Friday, September 4, 2009

Obama indoctrinating schoolchildren

...or not. Susannah, over at Get the Big Idea, posted on this. Obama, on Tuesday, September 8th, which will be the first day of school for most of the country's schoolchildren, will be delivering an address over the internet that most schools will be broadcasting into every classroom.


In Susannah's post, she likens this to the "Hitler Youth," and in her comments links to a video where children were pledging their undying support to Hitler in Nazi Germany. She says she will be pulling her children out of school due to this "unprecedented 'Presidential address' to the captive audience of our nation's school children." She has said she will be pulling her children out of school, which is her right, but is a little ridiculous. I normally wouldn't say anything, but she correctly points out that "hundreds of thousands of other parents across the nation" are doing the same, and she says it is because "Our country’s current political climate has produced unparalleled Government control in our society, and has raised to high alert suspicions of socialist motivations (& worse). In such a climate, for the President to deliver an unprecedented “address” to every child in the nation’s public schools..."


Susannah isn't alone in her hysteria. That's why it is scary. I'm seeing so much hysteria on both sides right now...the left saying the right wants to kill Obama, the right saying the left and Obama want to round them up and put them in concentration camps...enough!

The hysteria has to stop. Susannah, I do respect you, but you are just as guilty as the left in falling into hysteria about the opposition's President.

This address isn't socialistic, nor is it unprecedented.

On the U.S. Department of Education Web site Secretary Arne Duncan wrote that the speech was about "the importance of education."

"The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning," Duncan wrote. "He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens."
...
President George H.W. Bush addressed the nation's students in a televised speech during school hours in 1991. ''I can't understand for the life of me what's so great about being stupid,'' Bush said, according to news reports from the time. He told students to ''block out the kids who think it's not cool to be smart'' and ''work harder, learn more.''

Democrats at the time criticized the speech. "The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students," said Richard Gephardt, then the Democratic majority leader in the House of Representatives.

Republican Newt Gingrich defended Bush's speech, though. "Why is it political for the president of the United States to discuss education?" Gingrich said at the time. "It was done at a nonpolitical site and was beamed to a nonpolitical audience. . . . They wanted to reach the maximum audience with the maximum effect to improve education."

Everyone needs to calm down.

16 comments:

Throwing Stones said...

You're Extremely Naive If You Believe
what you just wrote.
That is exactly how they felt in Germany when they listened to that little dangerous jerk speak in the street corners.
It’s all well and good to want to “change the world” but kids should be allowed to think for themselves, not told how to think by a president or by vacuous celebrities who latch on to trends to make themselves seem more cool. They shouldn’t be telling our kids how to “change the world.”
I think it’s time for parents and those educators and administrators disgusted by these sorts of tactics to stand up and be heard. We live in a Republic. We do not participate in Cults of Personality. This is neither North Korea, Cuba, or Venezuela.
How much more of his crap are we going to take?
And you sir are as brainwashed as he wants our kids to be.

Dave Miller said...

Mr. Sarcastic, would you agree then that when President Reagan and Bush I did the same thing, it too was part of a GOP plan to indoctrinate our children?

Or is this only true if it is by a President who happens to be a Democrat?

Just askin...

Shaw Kenawe said...

Most of the people objecting to President Obama's talk to America's school children are unaware that George HW Bush did the same thing as did Ronald Reagan, who actually promoted a political agenda when he did.

It's just more rampant ignorance and total inability to look up what the truth is.

President Obama's speech will be about encouraging children to stay in school and do well.

Anyone finding fault with this is woefully misinformed or willfully ignorant and willing to march to the strident disinformation of the likes of Beck and Limbaugh.

MSO is a perfect example of nonthinking.

Throwing Stones said...

The problem is not the President talking to the kids. They will make sure his speech is sanitized for public consumption and spinning. The problem lies with the instructions given to the schools to indoctrinate the students before and after the speech. Communism always starts with brainwashing the kids. Clever tactic but its not going to fly. And if Bush or Reagan's Education Department sent instruction packets ahead of time, I say prove it.

Yes they spoke ti the kids, but not this way, he encouraged the kids to stay in school...period.

Anonymous said...

And the hysteria continues....

I've had just about enough of this and I am a conservative for pete's sake!

I don't have a problem with Obama speaking to my children as long as he keeps politics out of it. Because other presidents have done it in the past, doesn't make it right to try and politicize during the speech. The "help Obama" bit concerned me but with that addressed, I have no problem with it. Should the message contain politics, then by all means, get upset. I think it's great that Obama cares enough for our kids to talk to them about staying in school and the importance of education.

Bush and Reagan both did it, and unless you are just as upset with that are you are now, it's very hypocritical.

TAO said...

James, I have been reading the stuff on this and I will acknowledge that you did your best!

But hysterical people are not logical people, no matter how much they claim otherwise.

Hysterical people are also impossible to get off a ledge once they walk out on one.

I laughed when you were told that you did not have any kids in school, that was a nice way of saying your opinion doesn't matter...well, I don't have kids in school either but I pay property taxes and when the school board raises the school property tax I pay the increase just as much as anyone else...

These hysterics are with us for as long as Obama is president. Since the Reagan Revolution the terms "liberals and demcorats" have been used interchangeably for big government, higher taxes, and big spending..those terms have come to represent the 'boogy man' of every fear and anger Americans have. No amount of facts is going to change anything.

