Today the President of the United States is going to address our school children. This speech he is about to give has had Republicans and uninformed people yelling communism and other ugly things about this speech.
The theme of his speech is work hard in school and try to learn all you can. This is your job. Oh my goodness, How dare a black man say those words to my kid......and that is the real problem we are having with his speech! Well, people GET OVER IT! We elected him as out President. It is done!
I think this whole hoop la is just ridiculous! Years ago Regan addressed the school kids and it was televised, even Bush addressed the school kids while he was President and I do not remember it being a big deal of opposition or it being controversial. I do not remember parents having to sign permission slips so their kids could watch him speak. Do you remember poor Nancy Regan doing all of those adds on TV and even going on a TV show, 'Different Strokes,
' and saying 'Just say NO to drugs!' She was laughed at but no one tried to boycot her.
Well, President Obama posted his school speech yesterday for anyone who cared to could read it. I doubt if many parents who have been screaming have bothered to read it. But that is shame on them. There was also a ‘Help’ list to the teachers giving them ideas how to involve the kids in class room participation while listening to the speech. I think President Obama and his staff has gone the extra mile on this presentation. I really think Obama cares.
I listened this morning to the speech he gave to the High School age kids at Wakefield High School in Arlington. I could tell the School kids were impressed. They asked typical questions that one would expect from kids that age but you could tell they had put some thought into what they were going to ask and you could also tell Obama had no idea what the question was going to be. When I was in High School it would have been a very BIG deal for a President to come to my High School or even give a televised speech to us students….Which is amazing considering the President at that time was Nixon and then Ford….
Sister Patsy said she did not think it would make any kind of impact on the school kids. I think it might. I hope it does. Just think, if it affected only one kid in every school we are talking about thousands and thousands of kids this might help, even just a little.
I certainly remember President Kennedy’s inaugural speech stating, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” Now that was in 61 and I was only 7 years old but I remember Daddy listening to that speech and when I was just a little older, but still in grade school, I felt the President was addressing those words to me. My senior year that was our class Motto and I even remember that.
To be a little Martha Stewart on you, I think, ‘This is a good thing.’ I hope all schools broadcast Obama’s speech.
