Next Tuesday at 11:00am (CST), President Obama will speak live to the students of America. The speech will be the first time a U.S. president has delivered a live address just for and to students. The address will not contain any kind of political message, but instead "will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning."This sounds like a great idea to me. Maybe the president can actually reach some students and enhance their academic lives and goals. But amazingly, there are those right-wing conservatives who are opposed to this idea.
Some have accused President Obama of trying to "indoctrinate" the students. Indoctrinate? All he's doing is asking them to work hard, set goals and take responsibility for themselves. How is that indoctrination?
Frankly, I think this is a message all adults should want delivered to our children -- regardless of political affiliation or beliefs. I did not like President Bush at all, but if he had wanted to deliver this same message to American students, I could not have opposed that. It is simply a message that needs to be delivered, and should be supported by all Americans.
But the are schools that may not carry the message. Other schools are leaving it up to the individual teachers to determine whether their students get to hear the message or not. Some parents are threatening to hold their students out of school on that day so they can't hear the president's message. One Dallas DJ is even encouraging a "sick-out" for Tuesday.
Since this message is one that can be supported by all political and religious beliefs, I believe those right-wingers who oppose it have revealed their true agenda, and it is an ugly one. This innocuous and uplifting message would not be opposed if it was delivered by a Republican president (and it could have been). It would also not be opposed if delivered by a Democrat like Kennedy, Carter or Clinton.
The truth is that it is not the message that is opposed. It is President Obama -- the first black president. The opponents of this speech are racists who do not like the fact that an African-American is president, and they are willing to punish their children to further their own racism.
They have gone too far this time, and cannot disguise their racism behind a political belief.
Hard work, setting goals, and taking responsibility? I can't think of a less controversial message....maybe "eat your vegetables and brush your teeth."
ReplyDeleteThe Right are a bunch of bigoted drama queens.
My son hasn't mentioned this, but I'll ask him tonight - if his class is going to watch Obama.
ReplyDeleteHe's going to miss class in October for a couple of days but it's for something totally different.
Anyway, these guys are nuts. It's a sad state of affairs when people take their orders from the likes of Fox News talking heads and the sort.
I tend to agree with you that this is much ado about nothing, but how many times are you going to play the race card whenever someone opposes President Obama?
ReplyDeleteIt would be like calling someone anti-white or sexist who opposes a hypothetical President Sarah Palin for doing the same thing.
(Oh, before I forget: Palin Divorce Watch: Day 34.)
CT-
ReplyDeleteSince it's not politics, what else could it be? And I realize many Republicans are not doing this. It's only the lunatic fringe.
(And I still believe the divorce is coming.)
To understand this, you have to understand that it's not the reality, but the perception of reality (i.e. misperception)that's important. Wars have been fought over misperceptions.
ReplyDeleteThere are some people who perceive that anything a President does is political. Also, the perception of a President speaking to all the nation's schoolchildren simultaneously smacks a little of Big Brother. (I have to admit, I initially thought the notion was a litle meglamaniacal on President Obama's part myself.) And finally, the curriculum materials that the Department of Education prepared for after-speech activities seemed to some a little political and self-serving (e.g. "How did President Obama inspire you?" "What can you do to help the President?"). BTW, that last one was taken out.
In sum, I think the only parents that wouldn't want a Black President speaking to their children probably wouldn't want a Black teacher instructing them, either.