No logic will change anything either.

Debbies Choice said...

Dave Miller said...

Mr. Sarcastic, would you agree then that when President Reagan and Bush I did the same thing,


Stop with that Mantra already, Reagan and Bush DID NOT do the same thing.
They did NOT say, "Work for me, serve me" "What can you do for me?" It use to be what can you do for your country. Obama is not the country.

Get real already and stop the Obama worshiping.

James' Muse said...

Debbie, Obama isn't saying that either. In fact, the speech will be less partisan than Reagan's, who brought Republican platform items into his speech with children.

Buck Ofama said...

Despite my particular dislike for this president, I have no problem with him addressing the nation's school children, mine included, so long as the address merely motivates them to do well in school. I did not like the part of the suggested elementary lesson plan that would have asked my first grader to write a letter about how she can help the President. That's too political for the first grade.

My kids go to a fabulous school, but it is overwhelmingly run (and attended) by liberals - the principal is an African American female graduate of Harvard - need I say more? But these liberals are wonderful, unbelievably talented educators! Do the political leanings of the faculty unintentionally filter through to my kids? Of course. During the campaign last year, my kindergartener cut out a picture of Obama from the newspaper to "take to her teacher because she loves Barack Obama."

So, I had a very open and honest discussion with the principal of the school about my concerns with that one question/activity - I would prefer that my first grader not be asked what she could do to help President Obama because that sounds just too political for this age, but if her teacher wanted to pursue that course could I please be a classroom volunteer that day to ensure that my child wasn't enlisting to help the President in any ways that would be objectionable to our family - since he believes in a lot of things to which we are opposed, but that her classmates have heard at home (like talk about public option universal health care) and that her teacher has never personally considered controversial.

The principal and I had a good, honest, comfortable, open and face-to-face discussion. (Much more civil than would have occurred on a blog!) At the time of our talk, she had not reviewed the lesson plan (that is not her job as an administrator) but she agreed that it would be highly inappropriate to have that line of discussion in any elementary classroom and it would not occur in our school. We hugged and I went home.

A day or two later, this whole thing hit the news, the lesson plan was amended to exclude those very political aspects to which I objected. As far as my family is concerned, no harm, no foul on this one.

Anonymous said...

Buck....I must say I think you handled that splendidly. It's so refreshing to see a logical, rational response to something that was of concern to you. Too often the irrational takes hold, and makes things so much more complicated than they need to be.

Shaw Kenawe said...

"...the principal is an African American female graduate of Harvard - need I say more?"

No. By that description we all understand that she is an above average, highly intelligent and motivated individual who probably had to work twice as hard than her white male and female counterparts to get where she is today.

Graduate of Hahvid? Oh Noes! Are you aware that during the last 8 years we had a Hahvid MBA as president?

Need I say more?

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

President Obama hasn't even given his speech to the students yet. How do we know what he said before he says it? Are our right leaning friends so worried the President's words will be so powerfully motivating to their children that they will leave home and go out to serve him? If one twenty minute speech has the right so scared then perhaps these people should reexamine their parenting skills if this holds more influence over their kids than they do.


My Sarcastic Opinion said "kids should be allowed to think for themselves." Then he wants to keep kids from listening to the President so they can decide for themselves if they like what he has to say.



Are the righties like MSO that afraid that the beliefs and values they've tried to teach their children we be forgotten because President Obama tells their kids to work hard. Stay in school. And help your community?



It looks to me as the righties are the ones pushing brainwashing.

Buck Ofama said...

Shaw,

All that you say is true - only understated. Our principal is not only above average but quite possibly the smartest woman I've ever known and incredibly successful at everything she has ever attempted. She is a Democrat that I would actually encourage to run for public office and fully support.

In our school, she also proudly displays pictures of herself with President Bush who honored our school as a model in public education. She frankly told me that though she disagreed with many of his policies, she greatly respects the man and that the pictures will remain until she retires - despite the complaints of other parents.

The Lone Voice said...

I just heard a news blurb where an Obama spokesperson described the current fuss ensuing by President Obama's proposed talk to the nations school children as ''silly''.
IMO what's ''silly'' is the entire Obama Administration and their seeming tin ear to what this nation is all about and their inability to hear what the people are saying, much less understand any of it.

Arrogance, thy name is Obama and Company
Our Constitution is being trampled and spit on by BHO and the Marxist dems in Congress. It is our job as American citizens to stop them using peaceful disobedience.
I find it amusing that these ignorant "journalists" like to bash Beck, Republicans, Drudge, etc. for uncovering Jones! If the media did their job, Beck et.al., wouldn't have to do it for them. That's why Americans are so angry. No one cares to research this administration. The media are just trying to cover them up.
Hey, radical lefty's, we're just getting warmed up.

James' Muse said...

Lone Voice: this post isn't about Jones.

Plus, you didn't really add anything to the post other than your rant against the current administration. It IS silly that the right is up in arms about Obama talking to the children today. If you are that freaked out, go to school and watch it with your children, then talk about it afterwards.

Seems like the only people indoctrinating children are those being ridiculous on the right.

Dave Miller said...

Nice final point James.