If George Bush had wanted to address all school-aged kids...

I would have been very unhappy. I have to admit, that I would have viewed it as some kind of
manipulative move to get kids believing that this was a likable character. And that would have
bothered me, because I wouldn't want my kids thinking that this man was likable or anything positive.

After all, his Presidency was attached to a lie-based war, torture, illegal wiretaps, etc.

It's so hard to say this because I like Obama. I voted for him and I was a precinct captain for him.

However, I don't think Presidents should have their speeches directed at kids and broadcast into the
classroom. Yes, it's sad. Yes, it's pathetic that this is what our nation has come to. But it is
what it is.

There is too much hate. Too much divisiveness. There is no respect for the Presidency nor our government
any more. Trust is gone and has been replaced by anger, fear, paranoia and divisiveness.

We no longer live in a country where the President can just address a group of people or speak to children--even
about education and the rewards of studying hard.

Our nation is shattered and fractured--driven apart by right-wing hate radio and people who are too scared, upset
or pulled inward--to realize that they're being used and duped.

The corporations are in control now, and they're in bed with our politicians. The only way they continue to get away
with this undemocratic way of governing--is by keeping all of us hating each other, divided and focusing on how we
don't agree---instead of what we do have in common.

They understand very well--united we stand, divided they profit.

We can't even come together as a nation---for the kids. We can't even agree that a President speaking to children about
staying in school--is a good thing. Both sides would find fault with the other side's President doing this.

Yes it's sad, but it's where we are as a nation.

He didn't want them to see he was dumber than they are.

He did read "My Pet Goat' to them though...

;)

when he said: our country is under attack

or whatever the fuck he said at that fla. grade school.

jerk! (not you--*him*)

surrogate

and the fracture is deep. At this point, it is impossible to have a rational conversation with many people.

tshirts on, or stickers on their skateboards!!! and kids are really truthseeking missiles! they sniff out hypocrisy!

He didn't have the kind of vision and ambition to encourage kids to be responsible and stay in school. Asking what I would have felt if he had done that is an exercise in absurdity. He didn't, he wouldn't have.

He could have given a stay-in-school speech.

he was just to damn funny.

NT

Both my boys went to a very conservative Christian school were all they listened to was their school administration constantly praising Bush. If their school had shown videos of Bush's speeches in school (and they very well may have), I'd have no problem with that. Why? Because we taught them to think for themselves. I welcome the President (whoever it is) talking directly to kids. It helps them become somewhat engaged with the world around them and government is a big part of that.

btw, to this day, both of my kids are staunch liberals.

If a year ago, Bush had given a stay-in-school speech televised to schools followed by Nancy Pelosi doing the same, that wouldn't have bothered me.

many small minds are being exposed by this speech

When "liberals" are admitting they are scared to let their children think for themselves, its is a very sad time.

That's exactly why Obama should give the speech. I respect him for it.

I am not a liberal or progressive. I fall somewhere to the right of center and did not vote for Obama. With that being said I am completely baffled why those who I otherwise largely agree with on political issues are so savagely against this speech. I have had this conversation with a couple of my friends who are very conservative and are hell bent on not letting their children see this speech. What is it that they think that President Obama is going to say that is sooooo God awful? I have had this argument with them I think they are NUTS!!! I have 2 kids, both boys. They are in the 1st and 2nd grade. Although I generally disagree with President Obama's political agenda, if he wants to send a message to my kids about the value of staying in school and getting a good education I am all for it. Hell, as far as I'm concerned he can do it once a week if he likes.

As far as the study aids and lesson plans that apparently come with the speech (my friends have a problem with this too) they do not bother me. I guess, and please correct me if I'm wrong, it is in the lesson plan for the kids to discuss what they can do to help President Obama. I want my children to learn how our system works and how to make their voice heard. One way to do that is to learn ways to influence political leaders with whom you agree or how you can help push their agenda. Even if I and my kid (if he was old enough to know) disagreed vehemently with the President, there is an educational benefit in discussing what you could do to help the President, even if you would never actually do it.

There is no shortage of serious and legitimate issues that the right can hammer President Obama on. In choosing this one to make a big deal out of, they really are making themselves look very petty and silly.

a self proclaimed right of center person is making a billion times more sense than some "liberals". I applaud you on this.

