---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To this day, we get letters at…"
description: "\"To this day, we get letters at Alternative Tentacles from young teenagers who hide their Dead Kennedys albums behind their mirror or in the mattress of..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/388/jello-biafra-5188_adults_to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternativ_991705.jpg"
---

#  To this day, we get letters at Alternative Tentacles from…

![“To this day, we get letters at Alternative Tentacles from young teenagers who hide their Dead Kennedys albums behind their mirror or in the mattress of their bed. Wouldn't it be better if the parents just discussed this with the kids instead of creating this culture of sneaking and dishonesty…” quote by Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/388/jello-biafra-5188_adults_to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternativ_991705.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/388/jello-biafra-5188_adults_to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternativ_991705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/388/jello-biafra-5188_adults_to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternativ_991705.jpg)

> “To this day, we get letters at Alternative Tentacles from young teenagers who hide their Dead Kennedys albums behind their mirror or in the mattress of their bed. Wouldn't it be better if the parents just discussed this with the kids instead of creating this culture of sneaking and dishonesty within the family? The moral of the story being, you don't hide reality from your kids because then they grow up to be smarter, more aware adults.”

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Parents should openly discuss controversial music with kids instead of fostering secrecy, promoting honesty and awareness.

**In simple terms:** Open conversation prevents secrecy.

Key Takeaway

Encourage honest dialogue about media with children.

Themes

family honesty media literacy

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

educational philosophical

When to use this quote

- parenting
- education
- media consumption

Key Concepts

censorship generational gaps cultural influence

Questions to Reflect On

- How can families talk about controversial art?
- What are the benefits of openness?

A Different Perspective

Parents may fear exposing kids to “bad” content.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Albums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/albums/) [Alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/) [Bed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bed/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Dishonesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dishonesty/) [Dishonesty Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dishonesty-family-2034920/) [Family Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-moral-1603410/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Hide Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hide-reality-422346/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Kids Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids-instead-2034922/) [Letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letters/) [Mattresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mattresses/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral of the story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-of-the-story/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Smarter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smarter/) [Sneaking Dishonesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sneaking-dishonesty-2034921/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Teenager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenager/) [Tentacles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tentacles/) [This day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-day/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/)

## Related quotes

> [My parents didn't hide reality. I watched cartoons and the news with equal fascination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/my-parents-didn-t-hide-reality-i-watched-cartoons-and-the-news-with/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [“The respectable family that supports worthless relatives or covers up their crimes in order to "protect the family name"(as if the moral stature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-respectable-family-that-supports-worthless-relatives-or-covers-up/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Family and moral values are so central to everything that I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/family-and-moral-values-are-so-central-to-everything-that-i-am/)

[Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/)

> [I saw my aunties and my mum give up a part of themselves and their dreams to have kids. There were things they wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricki-lee-coulter/i-saw-my-aunties-and-my-mum-give-up-a-part-of-themselves-and-their/)

[Ricki-Lee Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricki-lee-coulter/)

> [It's more responsibility for star kids. Instead of having things easy, expectation is higher. They are compared to their parents, and that's unfair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sridevi/it-s-more-responsibility-for-star-kids-instead-of-having-things-easy/)

[Sridevi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sridevi/)

> [“Good government generally begins in the family, and if the moral character of a people once degenerate, their political character must soon follow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-boudinot/good-government-generally-begins-in-the-family-and-if-the-moral/)

[Elias Boudinot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-boudinot/)

> [I've conducted an experiment on my kids. Instead of denying them access to media, I've encouraged it. They read comic books, play Nintendo and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/i-ve-conducted-an-experiment-on-my-kids-instead-of-denying-them/)

[Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/)

> [“You’ll never be a writer if you hide from reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/you-ll-never-be-a-writer-if-you-hide-from-reality/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“We, who should know better, reinforce every patient's desire to hide from the reality of his own mortality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-collins/we-who-should-know-better-reinforce-every-patient-s-desire-to-hide/)

[Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/)

> [There is a monster in all of us. Sometimes it stays hidden from the world. Deep down inside us, never to be seen with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-a-monster-in-all-of-us-sometimes-it-stays-hidden-from-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Once I started advancing in my career, I stopped wanting to hide from my reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/once-i-started-advancing-in-my-career-i-stopped-wanting-to-hide-from/)

[Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/)

> [Modern capitalism seeks to assure us that it operates according to the principles of free creativity, endless development and diversity. It glosses over its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadezhda-tolokonnikova/modern-capitalism-seeks-to-assure-us-that-it-operates-according-to/)

[Nadezhda Tolokonnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadezhda-tolokonnikova/)

> [Moral Of the story: Don't drive around with the top down for hours. Only the upper half of ur legs get tan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hyland/moral-of-the-story-don-t-drive-around-with-the-top-down-for-hours/)

[Sarah Hyland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hyland/)

