President's Speech to Kids

[sdshorty]

This seems to be a hot topic, what do you think about this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/200909.../ynews_pl888_1

hu Sep 3, 3:11 pm ET On September 8, in what the Department of Education is touting as a "historic" speech, President Obama will be talking directly to students across the U.S., live on the White House website. But some parents and conservatives are blasting the president, calling the speech an excuse to brainwash American children. Last month, in an interview with 11-year-old student reporter Damon Weaver, the president announced his big back-to-school plan: "I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education; about the importance of staying in school; how we want to improve our education system and why it’s so important for the country. So I hope everybody tunes in." Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a letter to the nation's principals, inviting schools to watch the speech and included suggested classroom activities. But Jim Greer, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, came out swinging against the planned speech. An excerpt from his statement: "The address scheduled for September 8, 2009, does not allow for healthy debate on the President's agenda, but rather obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our President's initiatives or be ostracized by their teachers and classmates." NBC spoke with Katie Gordon, a spokeswoman for the Florida Republican Party, who said the party's "beef" is with the accompanying lesson plans. The guide for pre-K through grade 6 suggests questions students think about during the speech, such as "What is the President trying to tell me? What is the President asking me to do?" The plan for grades 7-12 includes a "guided discussion," with suggested topics: "What resonated with you from President Obama's speech? What is President Obama inspiring you to do?" The Cato Institute, a public-policy research foundation, issued a press release entitled "Hey Obama, Leave Those Kids Alone," criticizing the "troubling buzzwords" in the lesson plans: "It's one thing for a president to encourage all kids to work hard and stay in school – that's a reasonable use of the bully pulpit. It's another thing entirely, however, to have the U.S. Department of Education send detailed instructions to public schools nationwide on how to glorify the president and the presidency, and push them to drive social change." Across the blogosphere, comments covered the spectrum, from critical to supportive, and from one student, a little anger: "I sent my children to school to be educated NOT indoctrinated." — justamom "The fact that people want to keep their kids from hearing the President of the United States encourage them to do well in school shows a true level of ignorance." — Firefey "As an [sic] 9th grade student, I'd like to say that 1. I'm not sure why everyone is so scared that we'll all be brainwashed by the President ... 2. My school is one that is not allowing us to watch the speech, and quite frankly, I'm pissed." — Willbw Both Presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan both gave speeches aimed specifically at students that were nationally televised. In 1989, Bush delivered a televised anti-drug speech, and Reagan's 1986 commencement speech and Q&A session was "beamed over public television into 171 school districts," according to the L.A. Times. It's worth noting that schools are, encouraged, not required, to air the speech. The Houston Chronicle reports that one Dallas school district is leaving the decision to individual teachers. Susan Dacus, spokeswoman for the Wylie school district, says parents who don't want their children to see it can opt out. In an ironic twist, one Missouri school won't be airing the speech because of a lack of funding. Michelle Baumstark, spokeswoman for Columbia public schools, told the Columbia Daily Tribune, "We don’t have the funding or the equipment to support that type of broadcasting.”

[sdshorty]

This is one critic's thoughts on this

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32673334...use/?GT1=43001

Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer issued a press release Tuesday slamming the plan, saying he is "absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology." He said the event "obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our president's initiatives or be ostracized by their teachers and classmates." "While I support educating our children to respect both the office of the American president and the value of community service, I do not support using our children as tools to spread liberal propaganda," Greer added.

Didn't realize that teaching children about the importance of their education and social awareness was liberal propaganda

[eelo]

Originally Posted by sdshorty This is one critic's thoughts on this http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32673334...use/?GT1=43001 Didn't realize that teaching children about the importance of their education and social awareness was liberal propaganda

Apparently that's only when the words are coming from a Democratic president. Reagan and both Bushes broadcast directly into the schools and I don't remember there ever being any talk of "indoctrination" or any "right-wing agenda."

[BubblesofBeer]

Total indoctrination of socialism, in fact I think it's Obamas uber-secret push to build a young Nazi army. It's horrible, our nation is ****ed

[Viva]

I basically think the republicans are full of crap. Besides, I already indoctrinated my child to the socialist agenda when I taught her how to share...

[TheBryTree]

people on another board I'm on are actually not allowing their children to go to school that day. I didn't have the energy to touch it.

[ashley5]

On Obama's inaugruation day I was in class, and my teacher decided that after we had already all came in and sat down SHE wanted to go watch the inauguration-- and she encouraged all of us to go. I didn't. I don't think that a school, wether it be an elementary school, college, etc. should be subject to students watching it especially if they don't want to.

"What resonated with you from President Obama's speech? What is President Obama inspiring you to do?"

What if they aren't inspired, they're kids. Kids have no business in being swept into this politcal mess. I know that if I had a kid that age, they would NOT be forced to watch that propoganda filled crap.

[ashley5]

Originally Posted by eelo Apparently that's only when the words are coming from a Democratic president. Reagan and both Bushes broadcast directly into the schools and I don't remember there ever being any talk of "indoctrination" or any "right-wing agenda."

I was in school when Bush was indoctored and I never saw anything in my school.

[Loretta]

Originally Posted by vivalacrap I basically think the republicans are full of crap. Besides, I already indoctrinated my child to the socialist agenda when I taught her how to share...

I may have snorted when I read this, but I soooooo agree.

[Loretta]

Ashley, your school may not have shown it then, but mine sure did.