This morning I arrived at work to find an email in my inbox, effectively making the point that the school would not be watching President Obama's back-to-school speech because of some disgruntled parents. Several feelings hit me as I read through the message again. Incredulity, disbelief, frustration and disappointment were only a few. Isn't it supposed to be a privelege and an honor to have the President of the United States of America spend time talking to the country's students? Reagan spoke to students about the war and we cheered. Bush addressed the schools about the war, and we applauded. Obama talks to students about staying in school and the American people are up in arms.
Whoever our president happens to be, whether I agree with him or not, he is still the leader of our country. For various reasons, I didn't vote for our current president (though I was pleased as punch that he won). But though I don't agree with everything he does, that doesn't mean I don't have a great deal of respect for the office he holds. How is it that, to quote a teacher from Maryland, "the country has become so polarized that we believe that our president is an enemy and not our leader?"
Honestly, what is it that these 'concerned parents' are afraid of? Are they afraid that their children will learn to think for themselves? Are they worried that the students will be brainwashed into getting an education? Heaven forbid they should work harder or take responsibility for themselves.
Perhaps we should take a step back and take a look at what kind of a message parents are sending to their children. That idea's are not valid if you don't like the speaker? That the elected leader of our country is not worthy of our respect? That if you don't agree with someone, you can throw a fit and get your way?
Strange how we bemoan the lack of support for education and mourn our faltering system, and yet this is the example we set?
Good grief. If this is socialist propeganda, I would hate to see what Stalin would say.
This issue made me absolutely crazy. *!@#, Expletive, Expletive! There are so many ignorant people out there, and they are transmitting their ideas to their children. Oooohhh, what I wouldn't give to discuss this in a high school classroom. It's probably hard for you to keep your mouth shut sometimes when you hear really stupid things.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm completely with you on this one. The speech was published prior to the broadcast for parents to read and I couldn't find anything even remotely controversial about encouraging kids to find and develop their talents, to work hard, and to not give up. To here a lot of the parents around here though you would have thought that Hitler would be visiting the nations schools distributing autographed copies of Mein Kampf.
ReplyDeleteOops, I meant "hear" not "here"
ReplyDeleteAmen! You are right on. I think that if our president were a republican, very few people (at least in Utah) would have had any problems with it. We really do have a responsibility to our nation to get the best education we have, and contribute our talents to its improvement. That responsibility gives our president the right to address our children on working hard to be successful.
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