Thread: Presidential speech to our children.

Originally Posted by icedog

Yet another thread has run the well beaten path from serious topic to emotional argument about religion.

I wonder if one of the more mathmatically inclined members can come up with the formula to predict how far a given topic can be discussed before the discussion deteriorates into the same predictable pointless opinion shouting competition about religion and/or politics.

If this thread has taken a turn toward pointless, then your post has fallen exactly where it belongs

And for the record, it is a political thread and we are not shouting. It's a civilized discussion that has gone off on a tangent. I'd expect nothing less from a thread that originated with a political theme.

I've apologized to the OP and I'll recommed we get back to the topic at hand.

For those of you who had kids go to school and listen to the speech, how did they receive it?

Originally Posted by Oglethorpe

For those of you who had kids go to school and listen to the speech, how did they receive it?

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

He replied, "What President?"

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

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

He replied, "What President?"

You see that's one of the problems in this country. The populace is getting more and more polarized and there is no consensus to come together to reach agreement. Everyone thinks its my way or the highway and there is no respect for what used to be authority figures.

A Russian scholar predicted that in 30 or so years this country will not exist. It will be broken up into 3 or 4 countries along regional lines.

They way we are going I think he's correct.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

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

He replied, "What President?"

Yep. That's about where it all started down hill...
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Originally Posted by Oglethorpe

...And for the record, it is a political thread and we are not shouting. It's a civilized discussion that has gone off on a tangent. I'd expect nothing less from a thread that originated with a political theme.

Well Mr. Smartypants, you are wrong. For the record, people are shouting and they aren't discussing politics. The thread turned into a religious argument. In fact, you yuourself are embroiled in an argument with Honedright trying to convince each other how people are "created".

Everyone likes a little ass but no one likes a smartass.

Originally Posted by northpaw

I get what you're saying, but wouldn't you agree that there has been a change as of late in terms of what mass-media is providing?

Whether or not people had their own bitter/hateful feelings one way or the other, there wasn't such a constant, high-profile stage for them. Looking at who has the biggest bullhorn, we've gone from Cronkite to Rather and Brokaw to apoplectic nightmares like Limbaugh and Bill-O. There's a qualitative change in the discourse there, at least in the tone, and people have started to believe that this constant sideshow of poo-throwing is what's important.

Admittedly, you've got a longer perspective on it than I do, but I've definitely observed a big change in the tone of what you see when you channel-surf. Do you not see any difference in that regard?

I agree, I remember that the news used to be actual news, where the FACTS of the matter were reported to you. And on Sunday nights there were the opinionated punditry shows.
Now it seems that the actual real news, where reporters do RESEARCH before they repeat it, is long gone. Now there is Faux News, where pundits present their OPINION with no RESEARCH whatsoever, but hide behind a NEWS logo to give it credibility.

All Presidents give an 'opening of the school year' speech to kids, when I was in elementary school in the late 60's, early 70's I remember watching them. Through Junior and Senior High school also.

As it turns out, the speech was not even close to the communist manifesto the Michelle Malkin, and the other FauxNews talking heads warned you about.

The most I can say is, don't trust what you hear, do your own research from reputable sources and then draw your own conclusion.

Peace...

EDIT: My post seems a bit out of place as we are into religion now.
Apparently I came into this post a bit late, and was replying to a post that was still dealing with President Obama's schoolyard speech.

Originally Posted by icedog

Well Mr. Smartypants, you are wrong. For the record, people are shouting and they aren't discussing politics. The thread turned into a religious argument. In fact, you yuourself are embroiled in an argument with Honedright trying to convince each other how people are "created".

Everyone likes a little ass but no one likes a smartass.

Edit. Removed post

Originally Posted by icedog

Well Mr. Smartypants, you are wrong. For the record, people are shouting and they aren't discussing politics. The thread turned into a religious argument. In fact, you yuourself are embroiled in an argument with Honedright trying to convince each other how people are "created".

Everyone likes a little ass but no one likes a smartass.

I had a retort all written out, posted and then figured i'd take it out and cool off and come back later.

Before you arrived there was no namecalling in this thread and if the course of the thread is irritating to you, you could have just gone on to the next one. No one here is being disrespectful. I was asked a religious question and answered honestly. I don't have anything against honedright and I don't think he has anything against me. The fact remains you jumped right in, didn't contribute to the tangent nor the OP, and then called me mister smartypants when I called you out on it.

So allow me to impart my own words of wisdom since you felt obligated to do so: some people are just like parsley -- they have to be in everything.

LOL keep it down with the naughty language boys! This is a family place!

Originally Posted by icedog

Well Mr. Smartypants, you are wrong. For the record, people are shouting and they aren't discussing politics. The thread turned into a religious argument. In fact, you yuourself are embroiled in an argument with Honedright trying to convince each other how people are "created".

Everyone likes a little ass but no one likes a smartass.

Gosh, I didn't realize we were embroiled. I prefer more of a slow poaching instead.

BTW, I have nothing against anyone here. I just like a great conversation regardless of where it leads. In fact, this is really the only place I know where I can talk intelligently with other people (kinda sad really - I'd rather that we could all meet in person at a pub. Impersonal relationships through the internet - but that is a topic for another thread.) And I never shout at anyone.