I veer off-topic, for a mere moment here -- as over the past week and half, I have watched with bemused puzzlement (and more-honestly, a fair helping of disgust) as the very-same people who applauded Bush 41's address to the nation's schoolchildren 18 years ago (and President Reagan's, of 24 years ago, now) -- chose to vilify our 44th President, for his announced intention to renew the tradition of an "opening day" address to the nation's students.
Many declared, preposterously of course, that he would indoctrinate our children with "socialist" thinking, and/or try to brainwash them. Many threatened to keep their children home for the day. I bet each of them feels foolish, now -- I mean, at least I hope they've received enough of an education, in their lives, to self-correct, and send their kids tomorrow, now.
Well, if that -- socialist-thinking -- is what this (below) be (full text here) -- then, serve my children a second helping, please -- Mr. President (FULL VIDEO LINK @ NY Times):
. . . .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. . . .
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. . . .
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. . . .
Indeed -- welcome back to learning! Your childrens' minds hold our future prosperity, our future leadership, and our place in history -- in the balance.
8 comments:
Certainly the text of the speech as it now stands is a great message. Did it start that way? Why were the classroom materials removed?
Bemused? Disgusted? What then is your position about the avowed communist, Jones, who quietly ended his career in the White House this weekend? How did he get there? Why? What about the other advisors who have spurious ties to the Weather Underground or who are not vetted in public? These advisors don't seem to be accountable to the public, have not gone through regular channels to be in an advisory position, their salaries are private - these realities are concerning.
What about the Nobama supporters who created the video admittedly pledging many good things and troublingly,a few very puzzling ones? 'I pledge to the funk of funkadelica' and 'I pledge to Barack (kiss) Obama (kiss)' are just plain out in left field and were not attractive. These things along with a host of others are concerning to regular citizens who grew up knowing that the people you hang around with are the ones you agree with.
The President's very left leanings in a country that is more right than left are concerning so be puzzled or make a smart retort. The finger wagging lecture does not work, (nor does the man charading in an MD's white coat. It is a flop.) Just know that if he is straight up people know it and if he is not, they recognize that too.
It's a strawman argument to ignore that the primary objection was not the speech as much as the accompanying teacher curriculums issued by the U.S. government Dept of Education, with assignments leading children to veritably pledge allegance to the President. By the way, it's against Federal Law for the federal government to direct any curriculum or program instruction in public schools.
Well stated. To use the argument 'the other presidents did it so it must be OK', is akin to "Johnny gets to stay out late, so why can't I?". Is it not arrogance to chastise parents for watching out for their own children's education?
Well, there's a whole slurry-slew of words here -- but I am not sure whether the presumably-single anonymous commenter believes much of what s/he wrote, as the paragraphs are infused with so many dead-lifts from Rush Limbaugh's programming.
But to be fair, and to continue rather than stifle thoughtful debate, let me take the poster at his/her word, and assume the views are genuinely-held.
Let me first say that Jones was a Red Herring.
Let me next say that the mention of the Weather Underground would suggest that the poster doesn't read very widely -- as this myth was debunked during the last electoral cycle. It turns out that the Republicans also take Ayers' money -- but it was no issue until Obama was known to have befriended the son, over two decades ago.
The son raised money for Obama. So what? IF we look at the list of felons that supported Bush43/Cheney, or Bush41, or Reagan -- it would be several feet in length. But all of these are meant to drive us away from the actual topic.
The topic is education. If the poster will point me to the letter to the editor s/he wrote on the occasion of Reagan's speech, or Bush41's, I'll reconsider. Until s/he does -- I will assume this is silly partisanship, clouding logical thinking.
I saw members of the KKK made a YouTube supporting Bush/Cheney, should I judge those two -- simply because someone supports them, with whom I disagree?
That is all the second paragraph (first comment) offers. It is devoid of any merit, as logical rhetoric goes.
The white coat image is from a satire -- prepared by St. Olaf's college -- do try to keep up.
The whole supposed-pledge-to Barack is nonsense -- made up by a right-wing pundit. It is the stuff of hob-gobblins. Fairy tales. No one asked the school-children to pledge to Obama. You need to read before you write, friend.
Now about this: "By the way, it's against Federal Law for the federal government to direct any curriculum or program instruction in public schools. . . ."
You are wrong -- but it matters not, for I am sure (if we are to assume you really believe that quoted statement) you did NOT protest the "No Child Left Behind" Act.
Yep -- that was a federal law. Yep it set standards; and yep it was ruled constitutional.
So, Either the Supremes were wrong, and you are now right -- or this is simple hyperbole. I'd bet on the latter.
If keeping ones' children OUT of school is looking after their education, then we really must have very little to talk about -- I think kids need -- in the main -- to be IN school to get a good education.
I am chastising the parents for letting their baseless fears overcome their better eyes.
I resist the notion that it was racial prejudice, but I do not rule it out. There was simply NO EVIDENCE that President Obama was ever going to utter a socialist word, during his address.
In fact, it reflects themes both Reagan and Bush 41 made stabs at -- in theirs -- but handled less ably that our 44th President.
By the way, any argument that he cannot lawfully make this speech is about as solid as those arguments Wesley Snipes made (in a feloniouly-failed attempt to avoid paying taxes) -- that is, there is simply no legitimate room to suggest that the President may not address the nation's students.
