Presidential Address to Schoolchildren

[talisyn]

I wrote my last post late last night and apologize for unnecessary roughness

But...I am tired of it all. The people here are great with reasoned discussion, and I love that. But it seems like when I listen to the people on TV they hit, and get hit back a little harder, so they hit back a little harder, and pretty soon what was mere poking becomes kidney shots. We have people calling for revolution when all that happened is what's been happening since the US because a nation, giving others opportunity to make this nation greater. It may not be your path to greatness, but your path is not everyone's path, either. This country is strong, precisely for the reason Glen Beck and Hannity are screaming about. Every 4 years we have a revolution, thank God Almighty for His wisdom. We had in the last 20+ years a Republican president for 4 years, a Democratic president for 8 years, a Republican president for 8 years, and will have a Democratic president for at least 4 years (lol hopefully 8 years). It's all good, it will be good, and it will be even better if people eat more french fries (small plug for my place of work).

I couldn't resist...we've had Republican presidents for about 25 years of the last 37 years...just wanted to bring up the idea that one party as president all the time might not be a good thing....

Edited September 7, 2009 by talisyn

[bytor2112]

This is hilarious......Obama is a genius. He knew this little speech to America's chilin's would freak everyone out so bad that we would forget the REAL reason why people should be upset.......SPENDING, WASTE, OVERBLOWN GOVERNMENT, WEAK DOLLAR,....eekgad and gadzooks!!! :eek:

[bytor2112]

I wrote my last post late last night and apologize for unnecessary roughness

But...I am tired of it all. The people here are great with reasoned discussion, and I love that. But it seems like when I listen to the people on TV they hit, and get hit back a little harder, so they hit back a little harder, and pretty soon what was mere poking becomes kidney shots. We have people calling for revolution when all that happened is what's been happening since the US because a nation, giving others opportunity to make this nation greater. It may not be your path to greatness, but your path is not everyone's path, either. This country is strong, precisely for the reason Glen Beck and Hannity are screaming about. Every 4 years we have a revolution, thank God Almighty for His wisdom. We had in the last 20+ years a Republican president for 4 years, a Democratic president for 8 years, a Republican president for 8 years, and will have a Democratic president for at least 4 years (lol hopefully 8 years). It's all good, it will be good, and it will be even better if people eat more french fries (small plug for my place of work).

I couldn't resist...we've had Republican presidents for about 25 years of the last 37 years...just wanted to bring up the idea that one party as president all the time might not be a good thing....

I've grown to enjoy your posts....BUT, don't you think we need a President of the PEOPLE and not of a Party for a change? A Patriot and not a puppet? Someone who understands the limited role government should play in out lives......as our Founders understood?

Less is SO much more in government. Truly, we could have such a better nation if some serious fiscal responsibility were to occur and a major slashing of government waste happened. Everyone would benefit.......conservatives would be happy and liberals could have REAL programs that REALLY helped....WHY???? Because we could afford it!!

[Moksha]

The Nebo School District in Utah County, Utah has chosen to ban President Obama's address to school children.

Had President Obama been allowed to speak, school district would have been forced to spend around $80,000 in order to bring in Sean Hannity or Glen Beck to cleanse lingering evil spirits from the school district .

[Moksha]

The Nebo School District in Utah County, Utah has chosen to ban President Obama's address to school children.

Before the World starts to to shout that they a bunch of religious nutcases in Utah County, I would like to point out that this is an unfair characterization. It is a slur on the LDS Church, and that the above sentence should stand corrected to read instead, "they are a bunch of political nutcases in Utah County".

There is no reason to slander things religious!

[Barter_Town]

Absent a war or a Columbine-like tragedy, the key word here is not HELP, but that it is President Obama whom the children are being asked to help--him and his agenda--his Democratic agenda. And btw, it's amazing how quickly this has turned into a dish the opposition approach. How dare we question the Great Leader. We must be lemmings, foolish, embarrassing, paranoid, radical...WOW...I remember when, in a democracy, loyal opposition was seen as an essential of free people.

