I just watched the video of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s visit from the children (and a few adults) of the “Sunshine Movement,” a far-left advocacy group which stridently strongly supports the Green New Deal. I found the behavior of the children to be incredibly disturbing not simply because I am diametrically opposed to their position on the GND, but because of the level to which they had been indoctrinated. The children were rattling off all of the Democratic talking points with such ease and such zeal, one would think they were watching a clip of an MSNBC panel.

This is how @SenFeinstein reacted to children asking her to support the #GreenNewDeal resolution — with smugness + disrespect.

This is a fight for our generation's survival. Her reaction is why young people desperately want new leadership in Congress. pic.twitter.com/0zAkaxruMI

— Sunrise Movement 🌅 (@sunrisemvmt) February 22, 2019

Note: Although it would have been interesting to watch the full exchange, this video has been edited.

Note: My colleague, Jennifer Van Laar, wrote an excellent post (here) in defense of Dianne Feinstein’s comments to the children. I agree 100% that the senator handled herself well.

This video is a microcosm of what is occurring in education throughout America today. In it’s brief course, it reveals precisely how and where liberal indoctrination (groupthink) originates. The “instruction” begins in elementary school, continues throughout college and it has given rise to a new generation of far-left zealots.

Americans are always amazed when they are shown videos of young children armed with rifles in terrorist training camps. In the video below, children are being trained how to execute an ambush. They were born into a culture that normalizes and glorifies this behavior. They have been brainwashed by their parents and other significant adults in their lives into believing in the jihad, just as their own parents had been by their parents.

It is no different for a child growing up in America. Children believe what their parents and teachers tell them until (or if) they learn differently.

The children of the ‘Sunshine Movement’ were simply parroting back what they’ve been taught by their parents and teachers, just as the children of Al Qaeda jihadists were repeating the behavior they have learned from their parents.

They made remarks such as, “We’re the ones who are going to be impacted by this” and “the government is supposed to be by the people and for the people.” One can easily imagine a young AOC spouting the same well-rehearsed arguments to a lawmaker on an elementary school field trip.

One child tells Sen. Feinstein, “Some scientists have said that we have 12 years to turn this around.” No, actually a former bartender from the Bronx who won an election in an extremely blue district and who has been in Congress for less than two months said that.

The National Review’s Dan McLaughlin, in the tweet below, makes another point about this Democratic scare tactic. “So, if your party tells 8 year olds that the world is gonna end in 10 years, are they gonna trust you when they’re old enough to vote & it didn’t end.”

So, if your party tells 8 year olds that the world is gonna end in 10 years, are they gonna trust you when they're old enough to vote & it didn't end.

— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) February 23, 2019

The rhetoric from the left, in this case, “We have 12 years to turn it around,” has been repeated so often that many now regard it as the truth. Especially children. Imagine being seven or eight and hearing, “If we don’t take action now, it will be too late in 12 years.” Children take things literally. They believe what they are told. Particularly when they hear it from a parent.

For example, my father regularly made derogatory statements about Martin Luther King, Jr. when I was young. It wasn’t until I grew older and learned otherwise, that I gained respect for him.

Another takeaway from this video is that children today are either unwilling or unable (or both) to take “no” for an answer. A young boy addresses Sen. Feinstein, “We are trying to ask you to vote yes on the Green New Deal.”

Instead of acquiescing to their request, Sen. Feinstein replies, “Okay, I’ll tell you what. We have our own Green New Deal.” A young girl, who insists on getting what she came for, repeats the 12 year timeline talking point.

DiFi explains that’s not going to happen and things escalate.

How about no Scott!

Finally, the children’s lack of respect for Sen. Feinstein is disappointing. I’m not a fan of hers, but there is something to be said for children having respect for others, especially their elders, and plain old good manners.

Before entering the building, the children are seen showing their letter and explaining to a reporter what they intend to say to Sen. Feinstein.  Their disrespect and bad manners are obvious from the start. A seven or eight-year-old child says, “We’re gonna go in and share this letter. We’re gonna do it all together. Share it in front of Feinstein.”

“Feinstein,” not Sen. Feinstein. The child should have had enough respect to refer to her as Sen. Feinstein.

The group leader’s behavior was even more irritating than the students’. A 20-something, likely the recent product of a liberal American university, also found it it difficult to take no for an answer. She said, “Senator, if this doesn’t get turned around in 12 years, you’re looking at the faces of the people who are going to be living with these consequences.”

“Senator, the cost of not taking this action is far higher than the cost of what the Green New Deal will be.” Sen. Feinstein tries to speak and is cut off. “And there is enormous popularity for this bill around the whole country.” The senator again tries to interject and is interrupted again. The young woman continued speaking as if to a child, “We’re asking you to be brave, and do this for us and for your grandchildren.”

“Any plan that doesn’t take bold, transformative action is not going to be what we need.”

Shut up!

This group was speaking to one of the country’s most liberal senators who, although she may not support AOC’s version of this legislation, does agree that some form of action must be taken. And still, they were offensive.

This is slightly reminiscent of the aftermath of the Parkland shooting  All of the sudden, high school students were dictating terms to legislators. Democratic legislators were telling us we had to listen to these teenagers who had endured such a tragedy. Survivor David Hogg suddenly appeared everywhere and fellow student Emma Gonzalez became a national hero following her speech with its  “powerful” five minutes of silence at the “March for our Lives” event in Washington, D.C.

This is the new generation of liberal SJWs. They want what they want, when they want it, and they are unwilling to take no for an answer. They’ve been raised to believe their opinions matter and to ask for what they want. They haven’t learned yet that, although their opinion may matter to some and they are free to ask for anything they’d like, they still may not get it. They don’t understand that there’s such a thing as compromise or that trying to extinguish an opposing voice will not make someone go away. And that, just maybe, they are not qualified to make these decisions. It’s possible they may never learn.