No student may be required to listen -- that is the students' first amendment right -- but it is silly to suggest "it's not okay" -- from a legal point of view.
Wow. This is longer than I intended to go on about it.
Back on topic in the morning.
Namaste, just the same.
Yes! Down with Socialist thinking!
No more government forcing our children to go to free public schools!
No more public universities!
No more of Bush's $700 Billion bailouts!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/24/bush.bailout/index.html
Down with freedom of speech!
Down with the First Amendment!
We'll drive underground and destroy anyone who says anything we don't like!
Salmon
Your proposal to be fair is appreciated.
I am poster #1 . I believe you miss my point. Jones isnot a red herring but a serious concern. I first read about him in Time and was intrigued because of an interest in a similar project. I followed him myself, because of this interest and became increasingly dismayed because of comments made here and there by him. His comments related to his comfort with communism and other thoughts I could not relate to separated my interest from him entirely. When he was brought into the White House with great excitment by the President's men (and ladies), I was more concerned. If you do not find communism objectionable, you will not relate to my concern. If you believe that black people are being poisoned by their government as he does, you will not relate. If you believe that capitalism is completely wrong, (admittedly it is not perfect) we will digress even more.
The poster does read. Perhaps you have heard of Jeff Jones? The New York chair of the Apollo Alliance — the people who designed the stimulus package? Before deciding I am off base, Jones co-founded the Weather Underground with Bill Ayers. The Weather Underground, our nation's first terrorist organiation committed horrible acts then and since, their principals have written books and taught at Universities where their philosophies apparently have not changed. Do try to keep up.
The government is filled with arrogance and both parties have behaved below the line. None of them should be supporting or associating with felons. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
So, my point which you miss is this: Our President professed to surround himself with good guys (remember that speech) but his actions speak louder than his words. He launched his campaign at Williams Ayer's house.
Of the day he bombed the Pentagon, Professor Ayers wrote in his memoir, quote: Everything was absolutely ideal. The sky was blue. The birds were singing and the bastards were finally going to get what was coming to them, end quote. When reflecting on whether or not he would use bombs against the U.S. in future, a senior university scholar, Williams Ayers writes, quote: I can't imagine entirely dismissing the possibility.
Don't be so quick to give a pass to the people with whom Obama surrounds himself. I would similarly accuse you of being silly for not taking these dangerous philosophies seriously.
Being in medicine, I respect the time and effort it takes to wear a white coat, and do not give a pass either to the unexperienced students at St. Olaf's who apparently are not in medical school or they too would be offended at the image.
The previous President's comments to school children were not accompanied by handouts that pledged allegiance to the President. The pledge to Barack-- - read the material. Oh, I forgot, the White House took it down.
I agree, children should be in school and as previously commented, the speech as it was delivered was appropriate.
The White House however might consider the groundswell of citiens who agree with me that their right to control what their children are exposed to is their decision and not yours, mine or the White Houses'.
The Federal Law comment is not mine, the other poster can defend his own writing.
I too have gone on too long except to point out that Salmon is completely tired and tiring.
On a more serious note.
Having now seen the video specific aspects are indeed troubling. However I do not see where the President or the Education Department promoted it.
I personally have concerns about the present administration as I did about the Bush administration.
Do you recall that Bush after being elected but before taking office joked about not minding dictatorships so long as he was the dictator.
There are problems and dangers on both the right and left and my previous comments while trying to infuse a little levity actually reflect my concerns not only with the previous administration but with the present administration as well.
Dangers to the Constitution, the First Amendment and Freedom of Speech under the Bush administration are well documented however it is clear that the there are new dangers under the Obama Administration. (I got what I want now I need to shut down any potential opposition.) Just take a look at what has come out of the Democratic Senate on protection of government whistleblowers and particularly national security whistleblowers. The National Whistleblower Center Blog has a chilling analysis and much of this is coming at the direction of the White House.
As far as I'm concerned we can never trust either side and when the Democrats go too far (as the Republicans did) and they will then hopefully we will have a swing the other way. Of course as with any swing there are many who will try to take advantage of it and push it for all its worth and try to call in chits.
Our system of government has been set up in this manner from the beginning and our job as citizens is to be eternally vigilent no matter who is in office. As to what they are trying to sell us, I've learned there's almost always a hidden agenda and I do not trust the potential hidden agenda behind health care reform, and I question whether we will simply substitute one devil for another.
The things in the video that are repugnant to me are just as repugnant as things I see from some right wing quarters.
Each side appeals to and uses certain factions of their parties that of course will antagonize the other party and even some in their own party. People of course are typically willing to look the other way on the excesses of their own party or religious leaders, etc.. The question is when is it really something to be concerned about. Consequently we must always be watchful and wary and I thank you for bringing this video to my attention. So far I am not so concerned about Obama's leftist credentials or even about the idea of socialism in America so much as I am about using things to push a hidden agenda that will actually harm the very people who they claim things will help.
Socialism, Communism, Capitalism all have good and bad points and can be abused. On balance I believe Communism is unworkable as is pure laissez faire Capitalism. I believe aspects of Socialism is good to a degree and with all the options we are simply arguing over the degree (coops being supported by both Republicans and Democrats are simply a different version of socialism) and also how to prevent abuses.
Salmon
Wow....totally enjoyed reading this debate!
Salmon and Condor, thank you for your thorough responses.
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