The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) "Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" is filled with objectives that are mostly unobjectionable--and that would have been just as applicable in the twentieth century. Who, after all, would oppose the idea of "organizing knowledge so it's useful"? Who's going to deny the value of effective communication or emotional resilience? In this article, the author states that the challenge is to read carefully in search of something that has some "bite" to it--and then invite AASL members to stand behind that position, to see it through to its logical conclusion even if it makes some uncomfortable. The author argues that if AASL's goals for children include helping them to be thoughtful decision makers with democratic skills (and dispositions), then they should be part of the process of developing future standards rather than having adults decide unilaterally how educators want them to turn out.