Today it was announced that on Tuesday, September 8, President Obama will deliver a welcome back to school speech directed toward students from kindergarten to the twelfth grade. This speech is supposed to encourage children to set goals, to work hard, and to stay in school. This is a great thing, right? Here we are, encouraging children, building them up, filling them with confidence, and telling them to take advantage of all of their educational opportunities. Education is important and we need a bright, intelligent workforce for the future, right?
Well, not everyone is so happy with the president's planned speech. Naturally, several members and sects of the right wing party are going absolutely crazy! There is mass panic among the right wing, and you'd think that Armageddon was upon us. Some school districts in six states (Texas, Illinois, Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Minnesota) are already refusing to air the president's speech. Parents are threatening to pull their children out of school that day if their school has the audacity to air the speech. Why? Some are saying that the president shouldn't use government time and money to take away time and money from state schools by giving a "politically motivated" speech. After all we have wars, an economic crisis, and health care reform to think about! Others are afraid that this will be an indoctrination and that the president will use this as a platform to impose his "socialist" ideas upon the poor, unsuspecting children of the country.
Naturally, this is all completely nuts. And the right wingers should be reminded that Obama is not the first president to give a speech directed toward children. In 1991, George H. W. Bush gave a speech that encouraged children to study hard and to get a great education, especially in science and math. In 2001, George W. Bush gave a speech and encouraged children in the United States to each donate $1 for a charity to help needy children in Afghanistan. And let us not forget that almost every president, especially saint Reagan, warned children about the dangers of drugs.
Throughout the years, decades, and probably centuries, almost every president or world leader has spoken to children about the importance of education. But for whatever reason when President Obama is set to give this kind of speech, people are up in arms and think it is part of some grand conspiracy to take over the minds of the children. It's just silly. You would think that any parent—or any sound minded, clear thinking individual for that matter—would put a high price and value on education. And, let me remind you, part of a good education is learning critical thinking skills. And the most important part of critical thinking is learning to listen to both sides of an argument or story before forming an opinion. People might not like the president, but what is the harm in first listening to what he has to say. If he tells children to do their homework, who is harmed? If children learn from him that they can grow up to be anything they want, including president, what is the harm in that?
Current mood: annoyed with the Wingnuts
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Jewel "Again and Again"
Current drink: water...yes, water
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