President webcasts to all the schoolkids....

[CaptainHaplo]

Tuesday, Sept. 8th - the President will be speaking to schoolchildren via webcast.

There have been many rumblings as to the purpose. The White House says its to encourage kids to work hard on their education. The Opposition says its about "indoctrinating" kids.

The Department of Education has made available a guide to teachers on how to use this in the classroom.

I know where I stand on it - but instead of spouting off my views - I encourage everyone with school children in the US to look into this, read what is available, and come to your own conclusion.

Then - discuss it here.

[SteamWake]

I think this got dumped.

[AVGWarhawk]

I think this got dumped.

I think it did as well. However, since you asked...I do not see it as indoctrination. Back in the day when I was a kid and we had paper and pencil....we wrote letters to the current president. Mine was Ford at the time. I got a letter back and his picture signed. Did I feel indoctrinated? Nope! I felt really cool that the president sent me a picture...all be it from an aid as I found out when I got older. But hey, when I was a kid it was darn cool. So, yes, Obama can broadcast himself to my kids. He is not indoctrinating anyone...he is asking them to do well in school. I do believe some of Obama's views are very radical and most have been through his life but I would say that education is education to Obama. That is all that matters at the moment in my kids classroom.

[Aramike]

I think it did as well. However, since you asked...I do not see it as indoctrination. Back in the day when I was a kid and we had paper and pencil....we wrote letters to the current president. Mine was Ford at the time. I got a letter back and his picture signed. Did I feel indoctrinated? Nope! I felt really cool that the president sent me a picture...all be it from an aid as I found out when I got older. But hey, when I was a kid it was darn cool. So, yes, Obama can broadcast himself to my kids. He is not indoctrinating anyone...he is asking them to do well in school. I do believe some of Obama's views are very radical and most have been through his life but I would say that education is education to Obama. That is all that matters at the moment in my kids classroom.Good post!

I too have no problem with this, assuming the administration does it the right way. In other words, encouragethe kids but leave decisive politics out of it.

[August]

Good post!

I too have no problem with this, assuming the administration does it the right way. In other words, encouragethe kids but leave decisive politics out of it.

What do you think the chances are of that? Personal replies to sent letters are one thing but no President that i'm aware of ever has ever tried to unilaterally speak directly to the school children of the entire nation.

[MothBalls]

Personal replies to sent letters are one thing but no President that i'm aware of ever has ever tried to unilaterally speak directly to the school children of the entire nation.

Well then, it's about damn time one of them finally did.

[mookiemookie]

What do you think the chances are of that? Personal replies to sent letters are one thing but no President that i'm aware of ever has ever tried to unilaterally speak directly to the school children of the entire nation.

George H.W. Bush did.

[August]

George H.W. Bush did.

When?

[geetrue]

I think it's funny that parents that don't agree with the present administrations policies are telling their children not to listen.

What an age we live in, uh?

The closes president I can think of that talked to the whole nation was John F Kenendy. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country"

Who could ever forget, unless you were not alive in the 60's that is ... :D

Who could ever forget having to do their JFK's (exercises designed to get the lead out):up:

[mookiemookie]

When?

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/04/us/financing-for-a-bush-speech-is-attacked.html?scp=1&sq=alice%20deal%20and%20bush&st=cse

[Task Force]

First day at school couldnt get anybetter.:shifty: I think ill catch the 24 Hr flu that day...

[MothBalls]

The closes president I can think of that talked to the whole nation was John F Kenendy. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country"

I don't think he was the first to speak to the nation, I think he was the first everyone listened to.

[August]

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/04/us/financing-for-a-bush-speech-is-attacked.html?scp=1&sq=alice%20deal%20and%20bush&st=cse

I stand corrected. I wonder though how much Obamas speech will cost the American taxpayer. Bet it's a lot more then 26 grand...

[mookiemookie]

I stand corrected. I wonder though how much Obamas speech will cost the American taxpayer. Bet it's a lot more then 26 grand...

That's at least a criticism that's valid. The people out there saying a "stay in school, get good grades" speech is somehow akin to a Hitler Youth rally is beyond me.

[AVGWarhawk]

Well then, it's about damn time one of them finally did.

Exactly....Obama is all about education...so is his wife. I will give the dynamic duo that. Most kids will just be estatic to see the President talking to them over the TV. It is not a brainwash session. Their Uncle Bubba handles that over the weekend and a case of beer. The childrens opinions are formed at home. Not over a 10 minute do good in school speech.

[SteamWake]

Exactly....Obama is all about education...so is his wife.

I can see why given their background. :yep:

[AVGWarhawk]

I can see why given their background. :yep:


Giving the devil his due...Obama is bright and his education is very good. Certainly his education got him where he is today...with some help of course. But, he is a good example in that putting your nose to the books can pay off in the end.

[Tchocky]

Won't somebody please think of the children!

[/hysterics]

[AVGWarhawk]

Won't somebody please think of the children!

[/hysterics]

Well they are...they have given them a project to do....pay off the trillion+ dollar debt created over the past few months. :shifty:

[SteamWake]

Giving the devil his due...Obama is bright and his education is very good. Certainly his education got him where he is today...with some help of course. But, he is a good example in that putting your nose to the books can pay off in the end.

I dont know for certain but I believe it was more of his activist background, political manuvering, and Chicago style politics that landed him in the office than his education.

That and the whole 'Bush hate' thing.

[August]

That's at least a criticism that's valid. The people out there saying a "stay in school, get good grades" speech is somehow akin to a Hitler Youth rally is beyond me.

I think it all depends on what he actually says right?

[AVGWarhawk]

I dont know for certain but I believe it was more of his activist background, political manuvering, and Chicago style politics that landed him in the office than his education.