> [“But even if they could go home it would be difficult for me to tell you what the moral of the story is. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemony-snicket/but-even-if-they-could-go-home-it-would-be-difficult-for-me-to-tell/)

[Lemony Snicket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemony-snicket/)

> [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

## More by Jello Biafra

> [Don't hate the media, become the media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/don-t-hate-the-media-become-the-media/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [When my sixth grade teacher opened the class with subtle praise for the guardsmen shooting four people to death at Kent State, I'd given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/when-my-sixth-grade-teacher-opened-the-class-with-subtle-praise-for/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [You can spend the money on new housing for poor people and the homeless, or you can spend it on a football stadium or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/you-can-spend-the-money-on-new-housing-for-poor-people-and-the/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [I think Noam Chomsky is a national treasure - make that an international treasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/i-think-noam-chomsky-is-a-national-treasure-make-that-an/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [Another part of what gave me a questioning, rabble-rousing, activist heart and soul is that when all these heavy events went down, my parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/another-part-of-what-gave-me-a-questioning-rabble-rousing-activist/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [A hairstyle's not a lifestyle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/a-hairstyle-s-not-a-lifestyle/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [So basically the understanding on these so-called reissues is that they were done behind my back, without my permission, and the band informed me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/so-basically-the-understanding-on-these-so-called-reissues-is-that/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [I got out of that immediately was that now, all of a sudden, rock music had become a spectator sport, that corporate labels and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/i-got-out-of-that-immediately-was-that-now-all-of-a-sudden-rock-music/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [It depends on the situation. I mean, on one hand there's the argument that people should be left alone on the other hand, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/it-depends-on-the-situation-i-mean-on-one-hand-there-s-the-argument/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [It's very irresponsible as a parent to follow Tipper Gore or the Religious Right's advice and just take the offending CD or game away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/it-s-very-irresponsible-as-a-parent-to-follow-tipper-gore-or-the/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [Any alternative culture that inspires a lot of passion and inspiration is also in danger of being set in its ways, almost from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/any-alternative-culture-that-inspires-a-lot-of-passion-and/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [I'm appalled at how many people my age, or even five or ten years younger, have no tangible memories of important history that happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/i-m-appalled-at-how-many-people-my-age-or-even-five-or-ten-years/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [They've gone to great length to disguise the fact that I'm not in the band, even sending out a photo to promoters with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/they-ve-gone-to-great-length-to-disguise-the-fact-that-i-m-not-in-the/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [A lot of the best acting training I had was in junior high and high school. We had very demanding directors and did real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/a-lot-of-the-best-acting-training-i-had-was-in-junior-high-and-high/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [I am an anarchist in my personal life. I try to live my life in a way that I don't need cops or baby-sitters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/i-am-an-anarchist-in-my-personal-life-i-try-to-live-my-life-in-a-way/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

[Explore all 102 Jello Biafra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

## More Adults quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/)

[Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/)

> [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/)

[Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/)

> [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/)

[K. Anders Ericsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-anders-ericsson/)

> [Part of life is doing stuff that you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/part-of-life-is-doing-stuff-that-you-don-t-want-to-do/)

[One Who Does Not Wish To Be Named](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/)

> [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/)

[Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/)

> [Kids, if anything, are harder to write for because they are a more discerning audience. They will not stay with you if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-if-anything-are-harder-to-write-for-because-they-are-a-more/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [On the one hand, we had great filmic spectacles that brought in big audiences, adults as well as primary and secondary school students. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-wajda/on-the-one-hand-we-had-great-filmic-spectacles-that-brought-in-big/)

[Andrzej Wajda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-wajda/)

> [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/)

[Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/)

> [When I was a child at sixteen, I was just a child. All sixteen year-olds are just children. As much as we like them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-i-was-a-child-at-sixteen-i-was-just-a-child-all-sixteen-year/)

[Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/)

[Browse all 3,113 Adults quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "To this day, we get letters at Alternative Tentacles from young teenagers who hide their Dead Kennedys albums behind their mirror or in the mattress of their bed. Wouldn't it be better if the parents just discussed this with the kids instead of creating this culture of sneaking and dishonesty within the family? The moral of the story being, you don't hide reality from your kids because then they grow up to be smarter, more aware adults.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jello Biafra"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternative-tentacles-from-young/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adults"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternative-tentacles-from-young/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/388/jello-biafra-5188_adults_to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternativ_991705.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/388/jello-biafra-5188_adults_to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternativ_991705.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/388/jello-biafra-5188_adults_to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternativ_991705.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To this day, we get letters at Alternative Tentacles from young teenagers who hide their Dead Kennedys…” — Jello Biafra",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jello Biafra",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "To this day, we get letters...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternative-tentacles-from-young/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/to-this-day-we-get-letters-at-alternative-tentacles-from-young/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
