Thread: Presidential speech to our children.

I swear I saw a pic of Gugi in that vid!

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I swear I saw a pic of Gugi in that vid!

You, my child, are blessed, for you have seen the face of the Lord! From now on I shall call thee my comrade!
Now, give me all your worldly possessions and and follow the party.

Originally Posted by gugi

give me all your worldly possessions and and follow the party.

Take my wife, please, Ill find my own party.
My respects to Henny Youngman.

When I got home yesterday, I asked my son what he thought of the President's speech.

He replied, "What President?"

I wasn't worried about the speech itself, I am worried about the Obama culture infiltrating our schools. Last years during the run up to the election they actually had the kids in elementary school coloring Obama pictures. There was no other picture for the conservative kids to color, they had to color the Obama picture. After his election there were required papers about why this was such a historically great election and about Obamas amazing rise. When this is the way schools address politics it scares me.

Originally Posted by Wildtim

I wasn't worried about the speech itself, I am worried about the Obama culture infiltrating our schools. Last years during the run up to the election they actually had the kids in elementary school coloring Obama pictures. There was no other picture for the conservative kids to color, they had to color the Obama picture. After his election there were required papers about why this was such a historically great election and about Obamas amazing rise. When this is the way schools address politics it scares me.

First, I think it's hilarious that we're calling them "conservative kids". I'd argue that branding your child's political beliefs when they're still using crayons is more worrisome than the image they're coloring.

I don't really remember specifics of my early elementary years but I'm sure I had to color an outline of George Washington. You think I knew anything about Washington's politics? I knew he was the first President and my teacher had me color him in. It's not like it had any affect on my eventual political views.

If American kids received a more solid foundation in the founding history and the basic fundamentals of American government at an early age, maybe they'd be less willing as adults to let knuckle headed politicians screw it up. All Americans should know their American birth right. The earlier they learn it, the better.

Not being American, it is hard for me to make any kind of informed judgement on this whole issue. However, liberal or conservative, this man is the elected President of the United States of America. I would have thought it is natural for that role to address all parts of the Nation, from children through to seniors and every nuance in between.

I am actually genuinely surprised that, in the greatest democracy in the world, a nation that has shaped and forged other nation's views of what modern democracy means, people are upset (to the point of actively censoring their children from hearing it) that their elected President would address children on the issue of personal responsibility and how it applies to them in an educational context.

Propaganda works at many levels - yes, potentially and maybe actively in this case, President Obama could (or has) put a liberal spin on his speech. But even thinking of keeping your kids at home so as not to hear it is exactly the kind of repression you are purporting to despise.

Far better, I think, to teach your children how to think critically, how to dissect and break down an argument, sift through and weigh up what they have heard, and come to their own conclusions. Listen to everything, think about it all, determine their stance. The alternative is that you are eventually going to create the very country you are currently worried America is becoming.

Here endeth the lesson... (sorry for the rant)

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Far better, I think, to teach your children how to think critically, how to dissect and break down an argument, sift through and weigh up what they have heard, and come to their own conclusions. Listen to everything, think about it all, determine their stance.

The parents have to learn to do that before they can teach it to their children.

This may be a bit off topic, but I think we should consider this... In 1991, I was in 4th grade and the president made a speech to all of us while at school. No one stayed home, in fact, we all heard the speech and went on about our day as if nothing had changed.... here is the transcript... George Bush Presidential Library and Museum :: Public Papers ... enjoy, and remember, that was a staunch republican using his powers of persuasion over an impressionable group of millions of future voters... too bad it didn't work, he was out of office within a year ... lol