That and the whole 'Bush hate' thing.


I justified my statement with, 'some help of course.' :D:03:

[Kapt Z]

Exactly....Obama is all about education...so is his wife. I will give the dynamic duo that. Most kids will just be estatic to see the President talking to them over the TV. It is not a brainwash session. Their Uncle Bubba handles that over the weekend and a case of beer. The childrens opinions are formed at home. Not over a 10 minute do good in school speech.

Exactamundo!:up:

[AVGWarhawk]

I think it all depends on what he actually says right?

I do not think he will blantantly start goose stepping! :O:

[Onkel Neal]

I think it did as well. However, since you asked...I do not see it as indoctrination. Back in the day when I was a kid and we had paper and pencil....we wrote letters to the current president. Mine was Ford at the time. I got a letter back and his picture signed. Did I feel indoctrinated? Nope! I felt really cool that the president sent me a picture...all be it from an aid as I found out when I got older. But hey, when I was a kid it was darn cool. So, yes, Obama can broadcast himself to my kids. He is not indoctrinating anyone...he is asking them to do well in school. I do believe some of Obama's views are very radical and most have been through his life but I would say that education is education to Obama. That is all that matters at the moment in my kids classroom.


Agreed. Any President is likely to communicate with people, school kids, factory workers, etc. I support the President touching base with kids and encouraging them to study and stay away from drugs and drinking.

Now, if his message is about helping their parents decide on health care, lol, no go. :D

[AVGWarhawk]

Now, if his message is about helping their parents decide on health care, lol, no go. :D


I would think the camera man would even pull the plug if he started spouting off about healthcare to the kids. :har: Kid hears healthcare, thinks doctor and then thinks vaccination shots. Then they leave the room like a bat out of hell. :o

[Tchocky]

Now, if his message is about helping their parents decide on health care, lol, no go. :D

I imagine that he'll say something like "one of the things we're doing at the moment is..."

I doubt he's silly enough to put in a push for the reform plan in the direct way you've mentioned, but I've been wrong before :D

[SteamWake]

Ive heard some little snippets of the broadcast and granted they may well be out of context however they basically call upon 'the peopole' to 'serve and support' the president. :nope:

No dude you work for us I'm afraid. Or at least your supposed to.

Now Im sure someone will compare this to JFK's "Ask not what your country can do for you" speach. But its not the same thing.

At best its a publicity stunt to whip up support from Obama's base.

At worst its about planting seeds into young impressionable minds.

[AVGWarhawk]

Ive heard some little snippets of the broadcast and granted they may well be out of context however they basically call upon 'the peopole' to 'serve and support' the president. :nope:



I heard something to that affect as well but not sure it is true. Whatever the case, yes, that would be in poor form for sure in saying that and hoping all will say, 'all hail Ceasar.' :shifty:

[SteamWake]

All hail !

Obama Mania in the flesh... so to speak

Obama Tatoos

http://vetocorleone.com/2009/08/27/15-awful-obama-tattoos/

[Onkel Neal]

A stunned White House insisted the address, planned for Tuesday, and accompanying suggested lesson plans are meant simply to encourage students to study hard and stay in school.

"Thinking about my kids in school having to listen to that just really upsets me," a suburban Colorado mother, Shanneen Barron, told CNN affiliate KMGH-TV in Denver. "I'm an American. They are Americans, and I don't feel that's OK. I feel very scared to be in this country with our leadership right now."

Man up, Shanneen. It's the President, not the Terminator.

As mookie pointed out, the left went hysterical when Bush 1 did this, now the right is wetting their pants because Obama is going to do it. People, get a grip!

[Tchocky]

Shanneen?!?!

Is that a name?

:D

[Task Force]

hmm... I think I will just sleep through this now... lol

[mookiemookie]

"Thinking about my kids in school having to listen to that just really upsets me"

The thought of the president telling kids to study hard and stay in school upsets her?

[AVGWarhawk]

Man up, Shanneen. It's the President, not the Terminator.



:har: Sometimes I really begin to wonder about people. Some just really get to the edge for really no good reason at all. Obama has a radical approach and radical thoughts but man....he is not going to change the very face of the US in one night let alone 4 years.

[AVGWarhawk]

The thought of the president telling kids to study hard and stay in school upsets her?


It is beyond me Mookie. I do not understand it myself. Granted I'm not a Obama supporter I would have no issue with my kids talking with Obama. Hell, I would sit through it myself just for the fun of it so why not. Some people are just way out there.

[August]

As mookie pointed out, the left went hysterical when Bush 1 did this, now the right is wetting their pants because Obama is going to do it. People, get a grip!

I think it's a sign that the gulf between left and right is widening. It keeps going like this and there will be another Civil war.

[mookiemookie]

I think it's a sign that the gulf between left and right is widening. It keeps going like this and there will be another Civil war.

I think you're right. I can easily see one incident at some townhall or demonstration becoming the catalyst for national riots and violence.

[Tchocky]

Civil war?

I really don't think so. There isn't a substantive differing of ideology. The really heated exchanges don't make any sense. All this Hitler/Nazi/commie stuff is paper-thin. There isn't enough heated difference of logical opinion to cause violence. The logical arguments are quieter, and the kerazy stuff is loud and quasi-violent.

Could be wrong, mind.

[AVGWarhawk]

A Civil War of words perhaps. I do not see it going much more than that.

[August]

I think you're right. I can easily see one incident at some townhall or demonstration becoming the catalyst for national riots and violence.

I don't know if we're at the proverbial straw yet but it's moving in that direction. The rhetoric on both sides is sounding more and more like during the 1850's.

