Friday, September 4, 2009
Politics / Woods Obama Haters Go Wild Over Presidential Address to Schoolkids
Posted by Jeff Woods on Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 8:30 AM
"I think presidents addressing school children about the importance of education is not a bad thing. But if President Obama tries to hawk his big government ideas, like health care and the like, now that is out of line. I certainly think parents have a right, if they feel a speech like Obama's is going to be out of line, I think they certainly have a right to take their kids out of school."So Devaney comes across as the voice of reason because he admits it's "not a bad thing" when the president of the United States gives a speech on the importance of education. That's how low we've sunk. Update: No Chaser comments. Update II: Democratic Party chair Chip Forrester weighs in: "We cannot afford to be scared by people who have nothing to bring to the table but fear and ignorance."
Comments (84)
Showing 1-50 of 84
"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for me." Barry O.
Not quite Kennedy, is he?
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Ok, I will admit that the "Barry O" quote is not direct. It is extrapolated from the Lesson Plan that accompanies the speech.
But these quotes ARE direct:
"When an opponent declares, ‘I will not come over to your side,’ I calmly say, ‘Your child belongs to us already... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community’" AH, 1938
“Education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.” Josef Stalin, 23 July 1934
“give me just one generation of youth and I'll transform the whole world.” Lenin
"Bring the revolution home. Kill your parents.” Bill Ayers
There are no adults left in the republican party, no one to offer a sane, responsible, intelligent position on things like birthers, deathers, speechers, etc. The republican leadership has been cowered into submission by the hate radio types. Has Billy Bob Corker figured out who is president yet?
"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one."
-- Malcolm Forbes -
This game could go on and on.
Have you guys actually read the Lesson Plan?
Here:
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/prek-6.pdf
"What can I do to help the President? What does the President want me to do? What does he want my teacher, parents, etc to do?"
Students should: “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.”
Notice it also asks: “what can you do to help the president" not, “what can you do to help your country."
This new facet of the Cult of Personality is not earth shattering, nor is it the proverbial "Straw." It is merely another push to love our dear leader. This is simply how the current administration functions. We knew this when we held our noses and cast our ballots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqcPA1ysSbw&feature=player_embedded
Be sure to say your Pledge.
Have you guys actually read the Lesson Plan?
Here:
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/prek-6.pdf
"What can I do to help the President? What does the President want me to do? What does he want my teacher, parents, etc to do?"
Students should: “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.”
Notice it also asks: “what can you do to help the president" not, “what can you do to help your country."
This new facet of the Cult of Personality is not earth shattering, nor is it the proverbial "Straw." It is merely another push to love our dear leader. This is simply how the current administration functions. We knew this when we held our noses and cast our ballots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqcPA1ysSbw&feature=player_embedded
Be sure to say your Pledge.
Sorry for the omission.
Here is the rest of the lesson plan.
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/7-12.pdf
A better question might be what can we do to help you Randal? Because it sounds like you need help pretty bad.
The nurses are nice ladies, Randal. Go with them and everything will be all better.
This is ALMOST funny. Rants against kid talk of "helping our President" and volunteered Hitler quotes from paranoid crypto-fascists who just a year ago were regularly referring to THAT President as "Our Commander in Chief"...
These people may not want to have elections--but we had one.
Dear Randal,,
You're actually worked up about this? You must be extremely pathetic.
That's right Studs - our last commander in chief who during his school speech asked kids to donate a dollar to help school kids in Afghanistan. No politics there. Or Reagan who during his school speech talked about tax cuts and nuclear proliferation. No politics there.
But Randal didn't mind if Dubya and Ron spoke to the schoolkids because they were white guys.
Countdown to Randal explosion in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
Randal, have you read the lesson plan that you put a link to? It doesn't ask "what can I do to help the president?" And even if it did, the speech will say what the president wants them to do is do well in school, what is so wrong with getting kids to think about what they can do to help themselves do well in school?
This hatred and vitriol is really getting scary here. This is the President. OUR President, whether you voted for him or not. He's making a speech to urge kids to be serious about school and achieve.
But there are apparently a great number of people out there who are so viscerally afraid of this man, so illogically threatened by him, that they seize on everything he does and attribute the most evil possible motivations to it. Those people are being egged on, and having their voices amplified, by the President's political enemies. This is sickness, people. This is becoming a deep, violent cultural sickness.
I would encourage everyone in Williamson County (who has any sense left) to contact Dr. Heath, (acting super of the system) and let him know how ridiculous the current policy is. I'll try to get some contact info up soon.
