From various reports I have been reading and hearing, our President's Education Secretary has written a letter to school administrators nationwide asking them to participate in the airing of a speech given by President Obama and directed to all children from K-6th grades. As far as I can tell, the gist of the speech will be aimed at encouraging children to stay in school and pursue education as one of the top priorities in their lives. That sounds fair enough in and of itself. One aspect of the nationwide event concerns me, however.
According to online articles I read from both FOX and CNN, the President is asking teachers to also participate in a lesson plan surrounding the event, part of which would include children writing themselves a letter articulating what they can do to help President Obama. If this is true, does anyone besides me feel as though this is a bit creepy, if not un-American? Is it the job of ANY president - regardless of which party they represent - to attempt to assert this level of influence over young children?
I had the privilege of traveling to Cuba for a church-planting and humanitarian relief trip in 2002. One of the most memorable moments was when we visited the platform in Havana where Fidel Castro delivers his famous propoganda speeches. As I stood behind that pulpit, I was overwhelmed by a sense of awe as I got a firsthand feel for just how many onlookers the area could host. In our hotel rooms, our television choices were either a government-owned sports channel or a government-run news channel with constant political indoctrination. Churches were required by law to register with the government - after which they would be assigned an informant to moniter the religious and political views of the pastors and congregants. This, of course, is what forced the massive underground church movement in which we were participating.
I am not suggesting that our President's attempt to connect with school children on a massive scale is anything approaching the kind of radicalism of Cuba. I only raise the concern to ask: "Where do we draw the line?" Would it have been appropriate for President Bush to send a nationwide message to school children followed by a project related to how those kids could "help the president"? Something tells me that such an effort would have ruffled more than a few feathers. This raises as series of additional questions every lover of the free world should (in my opinion) be asking:
1) Why in the first 264 days of an American Presidency have there been 111 televised speeches, town hall meetings and press conferences - more than most Presidents deliver during an entire term of office?
2) How do we tell the difference between an inspirational, revolutionary leader (such as Martin Luther King, Jr.) and an egomaniacal self-promoter with a Messiah syndrome (such as we see in many world leaders today)?
3) Should freedom-loving Americans consider removing their children from school on the day of the President's speech - not because they disagree with the content of the speech itself, but with the concept of a president using the elementary classroom as a pulpit?
I would be interested in what you think! Are my questions absurd? Is there any real need for concern here? Does this say anything about where America is heading for better or for worse? I'd like to know YOUR thoughts. Nobody's here to fight or condemn, so let's have a friendly discussion...
I am appalled by the conduct of not just Obama and former Bush, but the conduct of the United States Congress. Congress was the house of the people at one time. The indoctrination is part of the plan - to use the bully pulpit of the Presidency to teach kids about global warming and environmental sensitivity. It's about the perpetuation of fear. Obama is just a puppet for the International Banker interests- which love a system of dependency. Dependency always creates debt, and bankers are like parasites that use debt and interest as a means of enslaving the masses. I want a policy of Freedom, Peace and Prosperity for my children. By definition, we now have a system of fascism with the merging of corporations and government into one body.
ReplyDeleteI love my country. I am appalled by my government.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Corinthians 3:17
Thanks for contributing, Constitutional Conservative. Any moderates or liberals wanna chime in? C.C. brings up some powerful issues for discussion... :)
ReplyDeleteThis previous post has absolutely nothing to do with education at all. It is a speech about education. Education. That is it. The only people opposed to this speech are people who are still upset that John McCain isn't our president right now. Apologies if that is offensive, truly.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing. This speech has absolutely nothing to do with politics and as a man who absolutely refuses to argue with people about politics I will argue 'till death about bettering our absolutely horrid educational system after 13 years in a public school and 5 years working for one. President Obama is simply talking to our kids about how important staying in school is, is it not? A better education will help our country immensely by preparing our kids to not make the same financial and social mistakes that we have. The teachers lesson plan for this speech states: "Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short‐term and long‐term education goals.” Find me a liberal agenda with that lesson plan and I'll oppose this as well.
Keeping your kids out of school will not only prove to them that it's okay to oppose authority but severely put these same kids at a disadvantage in being able to articulate their own points of views on important issues like education. Not to mention, do you realize how much money public schools lose when kids don't show up to school? Thousands of dollars. Intentionally putting our schools out of thousands of dollars in protest of a speech about education is cruel.
I also love my country and am not overly pleased with the lack of bi-partisanship within Congress but here is someone finally trying to reach our kids and actually tell them "hey, we do care about you" and others are trying to prevent it which is terribly upsetting.
Jeremy, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Our president is using all classrooms, K-12, to push an educational agenda and to bring awareness to the importance of education. Like you, I have yet to see the speech but if our teachers are applauding his efforts then what is there to worry about? I've seen your parenting skills in action and you're an awesome dad. If there is anything in this speech that you don't particularly care for it would seem to me to open up an awesome opportunity for you to talk to your kids about the importance of education from your point of view.
