Obama’s Speech: The Aftermath
Cidu Bill on Sep 8th 2009
So… Was anybody’s kid exposed to Obama’s speech today and come home a gay, socialist Kenyan? My son’s school, which originally offered concerned parents the option of sparing their children from having to listen to the speech, changed their minds and banned the speech altogether.
Today’s civics lesson, kids: School policy should be set based on the fear of upsetting a vocal minority, even if that minority doesn’t even offer a rational explanation of their concerns.
Filed in Barack Obama, Bill Bickel | 50 responses so far
JohnD Sep 8th 2009 at 10:44 pm 1
Here’s another Example:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/09/08/2009-09-08_yale_criticized_for_nixing_muslim_cartoons_in_book.html
David N Sep 8th 2009 at 10:52 pm 2
First we had the “Truthers”, the nutjobs who blamed the government for 9/11 and who knows what else that had already happened. Now we have the “Untruthers”, who blame the government for all kinds of crazy stuff that hasn’t happened yet.
Mike Huckabee actually had something very intelligent to say in his morning radio show about it. One of his points was that Obama is President Obama, and people should start dealing with that fact.
cydu Sep 9th 2009 at 03:02 am 3
Fortunately, Obama has the sense to expel the “truthers” from his administration.
Not sure about the gay socialist Kenyans.
furrykef Sep 9th 2009 at 06:17 am 4
You gotta wonder what kind of country we’re living in when schools ban an ordinary speech made by the leader of said country.
Powers Sep 9th 2009 at 06:50 am 5
If you’d rather have Billy Graham give a speech to schoolchildren than Barack Obama, you *just might be* a Republican!
sally Sep 9th 2009 at 07:02 am 6
@David N: I don’t agree with Mike Huckabee’s politics in any way, shape, or form - but he’s been a voice of reason on the right regarding Obama more than once. I very much admire his ability to keep cool and treat his political opponents with respect.
As for schools banning the speech, disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. We’re treating the President of the United States like he is a danger to our children? I don’t recall this happening when George H.W. Bush spoke to schoolchildren 18 years ago, despite some grumblings from Democrats. Ridiculous.
yellojkt Sep 9th 2009 at 08:11 am 7
Where I live it was left up to the principals. Neither of the schools my wife works at showed it. Kind of a shame.
Rammy M Sep 9th 2009 at 08:39 am 8
It’s stupid, and in a bad way. (GRRRR!!!!!!)
This is no way for leaders (ie school principals, mostly) to behave.
If they were really afraid of Obama’s speech, they should have made sure kids saw it so they (the teachers) can give a rebuttal to his subtle brainwashing techniques.
I can only hope a lot of those kids are internet savvy (and curious) enough to check it out for themselves, and wonder why their parents are so against it.
Sometimes I am not proud of this country, all because of these extremist wackos, and the lack of action taken against them (and I don’t mean shooting, y’all)
R
Bill Hinds Sep 9th 2009 at 08:51 am 9
This has got to be the silliest controversy in years. It was silly to have the speech. It was silly to protest the speech. The truth is, school kids are not likely to pay attention to anything that isn’t texted to them.
bigdogrocks Sep 9th 2009 at 09:03 am 10
Our kids’ schools didn’t show it, but it might have been because it was the 1st day of class. So, we watched it with them last night on the internet. Some good discussion points with our young ones…try hard, respect your teachers, respect yourself. Yep…sounds like indoctrination to me.
padraig Sep 9th 2009 at 09:38 am 11
Find your kid a new school.
Fried Sep 9th 2009 at 09:40 am 12
Yes it was/is silly, but to be fair the earliest outlines did not have the same message. It was modified after the initial backlash. Also, the same controversy existed everytime a Prez has addressed students in the past (Reagan, Bush, etc.). It dosn’t matter which party is in power, the other side is ALWAYS concerned about the tone/message and motivation of such speeches.
it should be an annual event…the Prez addresses students…
Good speech Mr. President.
HM Sep 9th 2009 at 09:52 am 13
My (5th grade) daughter watched it at school and came home with a first day homework assignment to write out goals for herself for the day, the week, the school-year and the future. I asked her what the president said and was impressed not just with his message, but that she remembered what he said and was able to articulate it to me. And she was really impressed that the President cared enough to make a speech to all the school kids and felt they were an important audience.
I agree with Fried, no matter who the Prez is, they should address the students every year, the message is a lot bigger than whatever the words of the speech are.
Morris Keesan Sep 9th 2009 at 10:01 am 14
School here doesn’t start until tomorrow (first Thursday after Labor Day, just like every other year), so we’ve been spared the whole controversy. Frankly, I’m surprised that Obama’s people scheduled the speech so early, instead of waiting until all schools had started.
