We All Should Care

Accept the call for a deeper purpose.

I do not understand how a speech aimed at students encouraging them to stay in school and reminding them of the importance of an education can be construed as an attempt to brainwash them or glorify President Obama. It is not as though they do not hear this countless times throughout their lives and I doubt they will listen any more to the president (no offense) than they do to their parents and teachers that cram it down their throats on a regular basis. Furthermore, Reagan gave a commencement speech and Bush, Sr. an anti-drug speech both targeted at students that was televised in classrooms across the country. Viewing President Obama’s speech is NOT required and many schools are not equipped to view the broadcast (WOW, the lack of funding for schools SHOULD be the controversy). Besides, how many times while you were in school did educators attempt to force you to watch an inaugural, state of the union, or other speech given by a president and you spend that time napping or writing letters (I am not delusional enough to hope you were interested or used to the time to work on homework)?

Jim Greer, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida states:

“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.”

My question to him is, “How is that any different than anything taught in public schools. In most schools, there is no room for discussion or questioning and students are taught to blindly follow and accept, but I digress… Why aren’t our educators (or any of the people bitching about this) intelligent enough to think of having the students discuss the speech afterwards and write letters to the president voicing their opinions on his speech? The SAMPLE lesson plans are SUGGESTIONS nothing more. If you do not like the way something is worded, stop bitching and moaning and write your own lesson plan.

Why Bush Sr.’s and Reagan’s speeches were not tinder for controversy (Although, in all probability, there should have been but my rants and opinions of them and the injudicious war on drugs are best saved for another post.) some speculate is as simple as their being conservative, republicans, and white.

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