[Safe-Keeper]

The US is strange. Army recruiters on campus, the JROTC doing a military routine with the flag before school performances, a daily pledge of allegiance to the flag and Republic for all school children (Edit: except those who don't want to, of course - don't wanna give the wrong impression here ;) )...

...and it's a regular Presidential address that gets everyone up in arms about "political indoctrination"?

It's a Presidential address, one of many. Far as I recall, several Norwegian PM's have addressed children, and no one has raised an eyebrow so far. It's not as if he's going to make the speech all about how everyone has to vote for him come 2012.

Well they are...they have given them a project to do....pay off the trillion+ dollar debt created over the past few months. :shifty:I remember when I lived in the States. Bush was in command and the nation had no debt. It never rained, either, and there were no tigers. Then Obama came along and invented the Economic Crisis and Poverty and now everything is in shambles.

[SteamWake]

a daily pledge of allegiance to the flag and Republic .

Actually none of them do anymore.

[Task Force]

Actually none of them do anymore.

some of the teachers throw a fit if we dont... but we realy dont care...:yep:

[CaptainHaplo]

Interesting discussion. Now I will chime in with my views, as well as an explanation of them.

Even in its "REVISED" form, I still have some reservations, due tin part to the proposed ADDITIONAL subject matter. Having reviewed the revised "additional material" from the Department of Education, its still concerning to see such material push pre-k to 6th graders to "discuss main ideas from the speech, such as citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty."

I totally agree with personal responsibility - but "citizenship" and "civic duty"? And I thought this was simply about working hard in school?
(Source: http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/prek-6.pdf )
What "Civic Duty" does a 4 or 5 year old have? (Unless he wants to mention how much he - and other administrations of both parties have run the debt so big that the kids are going to have to pay for it... but I doubt that will be mentioned.)

The initial announcement that occured back in August (and I am trying to find a link to it again) stated that the President was also going to discuss some of the "educational reforms" he wants. To the kids? Why? They have no control over it, so bringing the issue to THEM makes no sense - unless they intend to use the kids as a way to assist in making such reforms (whatever they are) more palatable to the adults.

Now - its also rather telling that the initial material wanted children to write letters about what "they could do to help the president". Of course, after the rucus has been raised, that has been removed to "clarify" the intent. Uh-huh. Forgive me for being a little sceptical. I mean - help him do WHAT exactly. Funny that didn't get answered in the clarification. In addition, the documentation for older kids - grades 7-12, asks them to answer questions like "How does President Obama inspire me?". They are supposed to answer and discuss this in class - how many have the cahones to say "he doesn't"? C'mon - the question itself leads one to think that we are supposed to be overcome just because he spoke. The way its done, kids are EXPECTED to make it out like they are swept up by the wonderfulness of the CURRENT president. Sorry, I got an issue with that. He isn't the "dear leader" - and such ideals shouldn't be pushed on kids.

Even taking just that - one could say that the cause for concern is overblown.

So its important to remember the "educational reform" part. Why? Because what isn't getting any media attention is what the President is putting out later in the day.
(Source: http://www.ed.gov/news/events/advisory.html - bottom of the page)

The President will be featured in a 30 minute special on numerous channels at 8PM. The title?

"Get Schooled: You Have the Right"

Notice - yet another RIGHT everyone is supposed to have. This special will be the beginning of an initiative that - you guessed it - focuses on education reform.

Think its coincidence? Again - my scepticism kicks in. Now to be honest, I have agreed with some of the things I have heard from the President on such reform. But without seeing specifics, and they are conspicuous by their absence - along with a number of "inconsistent" statements by OB, I have to say this whole things sits wrong.

[Safe-Keeper]

Very good post, Haplo. Thanks a lot for contributing.

[CaptainHaplo]

Steamwake - the "snippets" your talking about are not related to this. Those snippets - and I have heard the entire thing - is something that has been produced by none other than Oprah through a company she owns and it has been disbursed to some schools for viewing by the students.

In it people make "pledges", like working to save the environment, volunteering more in their community, etc. Some are common sense good things, others raise eyebrows - like "I pledge to serve Barack Obama for the good of society". Of course - at the end - the students get a "I know you have a pledge - whats your pledge? Huh, whats your pledge?" while it fades in a picture of BO.

Now - I find that OVERLY OFFENSIVE and BLATENT INDOCTRINATION, but BO and the administration didn't, to my knowledge, request, approve or condone such a thing. Therefore I don't hold BO in any way responsible. Oprah on the other hand.........

[Seth8530]

Actually none of them do anymore.
Please don't speak unless you know what you speak of. I just so happen to be a senior in high school and i have yet to have a school day in all of my 12 years of public school that has started without our pledge.

[mookiemookie]

Notice - yet another RIGHT everyone is supposed to have. This special will be the beginning of an initiative that - you guessed it - focuses on education reform.

The right to an education is indeed a right we all have. We have a public school system, the UN recognizes it as a human right so much so that it's been written into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

[CastleBravo]

The right to an education is indeed a right we all have.

Then I should have the right to withhold the personal property (money) I contribute to that so called right to education.

[mookiemookie]

Then I should have the right to withhold the personal property (money) I contribute to that so called right to education.

We all reap the benefits of an educated society.

[CaptainHaplo]

Mookie - in the US you currently have an OBLIGATION to education - as your parents are held responsible if you are not in school up to age 16 (or unless you are emancipated).

However, the key here is the "get schooled" initiative is NOT aimed at elementary, middle or high schoolers. It is aimed at those eligible for COLLEGE. The key here is that the reform currently looks to be primarily a push for government sponsored (aka taxpayer funded) free college to everyone. Yet another way to grow governmnt.

