I spent way too much time yesterday watching cable news. I heard that parents were right to keep their kids from watching Obama's speech because the president is too charismatic. For which the anchor replied, "Really? It would have been ok to watch if he wasn't as charismatic?" Yes, the guest replied, because in the future Obama may ask them to support something against their parents' wishes and children (with no critical thinking skills) will blindly follow Obama.
I can think of a group with no critical thinking skills, but it's not children.
The best part of the day? Dr. Nancy Snyderman on MSNBC. She had a guest who opposed the president's speech because he asked students to set goals and work to achieve them. Snyderman asked, "What's wrong with setting goals?" It's unconstitutional was the reply. Dr. Nancy cut him off and never came back to him. I was cheering from the couch.
Our school is sending home slips to send back if parents don't want their child to watch it. It will include the full text of the speech so that parents know what their children will be seeing. Then it will be shown on Friday. I am very seriously wondering how many will send slips back saying they don't want their child to watch it!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but aren't these the same folks that want creationism taught instead of evolution? And aren't these the same folks that think nothing of parading around a truck with a graphic depiction of an aborted fetus on it so that their children can see what the liberals are all about?
ReplyDeleteAnd Obama is poison? When in our past have we ever, EVER had a discussion about censoring the president of the United States when it comes to him addressing anyone, let alone children? Or are their children not allowed to hear views that may oppose the authoritarian diatribes with which they're brainwashed at home? I am so appalled that this is even an issue.
Here is clue as to why this might have been an issue for some people. This is a quote from the CNN website: "Some of the controversy surrounding Obama's speech stems from a proposed lesson plan created by the Education Department to accompany the address. ...[T]he plan recommended that students draft letters to themselves discussing "what they can do to help the president."
ReplyDeleteThe letters "would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals,"
Now, can you honestly say that if Bush would have asked kids to be held accountable for helping him (invade Iraq, torture prisoners, enact No Child Left Behind) that some Dems wouldn't have been upset?
Granted, the uproar seemed ridiculous once the speech aired, but I don't think it is fair for the White House to propose something wacky, then change it and call people wacko's (or loonies) for getting upset at the original plan.