The Hearts and Minds of Our Youth

There has been significant discussion during the past week about the president broadcasting a speech into the classrooms across the country. This event is scheduled to happen tomorrow, the first day of school for many of our children. That is, unless you live in Texas where they have been back for two weeks. While it is not unusual for a president to go to a classroom to speak to children I am not sure one has done it on such a nationwide scale. What turned this into a national discussion where it should not have been is the approach the president used. His Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, and his minions decided that they would "enhance" this opportunity by providing a "lesson plan" for teachers to use in conjunction with the speech. The lesson plan sought the assistance of these youngsters and smacked of indoctrination rather than the pep talk it was purported to be.

As you might imagine the right wingers, who see Barack Obama as the Anti-Christ or worse, got their panties in a bunch and likened this with Hitler in the 1930's. Schools across the nation are fretting about whether to allow the broadcast and getting parental permission to let the children see it. The result of the uproar was to get the lesson plan pulled and make the speech more of a media event than it ever would have been otherwise. Just what Obama needs, more opportunities for the fawning press to give him free media exposure! The release of the transcript of this speech today is more anticipated than what he will say to the joint session of Congress Wednesday night.

In general I think it is much ado about nothing. Anytime a public figure such as the president speaks to school children about working and studying hard, how they are the future of this country, and instill some sense of responsibility into them should be welcomed. Politics aside, Barack Obama is an icon of hope for those in the minority communities. An example of the possibilities for their future. If an hour of class time will inspire some of these children to break the cycle of poverty and ignorance in their communities I am all for it. Let's face it he has to be a better role model than some tattooed hip-hop star or athlete that lives a "gansta livestyle". It is kind of sad that they don't have parents to serve as role models but maybe they will for their children.

No, I haven't gone over to the dark side, just being pragmatic. I still believe Obama has designs on changing our country for the worse and will point this out every occasion I can. But I believe the demonizing has elevated him to a level of evil that is not reality. He is not the Boogie Man and will not eat your children when they go to sleep! He is a self-absorbed, arrogant, liberal/socialist that thinks giving good teleprompter will line us up like the children behind the Pied Piper. I believe the Health Care reform initiative has illustrated this is not the case. He and his socialist agenda WILL be defeated because this country is not ready to go down his path! Let's not give him more credit than he is due!