I have no issue with BASIC education being both a right and responsibility. ****For the record - any true right comes with its own responsibility****

I do, as many others likely will, have issues of the government finding new programs to use as excuses to take my money. No other person but me has the right to go learn to be a brain surgeon on my dime, unless I choose to pay for it.

[mookiemookie]

I do, as many others likely will, have issues of the government finding new programs to use as excuses to take my money. No other person but me has the right to go learn to be a brain surgeon on my dime, unless I choose to pay for it.

I have no problem with a government subsidized higher education system. The benefits of living in a society of brain surgeons and rocket scientists are a lot greater than living in one of ditch diggers and bus drivers.

More education means better jobs means greater economic output means higher GDP means better economy means higher living standards for all. I think it's a fine investment. I'd much rather they spend our tax dollars on that instead of the military industrial complex.

[Sea Demon]

I have no problem with a government subsidized higher education system. The benefits of living in a society of brain surgeons and rocket scientists are a lot greater than living in one of ditch diggers and bus drivers.

More education means better jobs means greater economic output means higher GDP means better economy means higher living standards for all. I think it's a fine investment. I'd much rather they spend our tax dollars on that instead of the military industrial complex.

Yeah, but you're living in a dream world. Society still needs bus drivers, ditch diggers, and hamburger flippers. Not all of us can be engineers, surgeons, or scientists. Those that have the initiative and drive will do it.

There is no big push currently for "Universal college" right now..nor should there be one. I think we've done quite well in the past without it. That simply can't be disputed. I prefer people with drive, committment, and initiative in college. Not every dope with a pipe dream, and a government subsidized fund. Believe me....we will always produce engineers, doctors, and scientists despite the lack of some type of "universal college" in higher learning. That is, as long as liberals don't disincentivize that as well. Or if they continue to pursue and expand their fantasy dreams of pushing qualified candidates out, to make room for unqualified/non-competitive candidates ala affirmative action programs and such.

One thing I learned when I was in college.......not everyone around me was cut out for college.

[mookiemookie]

I prefer people with drive, committment, and initiative in college.

I don't disagree. I'm not in favor of lowering academic admission standards. If someone's grades or drive keep them out of college, so be it. But ability to pay should not.


...we will always produce engineers, doctors, and scientists despite the lack of some type of "universal college" in higher learning.


How many more would we have with college being affordable to a wider swath of society? And would the increased tax revenues on the overall higher incomes not pay for the investment? :hmmm:

[Sea Demon]

How many more would we have with college being affordable to a wider swath of society? And would the increased tax revenues on the overall higher incomes not pay for the investment? :hmmm:

You're talking about something else entirely. I like the idea of college costs being more affordable. That certainly would have helped me get my initial BS degree, with more sleep. But that's not anything the government, through taxpayers should be making possible.

I don't see everyone who wants to be a surgeon, actually qualified or capable of becoming surgeons. So the answer is a definite no.

Those with the drive, and committment have always proven to find a way. I did. There's plenty of scholarships, private grants, and student loan mechanisms to make it possible. And those who plan ahead actually save money to offset some of the costs. I guess, it's just how you prioritize your life and take responsibility for your own education. Society does not benefit by overloading the University system with every bonehead who has a pipe dream. Space is limited, and I prefer those with drive, ability, and commitment to be in those seats.

And yet we still need ditch diggers, and janitors.

If someone's grades or drive keep them out of college, so be it. But ability to pay should not.Then go to a lower cost community college first and then transfer, take out a loan, apply for scholarships, save up, etc.

If you are committed, you will make it happen. Costs aren't going to stop a driven, responsible, and dedicated person from obtaining a Bachelors degree from an accredited University.

[mookiemookie]

You're talking about something else entirely. I like the idea of college costs being more affordable. That certainly would have helped me get my initial BS degree, with more sleep. But that's not anything the government, through taxpayers should be making possible.

Why not? If it benefits society as a whole, and it pays for itself through higher tax rolls, I'm for it.


I don't see everyone who wants to be a surgeon, actually qualified or capable of becoming surgeons. So the answer is a definite no. If someone doesn't have the chops academically to become a surgeon, they wouldn't. Regardless of your ability to pay, if you flunk out, you flunk out.

Society does not benefit by overloading the University system with every bonehead who has a pipe dream. Space is limited, and I prefer those with drive, ability, and commitment to be in those seats. We're still on a different page here. Making things more affordable only increases the pool of potential students. It doesn't lower academic standards or overload the university system.

[Sea Demon]

Why not? If it benefits society as a whole, and it pays for itself through higher tax rolls, I'm for it.

Because as I said before.....I doubt the benefits you claim to society. Not everyone has the ability to do the work. Higher tax rolls will only put pressure on taxpayers. And shift burden and risk to those who actually pay the taxes. And there are only so many seats. I paid for my own higher education. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for everybody else. I actually think society benefits more by pushing people to take more responsibility for their own outcomes. And that includes education. Not to be weak, fearful, and dependent on the government.

If someone doesn't have the chops academically to become a surgeon, they wouldn't. Regardless of your ability to pay, if you flunk out, you flunk out.Yeah, but then you wasted my tax dollars, where I could have used those dollars for my own education or anything else I may prioritize in my life. Paying for people who are likely to flunk out is not what I want to do. And it's wasteful. Make the people who want a higher education take the risk and use their own mechanism to make their own higher education possible. There are means to do this you know.