This is not a new thing at all. George H.W. Bush made two televised speeches to students. Reagan made one. George W. Bush asked students to donate money to Afghan children after we went to war.
Look for the education quotes from W. It was an amazing eight years!
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/bushquotes/a/dumbbushquotes.htm
I am not hearing enough cheering for our glorious leader.
Some of you must have missed the Sunday Praise and Worship event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x-wpc2TpoM
Really, I have no dog in this hunt.
I do think that it is curious that the current administration continues to drop the ball on issues as simple as making a speech to America's school children. Does anyone remember any outrage against Bush or Reagan when they addressed our kids? No, because they were clear in their message and stay far from hot topics. Regan didn't address abortion and Bush didn't talk about them "evil" homosexuls.
Go ahead and read the text of Reagan's last speech to the kids.
http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1988/111488c.htm
Except for a bit of "Say No to Drugs" silliness, the discussion was very patriotic and inconsequential. The questions were hard and topical.
I have yet to read the text of the upcoming speech. We will see if Rahm and Co. can reach the same low bar set by Reagan. I have my doubts.
Randal, you say the lesson plan you linked to says "What can I do to help the President?". But I don't see that question anywhere. Maybe I'm overlooking it. Can you point out exactly where it is?
Randal--you have GOT to be kidding me. YOU HAVEN'T EVEN READ THE SPEECH. Your argument is completely void.
Marvin,
Page 2 of the first .pdf.
"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 the students accountable....."
Little steps, simple steps, and down the road we go.
Karl was correct.
http://www.conservativeusa.org/10planksofcommunism.htm
It just takes "10 Little Steps."
are comments like randall's what cause needless hype such as birth certificates and death panels?
Silly Little Jamesela,
I know for a fact that neither you nor any of the other nattering naybobs on this site have read the speech.
How's that? Barry's boys haven't posted the text yet. They are probably running around the Oval Office, red ink in hand, trying to turn this blunder into a easily swept away distraction.
please don't be fooled by randall. click his link and read it.
"Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short‐term and long‐term education goals. Teachers would collect and redistribute these letters at an appropriate later date to enable students to monitor their progress."
Good catch, GL.
Looks like someone got smart and edited the link.
Here is the original text. See page two.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10582301/President-Obama%E2%80%99s-Address-to-Students-Across-America-September-8-2009
Randal is a liar. He somehow thinks that the rest of us are incapable of reading the link and seeing that. Since we know Randal is a liar then we should ignore him and anything else he says. Randal is a liar.
Oh my, Foxy,
Who is the liar now?
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/obamas-back-to-school-message----scribbled-with-some-controversy.html
"In an acknowledgment that the Department of Education provided lesson plans written somewhat inartfully, surrounding the President Obama’s speech to students next Tuesday, the White House today announced that it had rewritten one of the sections in question."
No apology necessary. One would think that in this day and age, our leaders would vet EVERYTHING before they posted it to the never forgetful Internet.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/02/republican-party-florida/republican-party-florida-says-obama-will-indoctrin/
click above to find out about randall and his abuse of an ellipsis.
on another note. sourcewise, i feel that politifact is more reliable than some poor functioning document sharing site.
Randal--have you even read the lesson plans you posted? The phrase "help the president" is no where in the document.
You might want to see a doctor about those delusions.
Randal appears to be correct. The document was indeed changed. Obviously, the Dept. of Education misunderestimated the ability of lunatics to turn the phrase "help the president" - the horror! - into another point for comparisons to Hitler. Well, DOE, we are in a new world now where an attempt to make sure all citizens have access to affordable health care is seen as comparable to genocide.
Jamesela, GL, are you SURE you guys aren't working for the GOP?
Why else would you keep pitching softballs that directly attack the credibility and competence of the current administration?
The Lesson Plan was changed after a groundswell of outrage. The Whitehouse acknowledges this.
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/09/03/politicizing-the-department-of-education/
"On Wednesday evening however, the administration edited part of the pre-k-6 lesson plans after public outcry about enlisting children’s participation in political activities. The original lesson plan asked children to “write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president.” It has since been changed to say “Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals.”"
I got in touch with Williamson County. Although I doubt seriously that they'll change their stance, they were courteous in answering my questions. The crux of their stance is that there will be ample oppurtunity to see the speech on the news, youtube, etc, and that they didn't want to interupt curriculum. They said their decision was not politically motivated, and maybe that could be debated, but at least they were forthright and willing to discuss and justify their position with a statement which I'll post shortly.
