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Rebellion Through Religion

A view on John Walker through the eyes of a teen with liberal parents

Listen to this Commentary!

By Belia Mayeno-Choy

So much of teen identity is centered around the ways we disobey our parents.

I'm Belia Mayeno-Choy with a commentary from Youth Radio.

We define ourselves by being everything our mothers and fathers are not. But when you have relatively permissive parents, like mine, you're tempted to go to extremes to rebel.

I was happy that my parents supported and accepted my decisions, but many other young people in my situation actually wish for the rigid structure we don't get. I'm sure John Walker will never say his fervent religious convictions are a result of teenage rebellion, but the stories of his increasingly consuming search for self say otherwise.

So then the question has to be asked: if you can't be too strict, or too permissive, what exactly is the right way to raise a child?

Sorry, Moms and Dads… I don't exactly know. But the best idea I have so far is advice I got from my parents. Find the middle ground. You can let your 17-year-old daughter go on a date with her boyfriend, but don't buy her a ticket to Yemen, no questions asked.

For Youth Radio, I'm Belia Mayeno-Choy