Making things more affordable only increases the pool of potential students. It doesn't lower academic standards or overload the university system.Not completely true. Even though making college costs more affordable would be beneficial, my undergraduate alma mater (SJSU) simply cannot admit everyone who applies to it's programs each year. If you are applying situations like affirmative action type/race based/academic hardship cases before qualified, deserving and hardworking candidates, you are indeed lowering the academic environment. Also, you could say the cost factor is a result of supply/demand. Not enough seats for everybody who "wishes" to attend. Nevertheless, those who are driven towards higher education won't let cost stop them. There are ways to do it without the "universal" option you seem to ascribe to. Go to community college, take out a loan or two, save up and plan, earn a scholarship, apply for grants. Those who are qualified and may not have alot of money already know this. And they will get the job done. Society will be fine.

[CaptainHaplo]

I'd much rather they spend our tax dollars on that instead of the military industrial complex.

Well Mookie, thats your right. The key is the word OUR! I would rather our tax money keep this nation free. We see if different. What I think we should be doing is you get to say what your tax dollars do, and I get to do the same. That way, if you want to help educate someone with what the government takes from you - you can. On the other hand, if I don't want my money going to some dope who decides to go to college on the government dime just to keep from getting a real job, I could do that too.

Now, you do have some good points about making college more affordable.
I agree that it should be - and also more able to take in those that truly want to make it happen for themselves. Educated citizens WILL increase the tax base, though I would rather see that so that we have lower taxes vs the government getting more to spend. Regardless, I would propose a different direction with it.

Making education "easy" is not the way to do it. Instead, how about work degrees, where you OJT part of the time. If you do, that time that is spent is creditted to you not only educationally, but you would earn a monetary CREDIT toward the cost of the education. Many college systems use this for some degrees as it is. For example, dental students locally can work at a local dental clinic for the underpriviledged and earn a small amount, as well as get on the job training and education credit. By the time they graduate, they have some real experience that is also worthwhile to them. I understand hairdressers, massage therapists and some auto mechanic "degree" programs use the same principle.

I would remind you that in many ways - the "untouchable system" of healthcare operates the same way - many times you see more internists and residents than you do full doctors. Sure there needs to be the initial groundwork of classroom effort, but doctors have realized that the best learning is done - on the job.

Lets really shake this up and take it to the true economic effect this could have. How many of you worry about an elderly parent or friend? Maybe they have car problems and cannot afford to pay for the repair? Local OJT mechanic shop through the community college could help keep that cost low. How about IT degrees? Small businesses could really keep technology costs low by working with a local OJT trade shop, since the cost would be low, it would be overseen by an experienced teacher, etc etc. The possibilities are endless. About the only field it wouldn't work in - is lawyers. And we have too many of them as it is. :har:

Its true we will always have to have ditch diggers. People to pick apples or grapes or whatever. Nothing wrong with that. The thing to remember is that we should provide a system where they CAN - if they are willing to WORK at it - do more for themself. Therein lies the one thing people fail to remember about the American Dream. You have the right to PURSUE happiness - the right to the OPPORTUNITY to move ahead, but its not going to be given to you.

Subsidizing every person who wants to go to college isn't the answer. Who here has heard the saying - What is free you discount, what costs you, you cherish?

I am going to give a personal example. My ex-wife chooses to sit around at her house all day long. She has a total of 10 people, including herself, living there. Of those, 3 are small children. The rest are teens or adults. For 7 years she has been "going to college" by taking classes online. During that time she has collected welfare, food stamps and other state and federal benefits for herself, her husband, her other children and at times her grandchildren. Not to mention every "educational grant" she could get her hands on. This is a woman who is now around forty - and after 7 years just "graduated" and acquired her 2 year degree. During that entire time frame, she worked less than 1 year total.

What do you think she has done with that degree? Absolutely nothing, unless you count it as work filling out more paperwork to get more "grants" to "continue" her education. And all the while, she whines how its not fair because she is sooooo poor and can't even pay the child support she is supposed to for our son. God forbid anyone expect her to actually get a job though. She is an example of a person who abuses the system. And while it is a personal experience, it is by no means unique.

Ultimately - any higher education reform that uses tax dollars from those of us that work and pay taxes, needs to have some assurance that such funds are not wasted by abusers like the above. The State of North Carolina for example, will pay for you to get a teaching degree. The cost - you sign a contract to work in the State education system for four years afterwards (at an average salary) before you take your degree somewhere else. That kind of thing - an "insurance" that protects the funds it costs, is the kind of thing I could support.

[CastleBravo]

Will parents be allowed in the class room during this presentation? How about folks without chidren, who pay for the education of others? Will they be allowed to see the presentation live?

[CaptainHaplo]

CB - whether parents are invited or allowed to attend is up to the individual school district. The administration or DoE have nothing to do with that decision.

As for access to the speech itself, its transcript is SUPPOSED to be put up on the white house web site today so that adults can have it before the children get it read to them by the teleprompter president.

If I see it up, I will link it.

[GoldenRivet]

That's at least a criticism that's valid. The people out there saying a "stay in school, get good grades" speech is somehow akin to a Hitler Youth rally is beyond me.

my only participation in this thread will be to say this.

Why would Obama send such mixed signals to the nations youth?

Why tell them "stay in school, work hard and get good grades so you can grow up to be successful"?

THEN

turn around and bail out failing big businesses and banks left and right.

i dont really have a problem with a president wanting to address school kids... however i do have a problem with the mixed signals.

you want us to work hard? or do you want us to be on welfare?

make up your mind Mr. President :D

[Platapus]

Here is an E-mail we got from our school system

September 6, 2009
Dear LCPS Parents:
Last week the U. S. Department of Education sent an email to all principals in America advising them that President Obama would make a brief speech to students on Tuesday, September 8, about the importance of achievement, dedication to studies, and staying in school. Speeches with similar themes were given in the past by President Ronald Reagan and by President George H. W. Bush, although not on the first day of school.