Actually Randal, GHW Bush did face some complaints about his using his address to students as a political tool.
Man, I wish Obama would trot out in a Mao suit and offer an autographed copy of the Communist Manifesto to the kid who writes the best essay about why turnips are nutritious and good for the Worker.
Jesus.
I clearly remember watching Reagan's address to schoolkids on CSPAN in 1988; in the Q&A, he even covered the national debt, taxes, and gun control -- at the time controversial topics, all.
It no more turned me into a raving conservative than my repeated viewings of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy turned me gay.
The only parents who have a problem with a sitting President wanting to address schoolkids about education are probably embarrased by or masking over the fact that they've raised kids incapable of rational thought. Quit treating kids like they're a bunch of shrinking violets.
"Man, I wish Obama would trot out in a Mao suit and offer an autographed copy of the Communist Manifesto to the kid who writes the best essay about why turnips are nutritious and good for the Worker."
Close Ashley. I have it on good authority that he will be doing a joint appearance with Fidel Castro. He is also using stimulus money to print out "Che" t-shirts accept they will have Obama's face on them instead of Che. He will be distributing them to all school children in the weeks after the speech.
And for all those who mock ole Conspiracy Buff for my telling the truth about the fake lunar landing, get a load of this:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/conspiracy_theorist_convinces_neil?utm_source=a-section
That's from America's Finest News Source, The Onion.
Put that in your crack pot and smoke it Obamabots!!!!!!!!
I think the most problematic part of this whole thing is the idea that if you don't like the president or something he is doing that you just get to opt out of it. I think that's a troubling message to send to school kids.
There were many things done with my tax dollars, in my name as a U.S. citizen, under G.W. Bush that I did not agree with and I protested where I could, wrote to lawmakers to make my feelings known, etc. But in the end it's part of living in a democratic society - you can't just obey the laws you agree with or follow the rules you like.
These teabaggers, birthers, and other unstable raving lunatics and the talk show hosts who are encouraging them are like children testing their boundaries. They will push and push to see how far they can go and how much they can undermine the credibility and authority of a democratically elected President. Pull your kids out of school because the President of our nation is addressing them? When in history would this ever have been considered a rational thing to do?
Dissent is one thing, disagreeing with your government is completely rational and should be encouraged in a democracy - but things like refusing to deploy overseas in a war because you claim the President isn't American and doesn't have authority to order you to war? Things like standing outside a Presidential speech with a loaded gun and sign about watering the tree of liberty? Saying that you don't want the leader of our country talking to your child in school? It's a public school, run by the freaking government and he's the leader of the government - what's inappropriate about that?
It's all madness, completely crazy and surreal and I just can't fathom why not just citizens but lawmakers and "leaders" of the Republican party think this is an acceptable way to debate issues in this country.
And now Obama is issuing Muslim stamps in an effort to indoctrinate postal users! Stamps honoring murdering MUSLIMS! Unbelievable!
Not that there's anything wrong with being a Muslim, of course. Why, some of my best friends are Muslims...
http://tennessean.com/article/20090904/NEWS02/90904042/Clarksville+mayor+sends+email+urging+protests+over+Muslim+stamps+
"Demoralize the enemy from within by surprise, terror, sabotage, assassination. Stamps are ideal for this purpose." - Adolph Hitler
"One man with a stamp can control 100 without one." - Vladimir Lenin
This hatred scares me too. And like the people who preached the virtues of slavery and segregation, bless their hearts, they believe they are doing God's will. Ohhh it scares me, too.
What ever happened to render unto Caesar...
We are some severely misled Christians if we are not praying for our leaders, Georgie or Barak, and seeking justice and peace on earth, instead of fighting anyone who wants our tax dollars for something we don't support.
The hatred is especially scary considering the ignorance and the shrill level. Decent Republicans (are there any left?) better get this under control before the nuts go ballistic.
I consider my self a good person. But i truly do not like this man, I wish he would just go away. He is going to destroy this country. Why in god's name did he become president. He is literally killing this country before our very eye's.
I consider my self a good person. But i truly do not like this man, I wish he would just go away. He is going to destroy this country. Why in god's name did he become president. He is literally killing this country before our very eye's.
People we should stop this is not about anyone on here this is about our children and as parents should we not be the ones telling our kids to do good in school and help them with school not the president he should be doing some thing great for our country not trying to get our kids to do good in school geeze people that is how we have to help our country we are raising the next generation So it should be up to us to be supporting the children than our president wont have to lets show him we care and start supporting the schools
