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| Yes | 47% | 17 votes | Total: 36 votes | |
| No | 53% | 19 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesThrough all of this debate regarding President Obama's upcoming speech/pep talk to schoolchildren, I still have yet to hear a legitimate argument against it. It is not as if the President will be speaking to children about universal health care, Iraq, Afghanistan, or tax policy. He is going to tell the children to work hard, stay in school, and they'll go far. Is this such a sin? Is it so terrible for the US President to encourage children (many who may not get any encouragement from home) and tell them if they work hard it will pay off?
I understand the political implications. I understand that Republicans are terribly worried that this could possibly indirectly help the President in the polls. But to hear some people who are against this talk, you would think the President was recruiting future Democratic Party volunteers. Regardless of political party, race, or anything else that scares some people about President Obama - he is our President - he is our children's President, and he deserves some amount of respect for that. Even though some parents may not agree with his political ideology, they should not want to close their children out from something different than what they are used to. It is good for people, especially children, to be able to see a different perspective.
I have been dying to know if these people who claim that the President is trying to "indoctrinate" America's children with a simple "you can do it!" style speech, were equally opposed when Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush did the same thing? Minnesota Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty has called this speech "disruptive" and said it's "uninvited." Pawlenty has been railing against this for days - he's appalled. However, on the First Lady of Minnesota's website it claims that she "frequently visits elementary schools to teach students about our system of democracy." Is Mr. Pawlenty equally disturbed by his wife's actions? Is she "indoctrinating" Minnesota's youth?
It is quite easy to see the double standard that is here. It is obvious that the Republicans feel this is a welcomed distraction from the real issues facing our country. I know they do not want to talk about health care or the fact that they are the main reason our economy is in shambles.They are out there claiming the President should be working on fixing this broken economy and putting people back to work rather than "making lesson plans," while they are the ones keeping this story going. Had they never gotten so up in arms about it, the speech would have been made - kids would have seen it - and it would be over.
Republicans, go for it. If you folks think it is so nasty and "disruptive" for the President to try to encourage our schoolchildren, then just keep talking about it. It is you that looks like fools when our country is so far behind other Western nations in regards to education, that you would make an issue out of our President trying to encourage our youth to do better.
Learn more about this author, Chris Mcleod.
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No
No one should have access to public school children for the purposes of indoctrination, yet it has happened throughout history. When children in Farmington, Utah started school recently, they were assembled to watch a Hollywood video in which numerous recognizable stars of the entertainment industry had messages for them.
Actress Demi Moore vowed to "be a servant to our president" and musician Anthony Kiedis pledges to "be of service to Barrack Obama". These were two of the most offensive among the pledges which also included many from the socialist and environmentalist agendas. Those included such seemingly innocuous promises to "flush my toilets less" and do my part so no one goes hungry."
Until a few days ago when public backlash became too loud on the official White House education website, there were curriculum "suggestions" as to how to incorporate the speech the president is to deliver, including "have children write letters to themselves where they may find ways in which to help President Obama".
As usual the youngest and most vulnerable are targeted. These innocents are easier to brain wash than say a university student who have grown up under the influence of their parents belief system. Though heaven help the Christian student who attends a state university! They are ridiculed and in some cases fail needed courses, if they refuse to shed any vestiges of judeo-christian beliefs.
Hitler assembled a virtual army of child supporters when he started the Nazi movement that lead to the deaths of 6 million Jews. Fidel Castro made sure 6-year-old Elion Gonzaliz was returned to his communist nation after being plucked from the waters off Florida. He often spoke in classrooms nationwide to gain childrens support of his regime.
In this country child protective services urge children to turn in their parents if they dare to spank them. The children are told that this action is abuse and they will be protected by loving social workers.
This is one reason why so many parents in America are opting for home-schooling. Though it started mainly for cults and fanatics, the movement to have a home-based education has found its niche in the main-stream, with over a million children shielded from public school agendas.
Of course school officials are furious that this is happening and home-school parents are often subject to harassment and often prosecution. Fortunately there are enough lawyers on that side that get the convictions thrown out and the harassers stopped.
Learn more about this author, Shirley Gooding.
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