Unfortunately the email was not sent to superintendents or other school officials. We issued a memo to LCPS principals to let them know that they were not expected to stop all school activity at noon for everyone to hear the President's speech at the same time. This was important because the chosen time for the live broadcast of the speech is on the first day of school and during the lunch hour for many of our students. Nothing in last week's memo indicated that showing the speech was prohibited. At the time of the memo we had not encountered any public or parental commentary on the speech.

All of that has changed and now a number of parents and others have weighed in with support for or opposition to the President's speech being shown in our schools. This controversy, unfortunately, is occurring throughout our Nation. In order to try to respect the wishes of all parents, we have issued additional guidelines to all principals.

Recognizing the differences that exist between our elementary, middle, and high school students, these guidelines are different for elementary schools than they are for middle and high schools. Our intent is to be sure that students have an opportunity to hear our President speak to them but also respect the wishes of parents who do not want that hearing to occur in school. My hope is that everyone will take advantage of the White House's posting of the speech on Monday to assuage any fears they may have.

We do believe that it is important for our young people to hear from the President of the United States of America, and we also hope that many parents will take advantage of the White House web cast or the posting that will occur on the LCPS website to view the President's speech with their children to reinforce the important messages of working hard in school and sustaining effort as a student.

In any case, please be assured that middle and high school students will be given the opportunity to view or not to view the speech whenever it is shown in their schools. In addition, parents of elementary students will receive at least one day's notice before the President's speech is shared with students and will be told the explicit procedures to follow if they do not wish their children to be part of the viewing.

It is unfortunate that we live in a time when a speech that I believe will serve a good purpose evokes such strong, accusatory responses from those who support and don't support the showing of the President's speech, but that extreme reaction may reflect more the political times in which we live than the importance of encouraging our students, by every means possible, to do their best in school.

We look forward to working with you and your children this year as we attempt to create a Climate for Success for every student. I hope that this controversy will not mar what is traditionally a very successful opening of school in LCPS.

Sincerely,
Dr. Edgar

[Platapus]

Posted on CNN

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/07/obama-speech-to-school-children-you-make-your-own-future/#more-67627

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event

Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.
I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.

Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.

And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.

And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

A bit long winded but hey, he is a politician. :DL Never say in 10 words that can't be said in 100 words. :damn:

About the best I can say about this speech is that it probably won't do any harm. I don't know what good it will do. A kid who does not want to apply themselves in school won't suddenly do so because of a politician's speech.

[CaptainHaplo]

Thanks Platapus.

Honestly, I have no issue here. Sure there are a few snippets on "policy" such as "how are you going to protect the environment" if you too dumb to graduate high school. But then again - he used the same logic with creating jobs. While I as an adult would question how a kid is supposed to do that with small businesses taxed to death, thats not somthing a kid is going to think of, so its a wash and I can see past it.

Overall, a decent speech that might make a few kids work a little harder, even if just for a few days. That's cool by me.

[OneToughHerring]

Sorry but I'm not reading through this thread. Could someone post a link to what Obama said, thank you.

edit. Oh he hasn't spoken yet. D'oh!

[Fish]

:o Is this thread for real?

Wait, it's satire, ....yes? :hmmm:

[AVGWarhawk]

Please don't speak unless you know what you speak of. I just so happen to be a senior in high school and i have yet to have a school day in all of my 12 years of public school that has started without our pledge.


Yes, my girls say the pledge everyday at school. :03:

[Tchocky]

I remember the first time I had to say the pledge in elementary school. It was weird.

[August]

I have no problem with a government subsidized higher education system. The benefits of living in a society of brain surgeons and rocket scientists are a lot greater than living in one of ditch diggers and bus drivers.

Really? Ever see a Brain Surgeon or Rocket Scientist dig a ditch or drive a bus? :)

Seriously, even if every student with the intelligence and drive to be successful could attend college completely free there would never be enough open positions in those fields to employ everyone.

[Onkel Neal]

Thanks Platapus.

Honestly, I have no issue here. Sure there are a few snippets on "policy" such as "how are you going to protect the environment" if you too dumb to graduate high school. But then again - he used the same logic with creating jobs. While I as an adult would question how a kid is supposed to do that with small businesses taxed to death, thats not somthing a kid is going to think of, so its a wash and I can see past it.

Overall, a decent speech that might make a few kids work a little harder, even if just for a few days. That's cool by me.


Agreed. Good speech, I hope it helps some who need it. He's the President, he's entitled to speak to the students in public schools, just like Reagan did.

[SteamWake]

George H.W. Bush did.

Indeed he did but the media and congress's reaction was a little different... to say the least.

Democrats, then the majority party in Congress, not only denounced Bush's speech -- they also ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate its production and later summoned top Bush administration officials to Capitol Hill for an extensive hearing on the issue.

http://video.ap.org/?f=VAAJN&PID=UlPjKnbOh795L2lYRdKghIunOf0Ut9rc

[AVGWarhawk]

Agreed. Good speech, I hope it helps some who need it. He's the President, he's entitled to speak to the students in public schools, just like Reagan did.

I read the speech. It was just fine IMO. Much to do about nothing over the whole thing. Life moves on. :yeah:

[August]

I read the speech. It was just fine IMO. Much to do about nothing over the whole thing. Life moves on. :yeah:

I have to wonder is it nothing because the speech was always harmless or is it that way because they saw the way the wind was blowing and changed it to be harmless?

[antikristuseke]

I have to wonder is it nothing because the speech was always harmless or is it that way because they saw the way the wind was blowing and changed it to be harmless?

I would bet on the first option, while he is a politician, he is not retarded.

