Quoted in the New York Times
07 January, 2008
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Today I was quoted in the New York Times, which was quite a surprise. It is in an article discussing the world of Bindi Irwin.
You can read the piece at "Filling Big Hiking Boots at an Early Age".
The piece the journalist is referring to was published OLO under the titled "Bindi Irwin, exploited?"
The quote is actually at the end of a short section that helps make more sense of the question I pose (see below):
"Adults may think it is respectful to let children make their own decisions, but it isn’t. Especially at a young age children don’t have enough experience or knowledge to make a wide range of decisions. Respect is supporting children’s development, guiding their decision-making and giving them the capacity to understand that you can’t do everything.
But, with a National Press Club in Washington, an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and David Letterman's The Late Show and the announcement by the Australian Government that Bindi with be a “tourism ambassador” for Australia we have an eight-year-old girl whose father has recently died, whose mother is still grieving, keeping the schedule of an A-grade celebrity. And, not one person is standing up and saying, “Is this appropriate?”