[GoUNCA]

I can see people being a little frustrated with the wording of the accompanying lesson plans (as if teachers really follow those). People complained, they changed it. This is really being blown out of proportion. I remember having to watch both Bushes, Clinton and even Alan Jackson singing about twin towers. By far the worst was Alan Jackson.

I think the real bad precedent would be set by keeping kids home. Keeping kids home from a supposed "indoctrination" is really just another form of indoctrination. The worst thing to do to a kid is to try to keep them in some kind of sterile ideological box. A big part of education is teaching people how to make decisions on their own.

"Yes, children, I either do not have confidence in my own ideology, do not have confidence in my ability to rebut questions you may raise, or I do not have confidence in my ability as a parent to teach you how to intake information and decipher it on your own merit."

Phoenix gave some good advice.

[dcbailey]

If I were to keep my son home because of this, it would communicate more about what I think of my son than what I think of Obama.

[Liberty4Life]

Could this get Dem momentum back? Conservatives have really been beating them back lately with all of the health care outrage and they haven't been able to win anything lately. All of the sudden we get a HOF overreaction in a situation where Obama controls the final outcome, republicans will look like morons. I mean, conservatives have been going crazy throwing terms out like "indoctrination" etc. scaring parents and then September 8th comes around and Obama gives a tame speech about staying in school. I think that would be a huge blow. All of your fence sitters are now thinking, boy that was a ridiculous situation. If they're that wrong about this, what else are they overreacting about? That's my theory. It may not have been planned from the beginning this way, but I definitely think at this point conservatives are getting played like a fiddle.

Ehhh, a day after this speech, Obama is giving the joint-sessions-of-Congress pitch on health care. So I don't think this is going to be this grand moment that y'all think it is.

Furthermore, for those saying 'keep the kids home', well, you don't have to in some parts of the country. That's because school won't start until later. In Boston, school starts on the 10th; LA, it's the 9th. New York, too.

Smooth move, Obama.

[scuzdriver]

Maybe I'll stay home from work that day. Oh wait, I have the day off already. Oh well.

[BJWilliams]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResource ... olRemarks/

Link to the president's speech

[Th3rd]

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1986_i_ ... ts_speech/


good article from John Piper about the presidents speech to the kids at school

[matshark]

It smells of Hitler Youth political indoctrination.

I believe you're referencing this...

"He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future." - Hitler

(certainly kids pledging allegiance to Obama and wanting to put in a civil police force that rivals that of the military hold NO similarities WHATSOEVER to the Hitler Youth movement and the Gestapo)

[Liberty4Life]

It smells of Hitler Youth political indoctrination.

I believe you're referencing this...

"He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future." - Hitler

(certainly kids pledging allegiance to Obama and wanting to put in a civil police force that rivals that of the military hold NO similarities WHATSOEVER to the Hitler Youth movement and the Gestapo)

If you had read the speech, which clearly you haven't, you would have seen that there is no pledge of allegiance to Obama.

[LUconn]

I'm not really sure what any of that parenthetical statement had to do with reality. Except maybe the word Obama.

[ALUmnus]

a civil police force that rivals that of the military

Actually, this part has been one of Obama's goals since his campaign started, paraphrased from one of his speeches.

[JeanW]

Have you watched the President's speech? You can watch it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iqsxCWjCvI

I would have no problem whatosever in allowing my child to listen to this sort of speech from a president, regardless of party affiliation. Whether you approve of the man or not, the Office demands respect, and I think that's been forgotten for quite some time.

[Realist]

No, that's where you are completely wrong and why we are in such a mess. The office doesn't' deserve any respect unless it's earned. The people of the US deserve respect from the office.

[flames1971]

My teacher wanted us to see it so we watched it. Funny how I was in Bible class when the Prez gave his speech...

[Liberty4Life]

No, that's where you are completely wrong and why we are in such a mess. The office doesn't' deserve any respect unless it's earned. The people of the US deserve respect from the office.

Don't you "earn" the respect of the office by elected to it?

You do have a good point with your last statement though; I think Obama differs from many other US Presidents in the sense that He is calling on people to serve him, as opposed to him being a servant of the people.

[LUconn]

I think one of those insignificant lesser known presidents, John Fitzgerald something or another, might has secretly thought to himself "I wish these guys would ask not what your country can do for them. They should be asking what you can do for your country."