The Conversation

In this election year, politics is in the air. This article is about a classic conversation between a father and his daughter which I wish every American could read. The article will help parents and teenagers as they try to appreciate and understand each other. It is often said that if you are not a liberal when you are 18, then you do not have a heart. And, if you are not a conservative when you are 40 then you do not have a brain! This story illustrates that there is a lot of truth in this saying. The story is told from the father's point of view.

The Young Liberal

The man's daughter completed her first year in college last summer. Like so many young people she considered herself very liberal. One of her most cherished ideals was higher taxes to support more government programs, and the redistribution of wealth in America.

She was deeply ashamed of her father and his conservative views, and she told him so. She believed her father kept too much of his wealth for himself.

One day she challenged her father's opposition to higher taxes and the need for more government programs. She believed her professors were objective and they believed in higher taxes and more government programs, so this had to be the way to go.

A Father's Response

So the father asked his daughter how she was doing in school. She was doing very well and she haughtily answered that she had a perfect 4.0 GPA. She explained that it was tough to maintain that GPA and she worked very hard. She said that she was taking a very difficult course load and she was constantly studying, which left her with no time to go out and party as other people did. Moreover, she did not even have time for a boyfriend, and did not have many friends as she was constantly studying.

The father then asked his daughter how her friend Sally was doing. She responded that Sally is barely getting by, and she only takes easy classes, rarely studies, and barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is very popular on campus and for her college is a real blast. She is invited to all the parties and frequently she does not even show up for class as she is too hung over.

A Father's Suggestion

The father answered his daughter. He suggested that she go to the dean's office and ask the dean to deduct one point off her GPA and give it to Sally who only has a 2.0 GPA.

Achieving Equality

The father pointed out that the two students would both have a 3.0 GPA and that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.

The Daughter Responds

The daughter was shocked and angrily fired back. That is a crazy idea and certainly not fair. After all, the daughter worked very hard for her grades, invested a lot of time and made a lot of sacrifices to achieve those grades. Sally, on the other hand, was playing and partying while the daughter was working hard.

The Father's Victory

The father said to his daughter, welcome to the conservative side of the fence. The light bulb went on and the daughter saw the father's point of view.

Source: Jeff Tibbetts, Liberal college student learns a lesson in sharing the wealth, The Citizens' Voice, October 28, 2010.