Parenting over partisanship

If you thought a baby's shirt covered in regurgitated food was repulsive, just wait until you see one of these tees.

I am speaking of the recent trend of "hip" shirts for babies that may promote a particular ideological position, or display a cultural icon from a past generation.

The shirts from the Portland, Ore.-based Web site babywit.com are a perfect example of the inappropriate sloganeering going on in today's culture.

One of the shirts for sale is emblazoned with the slogan "If this van's a rockin' don't come a-knockin.' " Another features poet Charles Bukowski taking a swig from a bottle of alcohol. A tee shirt printed with the line "My mama drinks because I cry" is yet another gem.

Apparently the goal of this new addition to the fashion world is to use your child as a type of fashion accessory, one that can show the world your identity while simultaneously robbing the child of his or hers.

Now that the "Me Generation" is having children, hip parents want to sport their opinions, even if it's on the shirt of their newborn.

Not limiting yourself to one traditional style is a natural impulse in a world of vast clothing choices. But the line is crossed when you dress your baby in clothes that have no purpose other than to function as a cruel joke.

The birth of a child is a very special time in a parent's life, a time where ideally, endless amounts of attention are poured over the child. To violate a child's innocence with shirts that feed our most boorish impulses is offensive.

We need to put parenting before partisanship. Being socially active is always relevant no matter how many small children you have, but making the smallest members of your family advertise tasteless messages is counter-productive. It lowers the value of what parents are attempting to do in the world by placing it on an oblivious infant, using the child as mere signage.

A developing infant mind has difficulty with concepts like communication and keeping food on the high chair table. Conflicts over concepts such as religion, politics and war are out of reach, even for most adults. To have a child who lacks the ability to speak advocate a parent's pet belief robs the child of its unformed identity. This infant will inevitably grow up to develop its own identity, which may not fall in line with even the most liberal of parents.

I can only imagine a glassy-eyed baby spitting up its formula on an image of Che Guevara, unaware of itself or the world in which it lives. The free advertising of beliefs demeans everything that men of Guevara's stature stood for. The tendency for American consumer culture to drain the meaning from meaningful things is embodied in these shirts.

This generation has grown up and spawned children but has forgotten that parenting is a humbling and selfless act. It is about imparting values and showing love, not flaunting an inane fashion statement.

It is in poor taste to use your child as a platform to espouse your beliefs on issues that are close to your heart. For the sake of the child and its dignity, keep the shirts on your own body. Let the child grow up and form its own opinions about the world and its complex inner workings.

Childhood is fleeting and children are young for such a short period of time. Let them be children while they can.