Another Josh Sep 9th 2009 at 10:18 am 15
Fried
The only thing that was changed from the early outlines to what was eventually released was a line in the supplemental material for teachers that gave them ideas of how to expand on the speech in an educational environment. The original release had a suggestion to have students “write a letter to themselves on how they could help the President achieve his goals.” While the goals in the statement could be taken to mean the educational goals the president talked about in the speech, many took it to mean a wider set of political goals. This poorly worded (as all admit) statement was changed to encourage students to write a letter to themselves regarding their own goals. And, as supplemental material, teachers were not required to use it, they could work it into their lesson plans as they saw fit.
Fried Sep 9th 2009 at 10:43 am 16
Josh, I know, my point exactly. Poorly worded as all agree.
Jeff S. Sep 9th 2009 at 10:46 am 17
My daughter is in 7th grade. When I asked her if she got to see Obama’s speech, she askedme, What speech? So I don’t know if it was banned from her school (some schools in the Tulsa area did), or if she was outside the intended target audience for the speech.
The Bad Seed Sep 9th 2009 at 11:10 am 18
I was born in 1963, and my older siblings were born in 1950-1955. We all grew up in the days when the world and our freedoms in it were expanding, and I remember hearing the ACLU mentioned on the news every night. After all the fighting for freedoms of all sorts, which I grew up believing were the backbone of our country, it’s scary and sad to see upswellings of movements (all kinds, big to small) to take away freedoms of all sorts. This week, the President’s Freedom of Speech was taken away, as was the kids freedom to hear our Commander in Chief (like him or not). All kinds of other rights and freedoms are gone and endangered, and there needs to be a righteous uproar to restore them before we’re all back to living in caves and carving our own arrowheads out of stone. I think we need to resurrect the crying Indian, but now he’s mourning our dying nation.
Dr. Shrinker Sep 9th 2009 at 11:29 am 19
I still don’t understand how insane, frothing-at-the-mouth types on the left are routinely (and appropriately) ignored, but those on the right get kowtowed to at every opportunity. There was no controversy here, just paranoid, probably racist craziness.
Fried Sep 9th 2009 at 11:51 am 20
Shrinker, it is not limited to any one politcal party, look at precedent…be careful not to stereotype…
Joseph Sep 9th 2009 at 12:01 pm 21
I remember all of Bush Sr.’s outreaches to kids, and that is exactly what I thought Obama’s was going to be like. “Stay in school” “don’t do drugs” etc. I thought it was a good idea because Obama can reach demographics among school kids that other presidents couldn’t.
I also realize that alot of people are worried about this “cult of personality” that Obama is trying to bond with kids which can seriously influence thier weak little brains into being liberal socialists like him.
In summary: Obama should be able to give any public service speach he wants because he is a prominent and influencial man. And that is exactly what he did, it was a good speech.
But he should not be allowed to indocrinate kids with politics. Conservatives overreacted but they are worried about thier individual and family rights.
Joseph Sep 9th 2009 at 12:05 pm 22
By the way, I can’t stand the argument that “he’s the Commander in Chief like it or not.” Bush was the “Commander in Chief” and liberals went on a rampage at the idea of blind trust. The same concept applies here. It is the duty of the people to ask tough questions of our elected officials- Like it or not.
Fried Sep 9th 2009 at 12:14 pm 23
Joseph - well said…
Cidu Bill Sep 9th 2009 at 12:36 pm 24
The President is Commander in Chief of the military, NOT the Commander in Chief of the United States.
Cidu Bill Sep 9th 2009 at 12:39 pm 25
Bad Seed, to be fair, nobody was threatening Obama’s freedom of speech. The freedom to say something doesn’t include the right to be listened to.
Jeff S. Sep 9th 2009 at 12:46 pm 26
Yeah, but Joseph… the student’s were not allowed to SEE Obama’s speech, so how can they ask ANY tough questions of him?
Howabominable (aka Lindsey ^_^) Sep 9th 2009 at 01:50 pm 27
I live in a pretty conservative area, and they showed it in several of the schools here. Overall nobody was offended by it, even the conservative parents thought it was fine and sent a good message. Ironically, if they had just showed it it would have assuaged the fears people had about “indoctrination” or whatever.
What they could have done is record the message, and if they felt it was a good message to send to their students play it later. It would be pretty stupid even then but at least the kids would get to see it eventually.
Irene Sep 9th 2009 at 01:53 pm 28
It was a small vocal minority that led to the elimination of prayer in school- and look what has happened since. Around here, they only say the Pledge in private schools, so no one is offended.
Shoe is on the other foot is all it boils down to.
Cidu Bill Sep 9th 2009 at 02:12 pm 29
Irene, surely you see the difference between a blatant Constitutional church/state conflict and a non-political pep talk by the President of the United States.
And for what it’s worth, neither I nor my children have ever attended a public school — and I’ve never taught in one — where the Pledge wasn’t recited.