Thanks for confirming that, for you, this is really all about partisan politics, and not the message itself. I feel bad for the kids who are in the middle of all this. It's too bad that the message (and an important one, at that) has been highjacked by parents who really ought to know better.

And no one is saying we shouldn't question the president; some of us are just pointing out how foolish all this hubbub has been over the most innocuous of things. "Work hard, stay in school"? Is that really all that controversial to you? "Loyal opposition" is all fine and dandy, but think about what you're opposing. Do you know how many children need to hear this message, particularly inner-city children, from our nation's first black president? Here is a guy who worked his way from the bottom to the top, didn't have any privileges, wasn't born into wealth or politics. His story is quintessentially American, and I would think his counsel will carry far more resonance for some than would, say, an identical message from George W. Bush.

Heaven forbid we encourage our youth to work hard and stay in school, they're only the future of our country. The fact that certain quarters can't see past their own political ideologies enough to see the wisdom and expediency of the message he gives, even going so far as to compare him to Kim Jong Il (!!!), well that's just sad.

[prisonchaplain]

Thanks for confirming that, for you, this is really all about partisan politics, and not the message itself. I feel bad for the kids who are in the middle of all this. It's too bad that the message (and an important one, at that) has been highjacked by parents who really ought to know better.

Please don't exaggerate the point. But, yes, the gist of Obamas speech will be study hard, do well, and I have no problem with that message. And, in a vacuum, it might seem innocent and even humble for a President to address school children with a generic do-well speech.

We don't live in that vacuum. In our world this is uncommon. It's happened more than I realize, but, yes, when politicians gather school children around them, wave the flag, and tell them to look up, smile, and work hard...it usually ends up looking to be more about bolstering an image, than exciting a generation. Obama's ratings are down, and his major policy initiative is currently floundering. So, let's address the kids.

Unfair? Life is unfair. Politics is messy. That's why the poster who jokingly said, "I support the seperation of school and state," had a point.

And no one is saying we shouldn't question the president; some of us are just pointing out how foolish all this hubbub has been over the most innocuous of things. "Work hard, stay in school"? Is that really all that controversial to you?

You might want to go back and read some of the posts. Foolish hubbub is not the limit to the derision that was tossed our way.

"Loyal opposition" is all fine and dandy, but think about what you're opposing. Do you know how many children need to hear this message, particularly inner-city children, from our nation's first black president? Here is a guy who worked his way from the bottom to the top, didn't have any privileges, wasn't born into wealth or politics. His story is quintessentially American, and I would think his counsel will carry far more resonance for some than would, say, an identical message from George W. Bush.

But of course you are not being partisan. You would suggest it's just Republicans that are. The inner-city kids (oh how careful you were to avoid mentioning race, btw) were indeed encouraged by the innauguration. They did enjoy seeing history in the making. The heard Obama's speech. If you think this speech today is the one that's going to excite the sleeping oppressed, I'd suggest one word...anticlimax. Obama has not lacked public exposure.

Heaven forbid we encourage our youth to work hard and stay in school, they're only the future of our country. The fact that certain quarters can't see past their own political ideologies enough to see the wisdom and expediency of the message he gives, even going so far as to compare him to Kim Jong Il (!!!), well that's just sad.

Nobody suggested WE not encourage our kids. Perhaps that's the point. It's hubris for Obama to think that only he can bring awaken our youth. If you are unaware of the common practice of petty dictators using children to bolster their image, and take offense at the many Americans who had that initial image, when it was announced that Obama would address the school children, then what can I say? Just know, I didn't compare Obama to Kim, I compared what he did today with what Kim does all the time.

[Jenamarie]

Nobody suggested WE not encourage our kids. Perhaps that's the point. It's hubris for Obama to think that only he can bring awaken our youth. If you are unaware of the common practice of petty dictators using children to bolster their image, and take offense at the many Americans who had that initial image, when it was announced that Obama would address the school children, then what can I say? Just know, I didn't compare Obama to Kim, I compared what he did today with what Kim does all the time.

Did Obama say that only HE could encourage our kids? I don't recall hearing him say that.

