THE WHAT IF GAME

I homeschool my son, which means that What he learns and How he learns is my job. It is a job that I hold prescious.He likes to point out he has had to "endure" 5 years of Mr.Bush, and that he does not know what America is susposed to be like, he is only 14. He likes to point out that the Consitution and the Bill of Rights that I have now spent years teaching him don't matter to Mr.Bush. He also points out that Mr.Bush has not read History Books, American or World History.He also has been taught that part of how he learns is by disagreeing and asking questions. And he also knows that if he asks enough questions, he will end up being told to go look it up. Which means I have encouraged him to Argue, and fight for what is right. Which means that if he was in a regular school some poor teacher would be peppered with questions, and he would be in trouble alot.But his ability to think and question is intact.

He likes to come in my room, usually at bedtime, and ask some Killer Question.
KILLER QUESTIONS:
" Has any other Country ever bombed another another for Democracy ?"
"And what Kind of Democracy is that- that requires Bombs first ?
" If Mr.Bush has had to spy on 1000's and listen and read emails and letters of so many, that means he does not really trust his own people ? I guess we are lucky he has not arrested more...or maybe that is a matter of time?"
" How come the Elected representitives are all clapping , don't they realize that they look guilty too?"
" So Who does he have to Answer to ? If not the People, the Congress,the Courts Who? "
" Isn't bombing a country for the sake of lies Wrong? Isn't that worse than Clinton lying about having an affair?"

The Questions have grown night after night, and his bedtime has grown later and later. And it is amazing how many nights I don't have the Answers. he said about a week ago," I guess you don't have all the answers, but atleast you are still letting me ask Questions. " I think he knows that he would never be allowed to ask These Questions in School...

THE WHAT IF GAME:
The Other Game that we played alot and has been Valuable is the "What If " Game. It goes like this.
I ask What if you had lived in Nazi Germany What would you have done?
What would you have done when the Government started closing Coffee shops and libraries and parks ?
What would you have done when they started targeting peoples?
Would you have helped Hide Jews? ( He used to joke that as many stray animals we used to sneak home
and later have to announce to my poor ex- that the answer is fairly obvious)
If you lived in France or Poland Would you have helped with the Resistance Movements ? ( he was the one that pointed out that Bloggers are the ones spreading the late night Truth).
Would you have ever helped Spread the Truth ? ( with radio messeges and underground newspapers?)
What if you knew that the Government of that time was lying and imprisoning people Falsely, what would you do?
Would you fight Back?
What If?


And slowly over the past year I realize that we don't play the What If Game much at all anymore. I wonder does that mean we are Living IT ?