Drug czar William Bennett and a conservative posse of school principals are offended by Matt Groenig`s television cartoon ”The Simpsons,”
particularly son Bart Simpson`s ”smart-alecky” and ”underachieving” ways. Such criticisms strike me as hypocritical, coming from ”Just Say No”
propagandists.
Indeed, the wise-cracking, self-possessed Bart does ”just say no” in thoughtful and humorous ways. Apparently, Bart`s nay-saying touches too close to the authority of these gentlemen.
I am a loyal follower of the Simpsons and a social worker who works with young children. In a time when such trusted child welfare figures as school principals, teachers, Scoutmasters and babysitters are accused of physical and sexual abuse of children-acts committed in the belief that vulnerable children will not speak up-children need meaningful models of anger and disobedience with which to identify.
American children`s culture has waited far too long for a rebel like Bart.
