Should discussions about race have an age limit?

[CooCooCachoo]

After the Red Lake killings, I have to pose this question.

Should there be an age requirement in talking about race?

If I went up to a 5 year old black kid, and screamed NIGGER in his face, that would cause irreperable harm. It would create a more racially divisive society. That action, seems similar, or just as damaging, as if someone were to show too young a child a pornography video. (Which we should all refrain from doing until this Michael Jackson thing blows over.)

So I need to ask, because we all know racial identity can be a dangerous thing. Most of us might agree it can even be a cultivated value. ...So I need to pose the question. Should there be a limit or some kind of regulation regarding how old people can be before they engage conversations, or entertainment centered around racial identity?

[tokenguy]

I feel that there should be an age limit on these types of forums, now what that age limit should be I can't say precisely. I think unless you can intellegently defend your arguements posted on here, you shouldn't be exposed to such opinionated conversation. What's difficult, is that there are 15 and 16 year olds who are easily influenced and persuaded by the opinions of others and there are 15 and 16 year olds that can stand on their convictions and argue with the best of them. I will say that I believe the latter is in the minority and that if I were a parent I would want my child (especially under the age of 15) looking at these forums, the emotional and psychological effects could be devastating.

[vela]

I believe setting an age limit on race discussions is not the right approach to the problem.

Like many other controversial topics, if parents don't provide socially acceptable explanations about race to their children an information void is created in their minds that somehow and inevitably is going to be filled by whatever other information source (biased or not) is available.

Internet discussion forums like this one and miriad others introduce an additional complication: anonymity. It is difficult to determine how old a person is by a casual exchange of messages.

As an adult I can read the ideas and thoughts of some very opinionated individuals and that won't make me change my own opinions. But young kids can be easily influenced, particularly when they are emotionally unstable.

[CooCooCachoo]

Yeah Token,

I'm in agreement with you. Under age 15 is way too young. I'd kinda like to think 16-18 with parental consent, and 18+ you're a legal adult and can do what you want.

I hate to say it, but race based discussion need SOME kind of regulation. It should be illegal, by verbal act or intimidation, to infuse racial identity into anyone under the age of 12. ...With punishments for it.

The current post-holocaust climate has everyone more or less well behaved. But it won't always be that way, especially as we become a more diverse place ethnically.