Do you disagree with school's bringing in Fire Fighers to give lessons on fire safety? Or Police Officers giving lessons on Stranger Danger and Good Touch/Bad Touch? Do you disagree with Police Officers being in schools as a way to promote their good image to the students, who may be hearing at home that cops are "pigs"?

I know it was seeing a Real Life Fire Fighter that brought the "matches are NOT a toy!" lesson home for my 5 year old. All the harping in the world from her dad and I, when she would try to find a box of matches to play with (not that she lit them, she liked playing with them like Lincoln Logs) didn't have as much effect as having someone as "cool" as a "real fire fighter" tell her that they weren't toys to be played with.

Sometimes even responsible parents can use a bit of outside reinforcement.

[bytor2112]

His story is quintessentially American, and I would think his counsel will carry far more resonance for some than would, say, an identical message from George W. Bush.

Too bad his policies are quintessentially un-American

[bytor2112]

Heaven forbid we encourage our youth to work hard and stay in school, they're only the future of our country.

Funny isn't? Why is it that Democrats espouse virtues like these....they obviously don't believe it. Rather, they tend to believe.....you just can't make it with out Uncle Sam, class warfare, race baiting and endless entitlements that insure that hard work is secondary or that reward is marginalized. Sorry folks, the policies and the platform just doesn't fit the rhetoric.

Edited September 8, 2009 by bytor2112

[beefche]

Interesting article....

When Bush spoke to students, Democrats investigated, held hearings | Washington Examiner

[john doe]

some of us are just pointing out how foolish all this hubbub has been over the most innocuous of things. "Work hard, stay in school"? Is that really all that controversial to you? "Loyal opposition" is all fine and dandy, but think about what you're opposing.

I don't think anyone here is saying that those are bad ideals. What has been expressed is consternation over the fact that the original 'study aids' included writing an essay about how the student can help President Obama. That was later changed to an essay about how the student can study hard and stay in schol, or something to that effect, which is much more palatable.

Do you know how many children need to hear this message, particularly inner-city children, from our nation's first black president?

Correction: 2nd black president, Clinton was the first.

[prisonchaplain]

Did Obama say that only HE could encourage our kids? I don't recall hearing him say that.

Surely you read the post that was a response to? Clearly George W. Bush wasn't. And just as clearly, we who would hinder Obama from speaking in this manner are preventing the children from being encouraged. I was addresssing the poster with that quip, more than Obama.

BTW, firefighters, police, and social workers are not politicians, so I'm not catching the connection.

I find it necessary to repeat yet again...I doubt most conservatives believe that Obama has done a terrible wrong today. We don't believe our children will be brainwashed. I questioned the appropriateness of this decision. My kids watched, and the republic stands. The sometimes hysterical responses to some rather mild criticism amaze me more than anything else.

[Jenamarie]

Surely you read the post that was a response to? Clearly George W. Bush wasn't. And just as clearly, we who would hinder Obama from speaking in this manner are preventing the children from being encouraged. I was addresssing the poster with that quip, more than Obama.

BTW, firefighters, police, and social workers are not politicians, so I'm not catching the connection.

I find it necessary to repeat yet again...I doubt most conservatives believe that Obama has done a terrible wrong today. We don't believe our children will be brainwashed. I questioned the appropriateness of this decision. My kids watched, and the republic stands. The sometimes hysterical responses to some rather mild criticism amaze me more than anything else.

Not all the critisizms were mild. Here on LDS.NET they were, but I saw some rather over-the-top "How DARE Obama!" responses in my town and community.

[Barter_Town]

...the gist of Obamas speech will be study hard, do well, and I have no problem with that message. And, in a vacuum, it might seem innocent and even humble for a President to address school children with a generic do-well speech.

We don't live in that vacuum.

Please explain how "study hard, stay in school" means something different under the Obama administration.

In our world this is uncommon.

And.. uncommon = bad?

It's happened more than I realize, but, yes, when politicians gather school children around them, wave the flag, and tell them to look up, smile, and work hard...it usually ends up looking to be more about bolstering an image, than exciting a generation.

Well that is your own perception and interpretation. Some of us do not equate "study hard, stay in school" with communist propaganda.

