In the 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton ran an ad called "Role Models."  The ad shows small children watching a series of Donald Trump's more controversial moments – e.g., the alleged mocking of the disabled reporter – and other selective sound bites.  Text then flashes  on the screen: 

Our children are watching – What example will we set for them?

Even though Hillary's ad was mostly dishonest (surprise), I do agree with the message that the examples we set are critical to our children's development. 

"Role models from an early age are important to children and their development as the models set an example of behavior – good or bad – and show their influence over others in a way your child will want to emulate." –Darlena Cunha, The Influence of Role Models

In other words, kids watch adults and copy their behavior.  So what life lessons are we handing down to our youth?  Sadly, today's role models are teaching our kids to be bullies, outlaws, babies, and violent anarchists.  Our septic media promote only the most reprehensible  behavior, the absolute worst examples for our children.  For instance: 

Behavior: "I'll hunt you down": Today, the powerful entities in our country – government, entertainment, corporations, and mainstream media – gang up on and bully the Ppesident of the United States.  They call him names – a joke, phony, fraud, Nazi, fascist, and every version of -phobe.  They attack his administration, slow-walk his Cabinet, threaten impeachment, call him mentally incompetent, unhinged, and worse. 

And for those who think they'll stand by this president despite the attacks, think again.  Tom Brady is hounded by liberals over his friendship with Trump.  Celebrities are blacklisted if they offer support.  Activist websites openly bully companies to discontinue Trump merchandise.  Macy's, Nordstrom's, Burlington, and others have now dropped the Trump label, and the list of  capitulating stores is growing.

Lesson: You don't like someone?  Stalk him.  Trash everything he does.  Mock, demean, ridicule, and ostracize this person.  For those who still hang with your victim, attack them as well.  Harass, threaten, and blackball them until they too turn on your target.

Behavior: "I'll say who's boss": In this age of power by any means, Hollywood hits the airwaves to warn the American people that a dictator has taken control, that Americans are in danger of citizen arrest, deportation squads, and internment camps.  Amid their wild accusations, they openly urge resistance and the overthrow of our government.  Sarah Silverman and ex-Pentagon official Rosa Brooks actually called for a military coup.  Madonna brags that she's thought of "blowing up the White House."

Lesson: Fight authority, defy the law, and openly revolt if you don't get your way.  You don't like your parent's rules?  Refuse to obey.  Take them to court.  A teacher's too tough?  Organize the class to smear him, lie, accuse, defame until you cost that teacher his job.

Behavior: "WAH!": Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer effectively modeled two-year-old behavior when he literally cried over President Trump's executive order and called the president a big meanie. 

Then we have the ubiquitous protests – clueless toddlers clogging roads and bridges, screaming, Wah!  I want the blue one!

Lesson: Good news, kids: you don't have to really grow up.  Just buy bigger clothes. 

Behavior: "You didn't really win": When Democrats lost the election, they railed that Putin rigged the election to help Trump steal victory from Hillary.  When that fake news was put down by facts, they went to Plan B: Hillary really won the election because she won the popular vote.  Like a manager who brags that his boxer was winning on points before losing consciousness, the left cling to their new narrative of an alternative definition of victory. 

Lesson: You don't have to settle for second place just because you lost.  Kick, scream, and accuse the winner of cheating.  Spin his win until you've muddied the waters enough to cast doubt on his victory.

Behavior: "You and what army?": Some mayors and governors openly defy federal law to keep their sanctuary havens, then publicly challenge the president to do anything about it.  They go on TV and virtually get in the president's face, telling the world criminal aliens are welcome in their cities.

Lesson: You don't have to obey the rules or the law if you don't like it.  Just refuse to comply.  Steal the goods right in front of a cop; copy your neighbor's answers with the teacher standing over you; beat the crap out of your younger sibling while your parents watch in horror.  Then tell all you're going to keep stealing, cheating, and beating, and dare them to stop you.

Behavior: Hulk Smash: Today, images of marching anarchists fill our screens.  We're treated to "poor loser riots," the "Trump said bad things" riots, and now the "just because" riots.  Even the supposed "peaceful protests" break the law.  By blocking roads and bridges, they keep people from picking up their kids or making a flight, and they block emergency vehicles in life-and-death situations.

The non-peaceful protests, aka riots, are the new holy grail of journalism.  The press orgasmically loops video of hooded thugs smashing windows, burning cars and buildings, and beating innocent bystanders unconscious. 

Reporters then interview empty vessels who righteously claim "self-defense."  The Berkeley campus was destroyed because these imbeciles really believe that the 1st Amendment of the Constitution protects them from opposing views.  These geniuses also think the free speech argument is just right-wing propaganda. 

The mobocracy violence is supplemented by the left's proxies, who make death threats, call for assassination, and threaten to shut down businesses.  Even the designer of the "Make America Great Again" gown worn by Joy Villa at the Grammys drew death threats – death threats for making a dress.  Zero tolerance.

Lesson: If you don't get your way with bullying and open defiance, trash the place.  You don't like what your teacher says?  Upend desks, set them on fire, take an axe to the blackboard, and beat up anyone who gets in your way.  Your mom grounds you?  Smash her big-screen TV and egg her car.  It's okay – self-defense and all that. 

Now, adults take all this with a grain of salt – it's politics, it's the left, it's liberals.  But kids might get a little fuzzy on the facts. 

When the rabid left demands a do-over because Trump "stole the election," the little guys probably wonder if it's true.  And when kids are told the dude in the cool black ninja costume setting fire to a building is the good guy, they might pick the wrong superhero.

Or, being children, they probably feel sorry for the sobbing Senator Chuckie and want to know what "meanie" President Trump did to make him cry.  And why is President Trump sending all those Mexican mommies away without their kids, and why does he want to blow up the world?

The little darlings can't help themselves.  Kids are curious by nature, and these sensational headlines require further exploration, reasonable explanations, and the truth.

So to the unraveling left who can't deal with your loss (including the media), is this bullying, defiance, and violence what you want for your children? 

My guess is that leftists want more for their kids.  We all do.  Most parents want their children to be honest, fair, kind, and unselfish.  Parents hope their kids will be humble in victory and gracious in defeat and generous to those less fortunate – and, above all, that they'll be happy.

But for children to acquire those traits, they need adults to first model those behaviors.  If our media continue to seek out and broadcast the worst of our society, then our kids will grow up with images of anger, hate, anarchy, and violence.  If the media stay hell-bent on destroying  President Trump, then our children will learn to be defiant, combative, and contemptuous of legal authority.

Like it or not, we are the role models, the people our kids look up to and emulate.  Will we give our children a blueprint for misery and failure, or will we give them the tools they need to be happy and successful adults?

For once, Hillary got it right: the children are indeed watching.