Imagine a Republican State Senator with a class full of elementary school children behind him or her for a press conference on the need to allow prayer in schools. Now imagine the outrage that would result from using children as a political prop. It makes us wonder where in the name of manufactured media outrage are the op-eds denouncing Boulder Senator Rollie Heath for his use of children to further a political point?

Yesterday Senator Rollie Heath (D-Boulder) announced at a press conference that he was attempting to put a $3 Billion tax hike onto this November's ballot. To further illustrate his argument that he was doing this "for the kids," Senator Heath surrounded himself by an innocent and unknowing class of 4th grade children bussed in to further his political purpose. Before we address the perverseness of this political propaganda, we must wonder aloud whether the parent of every child used as a prop gave express consent for their child to be used as such in the press conference?

We know Senator Grandpa Heath, gets an extra couple inches of latitude from the press on account of appearing to be a harmless blue plate special senior citizen, but his actions violate acceptable social norms regardless. When Senator Heath put a class of 4th graders behind him to announce that a new tax hike ballot initiative was "for the kids" we threw up in our mouth a little. We've become mighty sick of sniveling progressives using the politics of emotion, and not a factual basis, to argue for their budgets.

We won't stand for his exploitation of children for political benefit. In fact, we here at the Peak oppose any, and all, use of children for political props in press conferences, regardless of the political persuasion of the holders of said press conference. It's cheap. Like comparing your opponent's policies to the Holocaust or Hitler, the second you push a child in front of you to make your point, the argument is over. You have lost by default. 

But yet the media silence has been deafening. We urge editorial boards across this state to stand with us and oppose Rollie Heath's flesh-peddling of fourth graders to further his political purpose.

It's cheap and unproductive regardless of who does it. And this sin against political social norms should be called out as such. 

(Photo Courtesy of Laurie Bratten)