Sorry but you are only proving my point, that this has far more to do with the unfounded fears and personal politics of adults who should know better than with the message itself.

Obama's ratings are down, and his major policy initiative is currently floundering. So, let's address the kids.

My goodness, what cynicism. Do you really think that's what this is all about? Ratings? He's the democratically-elected president, not a TV station. It hasn't occurred to you that he may simply be bearing a message of personal responsibility with the future of our country? Isn't that just as likely?

Unfair? Life is unfair. Politics is messy.

Not sure what you're getting at here.

You might want to go back and read some of the posts. Foolish hubbub is not the limit to the derision that was tossed our way.

I see a lot of foolish hubbub coming from conservative quarters these days. It seems to me that they're just looking for Obama to make the tiniest slip-up, so that they can point the finger and blow their horns and whine as loudly as possible. First Obama was "racist", then he's trying to murder our seniors under "death panels", now he's trying to brainwash our children. Who is this guy, the boogey-man? It takes me back to the election, when conservatives were labeling him a "communist" and a "radical", or questioning his citizenship, or asserting that he was Muslim. Such foolishness! And it's always something new, every week. Conservatives have really made themselves out to be fools these last few months.

But of course you are not being partisan.

You are correct. If a Republican president wanted to address my children directly and encourage them to stay in school, I'd say more power to him. We need more messages like that in the public sphere. As president, he has a responsibility to address the youth of the nation that voted him into the position he holds. Regardless of party affiliation, any president can address my children anytime.

You would suggest it's just Republicans that are.

Well they're the only ones I hear complaining about it.

The inner-city kids (oh how careful you were to avoid mentioning race, btw)

Did I need to?

were indeed encouraged by the innauguration. They did enjoy seeing history in the making. The heard Obama's speech. If you think this speech today is the one that's going to excite the sleeping oppressed, I'd suggest one word...anticlimax.

There you go again characterizing the most innocuous and useful of messages ("study hard, stay in school") as some kind of propagandistic rally cry ("excite the sleeping oppressed"). Sorry, I just don't buy it.

Obama has not lacked public exposure.

And..?

He's the president. He's doing what he was voted into office to do -- make some much needed changes. If that means more whining from conservatives and, consequently, more media exposure, then so be it. That doesn't mean he shouldn't take a minute to address our nation's students.

Nobody suggested WE not encourage our kids. Perhaps that's the point. It's hubris for Obama to think that only he can bring awaken our youth.

I don't recall him ever making that claim.

To my mind, the more support our children have, the better.

If you are unaware of the common practice of petty dictators using children to bolster their image, and take offense at the many Americans who had that initial image, when it was announced that Obama would address the school children, then what can I say?

Again with the comparing of the democratically-elected president of the United States to a dictator. Please.

Just know, I didn't compare Obama to Kim, I compared what he did today with what Kim does all the time.

Well there you go. Instead of comparing what "appears" to "look" similar in your own mind and fanning the flames of fear and irrationality, try evaluating the message itself -- "study hard, stay in school." The message speaks for itself. You may not agree with some of his policies, but the fact that you allow your own personal politics to highjack, in this case, such a harmless, positive message to our students does no one any good at all.

[talisyn]

My daughter did not get to hear the president. Foolish me,I didn't call the school and say I was glad of the opportunity, so the one person who did call about the speech and complained kept all the kids from hearing it. I don't know who I'm mad at more, the school for caving to one person or me for not thinking this would happen.

[Maxel]

Talisyn-

You can find the speech online if you want your daughter to see it. My little sister didn't see the speech either- she says no one in her school really cared about watching the speech; only a few classes watched it.

[Barter_Town]

I don't think anyone here is saying that those are bad ideals. What has been expressed is consternation over the fact that the original 'study aids' included writing an essay about how the student can help President Obama.

It wasn't an essay, it was one of many suggested ideas in a study guide, written by the Education Dept., in which students could write a letter asking themselves how they could help the president. Big deal! Really, who cares. Any answer to such a question would inevitably entail staying in school and not doing drugs. That conservatives have raised such a ruckus over this is really, really silly.

