When a government goes to war, particularly a democracy, it is the most solemn and awesome responsibility of our leaders - to decide to send our kids to go off and kill and die for us.

No one really wants to send their kids off to die for oil.

The leaders of other countries are using this fact as a bargaining chip, claiming that until the US brings democracy to the residents of its capital, it can forget about preaching democracy to them.

...our children must learn...to face full responsibility for their actions, to make their own choices and cope with the results...the whole democratic system...depends upon it. For our system is founded on self-government, which is untenable if the individuals who make up the system are unable to govern themselves.

All of us -- parents, schools, communities and government -- share responsibility to keep kids safe.

If the government asks people to evacuate, the government has some responsibility to provide an option for those people who can't evacuate and are at the whim of Mother Nature,