Commentary: Just a thought

Current political events make dinner-table conversation with children rather difficult

Harriet Cuthbert

Just about half of today’s news seems to be X-rated — mostly, the part that concerns the President of the United Sates — which means that when parents of teenagers or younger children sit down at the dinner table to discuss the events of the day, they really cannot.

They are stuck, limited — at a standstill. The discomfort in talking about the president and his personal life seems very obvious.

Not too long ago, only publications that featured alien abductions and salacious celebrity fiction were those that dared to print the types of stories to which I am referring. But now, the most esteemed and prestigious publications, such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, are featuring stories of a sexual nature about elected officials — celebrities be damned. And the more scandalous, the better.

In addition, the major TV networks open their news shows with the latest and most sensational events about the president and his colleagues.

Many of these subjects are too explosive and even shameful to be discussed at dinner with children. We parents who always want our children to be educated and well-informed about current events now have to censor what information we can talk about at dinner.

Unfortunately, the social media are available to everyone, and we all know who is the most prolific user of Twitter.

Anyone for dessert??