That was later changed to an essay about how the student can study hard and stay in schol, or something to that effect, which is much more palatable.

Yep. All that ruckus over nothing. How many more times is conservative paranoia going to make mountains out of mole hills?

[talisyn]

TY Maxel, I read the speech yesterday and told her it would be really good. What burns me is she didn't get the chance. So..it might be a little late but tomorrow I'm calling up the school and asking why she didn't get to listen to the President of these United States give a speech where he talked directly to her and her peers

[prisonchaplain]

BT, I doubt that either conservatives or Obama are as dangerous as the zealots on either side would have us believe. I'm sensing that you, and some others here, are driven as much by off-site discussions, as by ones here. If you read my posts carefully, I offered mild criticism of this decision of Obama's, and I allowed my daughters to see the speech. I gave some reasons for my concern. Your response is indicative of a debate, and I'm not sure you're fully hearing the conversation from my end.

[Barter_Town]

Funny isn't? Why is it that Democrats espouse virtues like these....they obviously don't believe it. Rather, they tend to believe.....you just can't make it with out Uncle Sam, class warfare, race baiting and endless entitlements that insure that hard work is secondary or that reward is marginalized. Sorry folks, the policies and the platform just doesn't fit the rhetoric.

Typical conservative rhetoric.

[prisonchaplain]

It wasn't an essay, it was one of many suggested ideas in a study guide, written by the Education Dept., in which students could write a letter asking themselves how they could help the president. Big deal! Really, who cares. Any answer to such a question would inevitably entail staying in school and not doing drugs. That conservatives have raised such a ruckus over this is really, really silly.

Yep. All that ruckus over nothing. How many more times is conservative paranoia going to make mountains out of mole hills?

At least the Administration had the integrity to ADMIT that the assignment for the kids to figure out how they could help the President was "inartfully worded." You want to bulldog your way through and say no big deal. Why is it that I'm fairly certain that if W. had given a speech to your child, and asked her to write a letter explaining how s/he could help him, you'd have been somewhat disturbed? Oh come on...such would have at least been worthy of a couple of antacids, no?

[Bini]

I watched the speech this morning. I didn't find anything offensive about it or underlying. Obama just told the kids to stay in school, work hard and not to give up on themselves. Of course, it was a bit more detailed than that but there's the general gist of it all. Not that well written for the little ones (2nd grade and under) but definitely inspirational for older kids, especially seniors that are making big decisions NOW that will affect their futures. Anyway, I thought it was a good speech and had no problems with it.

[Barter_Town]

BT, I doubt that either conservatives or Obama are as dangerous as the zealots on either side would have us believe. I'm sensing that you, and some others here, are driven as much by off-site discussions, as by ones here. If you read my posts carefully, I offered mild criticism of this decision of Obama's, and I allowed my daughters to see the speech. I gave some reasons for my concern. Your response is indicative of a debate, and I'm not sure you're fully hearing the conversation from my end.

Maybe so. My response has more to do with my exasperation with certain quarters' criticism of the situation than with you in particular. Perhaps I unfairly lumped you in with them. My apologies.

[Barter_Town]

At least the Administration had the integrity to ADMIT that the assignment for the kids to figure out how they could help the President was "inartfully worded." You want to bulldog your way through and say no big deal. Why is it that I'm fairly certain that if W. had given a speech to your child, and asked her to write a letter explaining how s/he could help him, you'd have been somewhat disturbed? Oh come on...such would have at least been worthy of a couple of antacids, no?

I have heard the term "ham-fisted" being tossed around about it and I will admit that it isn't beyond the bounds of reason to see it that way. Perhaps more thought could have been put into the wording of it. But it just doesn't seem to warrant the firestorm that's been created over it, imo.

Honestly, if it were Pres. Bush addressing my kids, I really don't see myself having a problem with it. Obviously it would depend on the message he gave, but even if it was something I totally disagree with, I'd still look at it as an opportunity to discuss the issues over the dinner table with my kids. I think that anything that makes kids think is a good thing. And everybody enjoys a good argument