Kessel is right as far as he goes, but it’s worth thinking about why leftist groups use underage kids as their stalking-horses, shock troops, and human shields so often.

One reason is the “culture of youth,” with dates back to around the time I was born. The notion – alien to human civilization for almost its entirety – was that younger people know more, are more insightful, and deserve more attention than older people.

The problem with this argument is that it is absurd. (There’s a reason why it’s alien to pretty much all previous human civilization, and it’s not because previous human civilization didn’t know what it was doing). Well, that’s one problem. Another problem is that it is manipulative and dishonest. And it’s sufficiently damaging for the young people involved that it borders on abuse. …

If your ideas need to be expressed by people that others aren’t allowed to criticize, that’s a solid indicator that your ideas can’t withstand criticism, because they’re stupid.

[Yes indeed, and Glenn’s use of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” is spot-on. — Ed]