[AVGWarhawk]

I have to wonder is it nothing because the speech was always harmless or is it that way because they saw the way the wind was blowing and changed it to be harmless?

Question is, where is the original speech? What was the verbiage? I have not seen anything remotely original showing this was a smoke and mirrors speech. To me it was all made up and or blown completely out of proportion.

[Thomen]

Question is, where is the original speech? What was the verbiage? I have not seen anything remotely original showing this was a smoke and mirrors speech. To me it was all made up and or blown completely out of proportion.

One thing not to forget is, that this actually might be the original speech, and they waited on purpose that long to publish it to make all those that objected or questioned it, look foolish.

[AVGWarhawk]

One thing not to forget is, that this actually might be the original speech, and they waited on purpose that long to publish it to make all those that objected or questioned it, look foolish.


I think it was the original speech. Really, some were saying he would start with the plege of allegience to him. Come on people, get off the rock. It would take a very large set of balls to do that and then press on about healthcare to numerous school kids. Granted a lot do not trust Obama but quite a few claims about this speech boarded on insanity.

[antikristuseke]

I think quite a lot of those fears went way south of insane, rather than boarder on it.

[Task Force]

hmm... I guess they decided not to show it today...

[Thomen]

I think it was the original speech. Really, some were saying he would start with the plege of allegience to him. Come on people, get off the rock. It would take a very large set of balls to do that and then press on about healthcare to numerous school kids. Granted a lot do not trust Obama but quite a few claims about this speech boarded on insanity.

Oh, I agree with you.
Too much ruckus about it. Even my wife found the speech very good once it was released, but at the same questions why wasn't it released earlier to shoot down the objections and questions people brought up. :hmmm:

A card, well played I might say.

But..
What apparently got some parents up in arms was the lesson plan that was published by the DoE and supposed to be used together with the address.

Especially:

...to "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals."
drew a lot of criticism.

However, I think this particular object was changed before the adress was delivered.

[AVGWarhawk]

Oh, I agree with you.
Too much ruckus about it. Even my wife found the speech very good once it was released, but at the same questions why wasn't it released earlier to shoot down the objections and questions people brought up. :hmmm:

A card, well played I might say.


I would not say cards well played or if he was even playing cards. After all it was his vacation. He had larger fish to worry about in the form of his failing healthcare plan. Calming a few lunatics spewing their children will be forced to read Mein Kampf and wear Obama approved school uniforms was not part of Obama's vacation plan. Really, the guy has two kids of his own. He wants them taking on the responsibility of school and being a part. Much to do about nothing when it all came down to it.

[Wolfehunter]

I don't understand the big issue here? What did he say that pissed so many people?

[Thomen]

I don't understand the big issue here? What did he say that pissed so many people?

He didn't say anything to piss people off in the speech. IMO, it was a pretty good speech. Also IMO, the lack of coherant information upfront is was caused all or most of the ruckus and questions.

[AVGWarhawk]

I don't understand the big issue here? What did he say that pissed so many people?

Why nothing! It was a pure case of a mountain made out of a mole hill. Cart before the horse.

[antikristuseke]

He didn't say anything to piss people off in the speech. IMO, it was a pretty good speech. Also IMO, the lack of coherant information upfront is was caused all or most of the ruckus and questions.

Id have to disagree here, what caused all this bull**** was pure unadultered wingnut insanity by people looking for even the smallest straw to grab on to to scream bloody murder at this administration. Sort of similar what some opposing wingnuts did in the last 8 years, but seems to be a lot more energetic and vitriolic. But meh, from as far as I can tell this is jsut the same old **** in US politics.

[Thomen]

Id have to disagree here, what caused all this bull**** was pure unadultered wingnut insanity by people looking for even the smallest straw to grab on to to scream bloody murder at this administration. Sort of similar what some opposing wingnuts did in the last 8 years..

Good point, tho..


but seems to be a lot more energetic and vitriolic.


I m not so sure about that one.. ;)

[antikristuseke]

Yeah, that may only seem that way to me because now I am paying more attention. Hell, I was only 15 when W came to power.

[SteamWake]

Yeah, that may only seem that way to me because now I am paying more attention. Hell, I was only 15 when W came to power.

Well going back to the post I made and got ignored When GHW Bush made an 'infomercial' back then the dems and congress went ape **** and ordered tribunals.

Now... not so much.

That to me is the most glaring part of this whole debacle.

But presidents speaking to school kids? Meh its a bad idea whomever is in power. Besides dont they have more pressing matters at hand?

[Wolfehunter]

I don't think most of the kid care anyhow what he has to say.. :D

I guess this new world order wants children to grow up a bit faster than before....

[AVGWarhawk]

I guess this new world order wants children to grow up a bit faster than before....


I would say this is true but it started long before Obama.

[heartc]

Calming a few lunatics spewing their children will be forced to read Mein Kampf and wear Obama approved school uniforms was not part of Obama's vacation plan.

Call me crazy, but I always viewed the suspiciousness of the American people towards state authority or authority in general as a virtue, not as lunatic. Better to err on the side of distrust than indoctrination.
And thinking a politician might abuse methods of communication to further his agenda is a hell of a lot more plausible than thinking one might concert a terrorist attack on his own soil towards the same goal, for that matter.

[CastleBravo]

Call me crazy, but I always viewed the suspiciousness of the American people towards state authority or authority in general as a virtue, not as lunatic.

Truer words have never been spoken.

[antikristuseke]

Suspiciousness is one thing, this is nothing short of paranoia. There is a bloody difference.

