The Children's Hour

Beware political claims made on behalf of children.

Virginia Postrel from the February 1994 issue

(Page 2 of 2)

All that has changed--even the part about New York City. Beginning December 13, the city's Commission on Human Rights has prohibited any discrimination based on age in public places. So, reports TheNew York Times, the Frick museum, which previously refused admission to children under 10 and required those 10 to 16 to be accompanied by an adult, will have to "let toddlers and teen-agers roam the halls where priceless artworks and furniture...are displayed openly, with barely a velvet rope or restraint." California's sweeping anti-discrimination law a few years ago prevented a theater chain from excluding infants from R-rated movies .

Baby boomers who don't want to bother with babysitters, yet don't want to sacrifice their adult pleasures either, now force their children into adult venues. Indeed, New York City First Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights Rolando T. Acosta was peeved when he wasn't allowed to bring his 17-month-old son into a movie theater.

The stark separation of my childhood was unusual by historical standards and probably less than desirable. (1, for one, think it' s good if children occasionally see their parents at work.) But when you start bringing children into the adult world, you run into problems. You can either go back to a premodern model, in which you see children as little adults and don't attempt to shield them from the complexities of adult life. Or you can treat adults as big children, and restrict their rights and responsibilities accordingly. That is, unfortunately, the more popular model in the Year of the Child.