President Obama is scheduled to address the nation's schools on live television tomorrow and some school districts are refusing to air it.
And some parents are refusing to allow their kid to go to school.
Sigh.
Obama is not the first president to address the schools. Back in 1991 Bush, Sr. addressed the nation's schools and the nation thought this was a fabulous idea! Honestly, what better way to start off a lesson plan about our own national government than with a speech given by our nation's leader?
Parents are arguing that they don't want Obama using the address to "indoctrinate the children."
Can I just say, WTF?
Kids are exposed to differing political, religious, moral, educational, and social POVs every single day. They use their brain to discern what is right for THEM AS INDIVIDUALS and what isn't right and then they apply it. Sometimes kids make mistakes, they learn from those mistakes and they mature into (hopefully) wise adults.
So parents, trust that you have raised a child who has developed the ability to think for himself and decide right from wrong for himself. I can't imagine you're really raising a sheep that would be so easily 'indoctrinated' by one speech. No matter if you agree with Obama's politics or not, he's still our president and he deserves our respect. Trust me, I know...no matter how much I disagreed with Bush, Jr. (and it was often and a lot) I never once uttered the words, "He's not my president." Because guess what? he totally was.
Oh and FWIW, when Reagan addressed the schools my senior year, you know what I remember most about that speech? YAY! NO CLASSWORK! and I'm pretty sure I took a nap.
Oh that is so terrible -- I agree with you. I feel like he was left with a mess to clean up from the last president and everyone has unrealistic expectations of him...
ReplyDeleteDear Parents,
ReplyDeleteIn case you didn't already know this--when you send your children away for six hours at a time to be in the company of teachers, they are being exposed to beliefs and ideologies that are not always your own. Same thing happens when they spend the night at a friends house or get coached on the soccer field--and wait until they move out! However, a good way to combat all this crazy outside influence is to spend time with them at home to balance this out. Or maybe initiate a conversation about what they are learning. Or you know, talk to them about why you believe what you believe.
Love, Gwen
and this is where I say (as usual) What Gwen Said.
ReplyDeleteI will say as a conservative that it is only the Rush Limbaugh followers and fringe groups making this fuss. It's quite stupid. He was elected and certainly has good things to say to children.
ReplyDeleteHis own girls seem lovley.
Or lovely, if you paid attention in school. :(
ReplyDeleteHey Ahmed! So glad you commented.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could believe it is only the Rush Limbaugh supporters, but here in the south, racism seems to be a big part of the motivation.
That said, there are many, many Limbaugh supporters here...
if my kids watch the program, we'll talk about it that evening, so i can share my thoughts on the issues covered and see how they feel. yanno, like I do with my kids anyway. :D
ReplyDeleteIt is really bloody stupid. In addition to what you mentioned, Amanda, nobody made a fuss when Bush Jr. went out and visited schoolkids, either.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree with Ahmed though, it really is the fringe groups (aka Vocal Minority) that are pulling this, but they are making enough of a fuss to cause trouble. :-\
Er. I meant Mel. Gah. I need more caffeine, apparently.
ReplyDeleteDude! Ahmed posted. That's like really exciting to me. He's kind of a celebrity to me.
ReplyDeleteGwen, I'm a little tingly that Ahmed commented. Srsly.
ReplyDeleteWhat Gwen and Mel said!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of makes me scratch my head is I have seen the discussions about past presidential addresses in schools and I don't remember ever seeing one either as a student or teacher. Weird.
ReplyDeleteIt's much ado about nada. There are so many more important things to worry about!
I'm Canadian so I don't really have a horse in this race, but I am confused about what is controversial about telling kids to stay in school and work hard. Maybe I only saw part of the speech, but still *scratches head*... I don't think our Prime Minister tells our kids anything (least of all to stay in school and work hard) so you're a step ahead of us! LOL
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing is just nutso. I totally remember Reagan's speech, as well as Bush Sr.'s speech when I was in school. It would be entirely one thing if the point of the speech was to indoctrinate the children, but it's not. The message is study, stay in school, work hard.
ReplyDeleteWhat's so horrible about that? My eyes were rolling so much yesterday while watching all those crocodile tears from Rush Limbaugh supporters crying when they think about how Obama is brainwashing their children. What? So they would prefer that their kids DON'T work hard and that they drop out? What?
So, I guess the kiddies are all thoroughly indoctrinated and brainwashed by now...
ReplyDeleteI hear you say that people have unrealistic expectations,probably so. But if you recall these are based on promises made during the election( that quite honestly were unrealistic then as well) Look people the sky is blue, waters wet & politicians lie. Talk to your kids, you are the single biggest influence. P.S. having coservative values is not the same as being narrow minded.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Anon. I am very conservative myself about most issues. I think the problem is the broohaha about letting kids hear the President of the United States speak. Rather than keep the speech away from your kids, I think it's better to talk about it at dinnertime. What you agreed with, what you didn't, why you vote the way you do etc.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like they don't have to read newspapers, history books etc for assignments. We can't keep them away from politics or they will never learn how they can affect the process. A good dialogue is better than suppression.
Anon,
ReplyDeleteNobody said being conservative was equal to being narrow-minded. I have a large number of conservative friends and I wouldn't call them friends if I considered them narrow-minded.