This might be the speech to finally get us all on the same page on at least one issue and create dialog again between liberals and conservatives. It's been awkward and embarrassing watching our representatives bicker back and forth on issues such as health care reform, bailouts, etc. I hope we don't take education to the same level because our kids deserve better than that.
I appreciate this post for allowing me to voice my opinions openly in a public forum which I rarely do in fear of offending anyone, especially fellow Christians. I truly appreciate you as a friend, Jeremy, and thanks for reading.
Hi Jeremy! I am a bit out of touch with what is happening on the "mainland" but without reading the press reports, I think "what's wrong with this?"
ReplyDeleteI am not really "pro Obama" but why shouldn't the president of the US interact with grade school children. I think that the challenge will be for parents, to work through whatever is said, with their kids.
In my opinion, the worst kind of influence that we have to fear, especially believers, is marketing for the new this or better that that comes at us from all directions. In some ways it is far more powerful than charismatic leaders of the past. Additionally, this is a major crippler of the modern church.
If my kids were in those classrooms, I would jump at the opportunity to work through the ideas presented by President Obama. Maybe even start a study group for the other kids and parents to come over to talk about the issues raised? If we could get our kids, and adults for that matter, interested in what is happening in the government rather than what is on tv or what is the latest gadget, then why not!
Thanks for bringing up the issue. Take care.
Sorry, somehow my name didn't get put up! This is Dennis Reed
ReplyDeleteThanks to those of you who have commented. These are interesting words with valid points and cautions. After reading the letter today in its entirety that was sent from the Obama administration to school principals, I would have to say that although the encouragement to stay in school sounds harmless - or even positive - there are other things that I question. For example, the students are being encouraged to write letters and essays about how the president's words will "inspire" them into the future, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis would be less problematic for me if it were aimed at a high school level - but I'm not sure I like my elementary kids being forced to write about why a sitting president inspires them (no matter what party they are from). That seems to edge away from education into idolization - if not indoctrination. Call me irrational, but these are definitely tactics more similar to 3rd world dictators than American tradition. We have had television capability in the classroom for 50-plus years, and no president has ever advanced an effort like this. That fact alone doesn't mean it is wrong, but I question the appropriateness of it for impressionable elementary kids. It automatically paints the president in a favorable light.
Without a doubt, in the future it will be appropriate to ask students to write reports on Obama as our first black president, etc. - much the way we do with other historic or significant presidents (i.e. Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy, etc.). But these projects are guided by parent involvement, etc. I do not want to punish my kids' school financially, so if I decide not to allow my kids to participate in the project, I will probably have them begin the day so the school will get credit for their attendance and then pull them out for a day of family fun... However, at this point I have not decided if I will take any action at all. Keep the comments coming. I hope we can learn from each other...
By the way, Ryan - I really appreciate your compliments and words of encouragement. Thanks for being a friend who I can disagree with on a few things without being disagreeable. You are awesome bro! And thanks also to Dennis for contributing - you had some equally great things to say :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jeremy,
ReplyDeleteOne thing to note, a great thing about the US as opposed to the 3rd world countries that you mention, is that the kids can be inspired to disagree without threat! Theoretically, your son or daughter could write in opposition and explain why and be applauded. In countries, like the one you mentioned earlier, people would be killed for doing that. To bad it isn't for high schoolers too...
Take care,
Dennis
Aloha Jeremy, Thank you for posting this blog. I've read all the comments with enthusiasim and feel like the solution for me is to BE in the classroom during the broadcast then excuse my child from the rest of the schoolday so we can have family dialog about the content of the broadcast. I'd love to see all parents do the same and then we could even "meet at the flagpole" for a group prayer afterwards!!! Have a blessed day, Carla
ReplyDeleteJeremy, this is the first time I've taken the opportuity to visit your blogsite, and I appreciate you bringing up these tough questions.
ReplyDeleteThis issue in particular is a hard one for me. I certainly appreciate anyone who encourages our children to stay in school and who wants to inspire them to become a productive member of our country, but I agree that it seems a little weird for the President to assume that role. I think a better use of his time is to encourage parents to assume their role as parents.
I don't appreciate ANY president handing out his ideology to children. Young impressionable minds, particularly elementary age children, see the President as a god in a sense. They probably do not have the capacity to distinguish between encouragement and manipulation. While I found nothing objectionable in the speech itself, one could read both into it. After all, manipulation is usually designed not to be recognized for what it is.
I think that is one good reason we do not have the tradition of presidents giving speeches to children. The president's job is to lead the country, and he should do it in the proper context.
I loved the comments and appreciate our differences of opinion on this matter-thanks for the forum.
Blessings, Sandy Lord