

herecomesthsun · 17/09/2021 12:13

I'd defend to the death the right of my child to express their own political beliefs.

I'd also hope they had a modicum of scientific understanding Smile and concern for society as a whole.

VeryLongBeeeeep · 17/09/2021 12:22

Yes, I would 'let' him go (not that I could stop a 17yo anyway), and I say that as someone who is double-jabbed with a CEV household member. I'd be proud he was prepared to stand up for his beliefs, especially on a topic touching on civil liberties. And TBH I'd be happy for him to go even if I disagreed with the reason. I'd have a conversation with him about being aware of some of the elements that may attend such protests for their own nefarious ends, including the possibility of inciting violence, and ask him to think of ways he can avoid getting caught up in that, but I'd let him go.

I have no truck with 5G Covid denier conspiracy theorists, but I respect anyone's right to choose not to be vaccinated if they have concerns over unknown long term effects, or have seen someone close to them have a bad reaction etc, and I am uneasy with the idea of government-mandated restrictions on our basic, everyday freedoms.

ArnoldtheAngryTapir · 17/09/2021 13:08

I'd be a bit put out they were going tbh as mixing in large crowds isn't a great idea in a pandemic and I'd be worried about why they felt they wanted to protest - incase they had developed some extreme ideas but apart from that, no I wouldn't stop them. They're 17 and need to take responsibility for themselves.

Also I gave up worrying long ago about how people have different belief systems/political leanings/brexit/vaccination/yada yada yada from me.

You can guide your children but telling them what and what not to do as they become adults is only going to cause resentment IMO.

Parker231 · 17/09/2021 15:42

I wouldn’t stop him but I would be furious that he didn’t have more sense. Thankfully DC’s understand the issues so wouldn’t be something they would support

changingstages · 17/09/2021 17:44

@Peteycat

"12:00changingstages

I wouldn't stop them, no. But I'd be crushingly ashamed."

Why? Wouldn't you be proud you raised a child who stood up for what they believe in?

No, I'd be ashamed I'd raised a child who was so hard of thinking.

But I'd let them go because the right to protest is a very important thing.

Peteycat · 17/09/2021 21:34

"But I'd let them go because the right to protest is a very important thing."

You would have no say in a 17 year olds decision to go anyway!

Megistotherium · 17/09/2021 21:57

I think it really depends on what they are protesting to be proud/ashamed, stop/don't stop?

They are protesting against something that hasn't happened, yet. The plan B only goes on ahead if the covid surges. So, it's kind of stupid to protest against something, while you may be causing it to happen.

XenoBitch · 17/09/2021 22:10

@Megistotherium

I think it really depends on what they are protesting to be proud/ashamed, stop/don't stop?

They are protesting against something that hasn't happened, yet. The plan B only goes on ahead if the covid surges. So, it's kind of stupid to protest against something, while you may be causing it to happen.

Plan B is certain to go ahead. The NHS gets overwhelmed every winter.
Megistotherium · 17/09/2021 22:28

XenoBitch, I am a name changer, and I know you don't know me. But I do like you and agree with most of things you say. You agreed with me in the past.

I do think you are right. But do we want to predict the worst and act according to it? NHS may get overwhelmed every winter. But without covid, do we need to have any restrictions? If the NHS get overwhelmed every year, why don't we try to minimise it this year knowing it will happen?

We all know that the govt isn't trying to harm us on purpose, even they are not good enough. What we can do is not to follow what they say, but to follow what is good for the country. And anti mask/vaccine protest isn't helping the country to get out of this mess.

Akire · 17/09/2021 22:33

You can’t stop them at 17 but also confused about what restrictions they are protesting about. Even in Scotland and Wales you have wear in Tesco’s but can take off in pubs and cafes. Looks like soon you be able travel and not isolated from half the world. Sounds like jumping on protest band wagon to me.

