Arnold Schwarzenegger on Families & Children Republican CA Governor

Treat kids with iron fists, to respect parents completely

"It's great to be part of the delivery," he told reporters as he emerged from the hospital. "You really respect the woman more. The pain and the hours and hours of pure torture brought us even closer together."

Arnold had made it clear that he had a very definite philosophy about raising children. His views, in fact didn't sound much different from those of his strict Austrian parents. "I believe kids have to be treated with an iron fist," he told USA Today. "They should know that they are not able to make their own decisions. They have to respect their parents completely. They have to learn--to polish their own shoes, iron their own shirt, arrange their things. Every day. They have to respect their parents completely."

Adults go to gyms, but don't pay attention to kids' fitness

It didn't take him long to prove those critics wrong. Almost immediately, he contacted a number of experts in the field to determine where the White House could do the most good.

"All the adults are buying their workout books and joining their fancy clubs, but nobody's paying any attention to the kids," he complained. That jibed with Arnold's views.

In order to be effective, the council would have to reach out to all fifty states, because education was under state, not federal, jurisdiction and state programs were the only way to get anything accomplished. For the next two years, Arnold barnstormed the country, meeting with governors and lobbying for a nationwide fitness standard.

Broken homes are one of the most pressing problems

Promotes the Special Olympics

Arnold joined Special Olympics South Africa athletes to watch the final round of soccer at Special Olympics Super Sports day in Johannesburg, South Africa. Afterward, he joined other South African sport and TV celebrities for a gala dinner Friday evening, before heading to a rural screening of his film “Kindergarten Cop” over the weekend, where he met children with learning disabilities.

Special Olympics African Hope 2001 is a movement to help raise awareness and funds for a team of South African athletes to attend the Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003.