We need to change that.

It got swapped out with something that doesn't imply service to Obama in any way.

telling him what they loved about America. I don't remember anyone objecting to that.

This is all just insane. I don't even want to watch the damn speech now.

Thanks for your reasoned post. It's nice to hear some on the other side see this foolishness in the same light we do.

But if I remember correctly, they changed that to the students discussing amongst each other, writing letters, etc., about how they could better further their own educations. That's a much more reasonable thing to put in the plans, in any case.

I've done a bit of work in lesson plans in the past; some totally ridiculous stuff can wind up in the early drafts of the things until someone pulls an "are you insane?!" about one thing or another.

And I wouldn't have had a problem with Bush doing the same thing for pretty much the same reasons you state.

As for divisiveness, there's only one side that thinks "Liberal Hunting Licenses" are an acceptable form of political expression. Many of the leaders of the conservative movement--or at least the ones with the biggest mouths--have espoused any number of violent strategies for dealing with us. We'd like to see them enlightened. They'd like to see us dead, or at least rotting in prison.

If we don't fight back, we show ourselves to be the very same doormats they like to paint us as. Some of us don't care for that set of circumstances at all. At one time I was more "centrist" than I am now, but I was turned away from Republicans and Libertarians because for them the fact that it was a Republican doing what Bush was doing made all the difference. I loathe bad behavior and obvious chicanery from any civil servant of any political persuasion. I also loathe hypocrisy. If the same set of behaviors from one person doesn't bother you coming from another, you might be showing entirely too much bias.

Or so it seems to me.

I am very disheartened by the state of our political landscape. I find it absolutely ridiculous that we can have 100 presumably smart and educated people in the Senate and yet they can't sit down to work toward a solution to a very obvious problem. I'm sure you are much more to the left than I am, however, I can state here and now with the up most confidence that you and I could sit in a room as two reasonable people and work toward a solution to any problem. AND I'M NOT EVEN THAT SMART!!! I'm in sales for crying out loud, how smart can I be.

The level of baseless distrust in Washington combined with an environment in which our political leaders are more concerned with winning the next election than anything else is bringing our country to its proverbial knees.

There is a great line in the movie "The American President" in which Michael Douglas as the President says "I was so busy trying to keep my job...I forgot to do my job" Something like that anyway. I've always loved that line. That line is a perfect description of what is happening today.

That distrust has filtered down to the people now. My friends who are not going to let their kids watch the speech all say they do not trust President Obama. Why? I ask. They don't know, they just do. This is quite frankly stupid. If you are going to distrust someone at least be able to point to something concrete and say here is why....
As I stated before, I disagree with this President on many issues. However, until he shows otherwise I believe that his intentions are honest and that he is doing what he honestly believes is good for the country.

Sorry this is so long. I don't post often. Unlike some other obvious "trolls" that are intent on sowing discord on this board, I only post when I think I have something to positive to add to the discussion. I have enjoyed the DU for a long time now.

but I would never have suggested to my brother and sister-in-law that the kids should be kept home from school nor would I have said they shouldn't watch it.

Both Reagan and George H.W. Bush made speeches to kids and I don't recall any hysteria over that. H.W.'s speech was urging the little angles to stay away from drugs. I suppose he was hoping to succeed with other kids where he had failed with Junior.

I'd fully support EVERY American President giving a Welcome Back message to our schoolchildren, from Pre-K to High School Seniors. Here's where the fork in the road is for me though... I couldn't support that message if the President mentioned ANYTHING currently being debated in the House or Senate, or ANYTHING that could be construed as a campaign issue.

One thing I don't understand about the whole shebang is, how can you talk to kids as young as five years and as old as 18 with one single speech? At five, I'd rather have been fingerpainting than just about anything, and at 18 I'd rather have been smoking a good joint and watching Twilight Zone, Get Smart, Green Acres, Mayberry RFD, or Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. than sitting in a classroom watching or listening anything an adult had to say. I'd give two or three messages to those different age groups.

and getting good grades I would have been fine with it. In fact, I would have been happy that he wanted to do something positive like that.

I would never have objected unless I knew he wanted to recruit the kids into joining the military for his wars or if he talked in support of torture or something along those lines.