Megistotherium · 17/09/2021 22:39

@Akire , they are protesting against restriction that may happen as plan B, if the covid surges and NHS is overwhelmed, like mask mandate in certain indoor settings, vaccine passport for certain event like football matches.

Warhertisuff · 18/09/2021 00:37

It's really quite shocking to me how many posters are so unable or unwilling to accept that their ds/dd has different views to them that they would be crushingly ashamed or make them sleep in the car for a week.

Such illiberal intolerance!

sleepwouldbenice · 18/09/2021 01:22

It amazes me that people don’t understand what happened to the nhs Pre covid in terms of being overwhelmed compared to what happened last year despite lock down and what could still happen with covid plus other respiratory illnesses. Shocking ignorance

Megistotherium · 18/09/2021 01:25

It's not really a different view, it's like saying they don't care about other people as long as they get to do what they like. Plan B doesn't even look like something really restricting tbh, if the country/NHS is under real pressure.
I do wonder what the govt should do, if they want to keep places open while infection is spreading. Just let it kill all the vulnerable people so people don't need to wear a mask?
I think as a parent, I feel very disappointed if my dc feel that way.

lannistunut · 18/09/2021 02:40

I would be embarrassed if my child thought many things, I am a liberal and wouldn't try to stop them, but I don't think all views are equal.

I look at the people protesting restrictions and think they are wrong and foolish.

Believing people have the right to do something doesn't mean you have to agree with them. I would accept my child's right to do it whilst also thinking they were a prat to think that!

Geamhradh · 18/09/2021 06:30

[quote Megistotherium]**@Akire* , they are protesting against restriction that may happen as plan B, if* the covid surges and NHS is overwhelmed, like mask mandate in certain indoor settings, vaccine passport for certain event like football matches.[/quote]
Then surely they are even dafter.
Protesting against the fact that restrictions may need to be put in place to save people's lives.
Ok.

Warhertisuff · 18/09/2021 08:43

@Megistotherium

It's not really a different view, it's like saying they don't care about other people as long as they get to do what they like. Plan B doesn't even look like something really restricting tbh, if the country/NHS is under real pressure. I do wonder what the govt should do, if they want to keep places open while infection is spreading. Just let it kill all the vulnerable people so people don't need to wear a mask? I think as a parent, I feel very disappointed if my dc feel that way.
It's this that's really concerning... Other views are seen as so abhorrent they aren't "views" at all, but aberrations that are unworthy of any dignity with those holding them accused of inhumane, even sinister, motivations.

This is an ever increasing trend, whether Leave vs Remain in the U.K., or Republican vs Democrat in the US, and ultimately it poses a huge threat to our democracy, as people believe start to believe that stopping the "other side" becomes more important than democratic principles.

I disagree with the views of the march, but can still see that it's possible to do so without being self-centred or without humanity.

DancesWithTortoises · 18/09/2021 08:46

Mine are older now but, even at that age, they weren't stupid so I wouldn't have had to allow or disallow. They were intelligent enough to work it out for themselves.

herecomesthsun · 18/09/2021 09:23

@Warhertisuff

It's really quite shocking to me how many posters are so unable or unwilling to accept that their ds/dd has different views to them that they would be crushingly ashamed or make them sleep in the car for a week.

Such illiberal intolerance!

Well I'd be very concerned if my child developed an interest in far right politics and there are links with far right groups and the anti vaxxers. I wouldn't make them sleep in the car but I would worry and try to get to the bottom of it if I could.
MMMarmite · 18/09/2021 09:29

Yes. It's the opposite of my views, but my belief in being politically engaged outweighs that.

DumplingsAndStew · 18/09/2021 09:38

@Warhertisuff

It's really quite shocking to me how many posters are so unable or unwilling to accept that their ds/dd has different views to them that they would be crushingly ashamed or make them sleep in the car for a week.

Such illiberal intolerance!

There are only a small number of posters on here who have such elaborate views.

Most have said they would be disappointed, but not said they would, or could, stop them.

One person said about making their child sleep in a car. That is not the view of the majority.

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