[Skybird]

For a change, a comment from a source that is somewhat unusual here:


The new academic year in the United States, which began on September 8, was marred with a massive verbal attack against President Barack Obama. As usual, the attack was conducted by ultrareactionary radio hosts, who compared Obama to Hitler, Stalin and Mao Zedong, claiming that Obama wanted to infect American schoolchildren with ideas of fascism, socialism and communism. Rush Limbaugh added Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong-il on the list and said that Obama wanted to turn the US youth into Hitler Jugend and Komsomol Organization. Sean Hannity of Fox News called Obama a political pedophile.

All of those remarks were made after Obama’s 20-minute back-to-school speech.

Republican leaders in Florida and Utah urged parents not to let their children go to school on the first day of the new academic year, when the president’s speech was going to be broadcast.

"If you're concerned, keep your kids home for the day,” David Bradley, a Republican and member of the Texas State Board of Education told the USA Today.

Fox TV channel urged its viewers not to let Obama turn US schools into Gulags, Nazi death camps and Chinese concentration camps.

The White House was caught on the hop with such a storm of insanity.
In his speech, Obama urged children to follow their dreams, to respect teachers, to study well and make conclusions from past mistakes. Anything communist there?

“At the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world — and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

“So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?” Obama said.

Does it sound like Mein Kampf?

Obama delivered his speech on September 8 at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. There are 15,000 schools in the United States, where 50 million students study. It is hard to say how many of them were listening to the president’s speech. Each school provided an alternative hour for those students, whose parents did not want them to listen to Obama’s speech.

Obama delivered a brilliant speech, as he normally does. However, when it was time for questions and answers after the speech, he became a totally different person. The president was making long pauses between phrases; one could see that he was taking a great effort to choose words for answers, as if he did not want to say something that he must not say.
A word spoken is past recalling. If Obama had said “Learn, learn and once again learn” then Rush Limbaugh and others would have had a good reason to say that Obama was quoting Lenin to 50 million of American students. Obama said nothing of the kind. All the accusations and comparisons do not make any sense. At all.

http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/10-09-2009/109195-obama_hitler-0


I just picked up by random chance some of the psychotic, foam-mouthed hysteria that answered Obama's speech. The level of ideologically motivated destructiveness is just horrifying. To imagine that such deeply rotten minds may have the power to command military forces and nuclear weapons, if terrifying.

We foreigners can just shake our heads in disbelief - even if we are no Obama fans ourselves. What is being shown in behavior just to dam,age Obama, is nothing else but pure vicousness that accepts even to kill American ideals and values just to destroy Obama.

[heartc]

The level of ideologically motivated destructiveness is just horrifying.

Yeah. Your ilk was very good at it regarding the transatlantic relations during the Bush terms.

We foreigners can just shake our heads in disbelief.

Please speak only for yourself. I told you that once already, Mr. Pompous.

[CaptainHaplo]

Funny - Pravda apparently can't tell time....

The "REACTIONARY" comments were all made BEFORE the speech - not after...

How could these "reactionary" comments advise people to keep their kids out of school for the day of the speech - when the speech was supposedly already given?

Talk about propaganda....

Secondly - it was not just the speech - but the accompanying material from the Department of Education that asked these students to write about what "they could do to help the president". What the article avoids talking about - is how such things were suddenly CHANGED and such wording PULLED only AFTER the PEOPLE PAID ATTENTION!

I don't say that Obama himself was looking to subvert kids, but the possibility existed that some in power were looking to convert as many of the youth as they could using this, and that watchfullness on the part of parents and other adults insured such a thing could not occur.

If this is all just a bunch of wacko's - why did the DoE change the material?

[Platapus]

but the possibility existed that some in power were looking to convert as many of the youth as they could using this,

Convert the kids to what?

How exactly would writing a letter to themselves (in effect a Memo for record) on how they can help the President convert them? If the teacher choose to participate (for it was voluntary) the only people who would see this memo would be the student and the teacher.

How would this "convert" anyone?

I am totally missing what this could convert them from, convert them to, and what would be of concern?

Studying harder at school? Working harder in their studies? What?

Is this one of those concepts I need to wear my tin-foil hat in order to understand?

[August]

If this is all just a bunch of wacko's - why did the DoE change the material?

The 64 thousand dollar question.

[CaptainHaplo]

Platapus,

Convert them to what? Good question. The key here is we may never know - but in all likelyhood things such as policy issues that are near and dear to the left - such as explaining to the kids how important "health care reform" is for their families, or how environmental issues need to take precendence over economic issues every time, or even how proposed "education reform" (which was one thing the administration initially said was a policy point they WOULD discuss) was badly needed. The key here is taking those questions in the context of what the DoE released - having the kids determining "what they could do to help the president".

The fact is, many of the totalitarian leaders of history retained their power base by focusing on the youth as a way to insure future support. We are not talking just elementary kids here. The fact that there were questions in the DoE that suggested "hero worship" toward the president were also greatly disturbing.

Tin foil hat? You can call it what you will. I brought up the question knowing that education reform was going to be pitched to others that very day by this same president, in a way that, on the surface, appears to continue a socialistic path regarding "reform". Given issues such as the "greek temple I won the presidency" speech, the OMG you can't disagree with Obama ever mentality of the press and some liberals, and now an apparent "Isn't he INSPIRING" question from the DoE to our kids, I see a rather unhealthy ego driven administration (or possibly just unrestrained stupidity by followers) and that means that as a parent, and as an adult who always looks at my government with a degree of concern, I see issues that continue to indicate that I MUST keep an eye on, and be suspicious of, every action this government takes.

The more government tries to reach into my pocket, or my home, the more I have the RIGHT and DUTY to watch it, smack its hand and keep it within the boundaries its SUPPOSED to have. Sorry if that whole concept says "tin hat" to you, but there it is.