The Corner on Parents - Again

My children were often dismayed when I told them that the main resonsibility their mother and I took on when we had them was to raise responsible citizens for the Republic.

The Corner on National Review Online: "I think Hanna Arendt was right when she said that Western Civilization is invaded every generation by barbarians - we call them children. I would add that parents are the first, best, line of defense against the invaders.

There are no citizen factories. The State cannot create citizens on a mass scale (history is full of bloody failed attempts to demonstrate otherwise). In a successful society, citizens must be made by small artisans working on a case-by-case basis. We call these artisans "parents." I have no doubt that in a world of bad parents some children would still become good citizens. But not enough, not nearly enough.

A civilization that forgets this has signed its death warrant. Parents matter - a lot. "