S. P. Charles Sep 9th 2009 at 02:17 pm 30
Perhaps Irene is saying that the whole nonsense about Obama’s speech is “payback” by people upset by the removal of school prayer. Clearly he’s not all that popular among folks who cling to their Bibles.
FlyingFish Sep 9th 2009 at 04:23 pm 31
Oh, there have been sillier things that schools have gotten up in arms about… For instance!
Paperboy Sep 9th 2009 at 04:46 pm 32
Jeez, I do come to this site to deal with comic strips, but, since you ask, I’ll say the additional “write a letter to yourself on how you can help the President” thing, had me thinking of Stalin or some El Presidente dictator. I saw on the news in the San Francisco Area school-kids were coloring line drawings of Obama.( ???)
Todd Sep 9th 2009 at 04:58 pm 33
Bad Seed (?), how is being forced to listen to someone speak considered a “freedom”? If kids want to hear Obama speak, they can apparently find it on the internet.
By the way, what freedoms have been taken away?
The Bad Seed Sep 9th 2009 at 05:52 pm 34
CIDU Bill - It IS infringement on Obama’s freedom of speech if the kids aren’t even given the choice whether to watch it or not. When I was in school, if it was something controversial - whether sex ed or a controversial speaker - our parents were informed ahead of time and we were given the choice of whether to opt out. To not even be given the choice - especially regarding a rah-rah “stay in school and study hard” speech - is a crime. Would anyone have complained if Michael Jordan had delivered the same speech to their kids? Just because Obama is a Democrat, his generic inspirational speech will hurt kids or unduly influence them?
The Bad Seed Sep 9th 2009 at 05:58 pm 35
Todd - I never said that anyone should be forced to listen to someone, but that they should be given the option. I do think, however, that we should all be free from having people put words in our mouth by people who don’t read carefully.
By the way, I do think they’d better do away with the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, too, because you don’t want your kids to be getting the message that they should exercise and eat healthily or they might turn into Democrats.
paperboy Sep 9th 2009 at 07:31 pm 36
The Bad Seed: “It IS infringement on Obama’s freedom of speech if the kids aren’t…” Obama’s Freedom of speech???? Isn’t the whole point of that amendment is that it’s a guarantee AGAINST Government supression? Obama IS the Government.
The Bad Seed Sep 9th 2009 at 07:33 pm 37
Of course, #34 should read, “… that we should all be free from having words in our mouth by people who don’t read carefully.” I, apparently, only read carefully after I hit “submit”, but that still doesn’t mean it’s OK to totally misrepresent what I wrote. It’s one thing to disagree with me, but it’s a whole ‘nother thing to lie about what I wrote.
turquoise cow Sep 9th 2009 at 08:02 pm 38
paperboy: just because you’re in the government doesn’t mean you’re not a person, and doesn’t mean you don’t have freedoms like every other person. Presidents, senators, congresspeople, mayors, all have the same freedoms as the rest of us, regardless of their jobs.
i was reading some of the reader comments on the speech in The Star-Ledger today, and the big thing that people were complaining about was that the president shouldn’t have the right to “tell teachers what to teach” or tell students anything. one guy commented something along the lines of he wouldn’t go into Obama’s house and tell his children what to do, so Obama shouldn’t do the same to his kids.
Because you would never tell your children to work hard, stay in school, and focus on the future, and teachers are forced to teach what the government tells them to teach. (sarcasm there, by the way). seems to me if a teacher didn’t want to show the speech, they weren’t forced. and if the teacher (or student) disagreed with a point the president made, they were free to discuss it afterward. it’s not as though there were microphones or secret police in every class room.
Mark in Boston Sep 9th 2009 at 10:24 pm 39
Maybe Obama should just drop in on schools and sit in the classroom and read a story about a pet goat. That would be OK, wouldn’t it?
Mark M Sep 9th 2009 at 11:07 pm 40
I think the “My kid came home brainwashed” jokes are rivaling the “So much for global warming” jokes mentioned here so often.
Winter Wallaby Sep 10th 2009 at 01:21 am 41
This idea that Obama’s freedom of speech is being infringed is a little silly. Sure, he’s free to say whatever he wants, that doesn’t mean that he has the right to have it replayed in classrooms around the country. After all, I have the exact same freedom of speech that Obama does, and no classrooms replay my speeches.
Bill, did your school really “ban” the speech (i.e. tell teachers that they couldn’t show it), or just decide that they didn’t want to make a decision to show it (which would by default let teachers do whatever they wanted)? The latter would seem reasonable to me, because after all, someone could just think this wasn’t a good use of class time.
CIDU Bill Sep 10th 2009 at 01:31 am 42
Winter, I’m not sure “ban” would be the correct word, but they did make the decision that The Speech would not be shown to any students by any teachers in any class under any circumstances.
CIDU Bill Sep 10th 2009 at 01:42 am 43
Okay, maybe “ban” is the correct word after all. As far as our school was concerned, the President was definitely Obama non grata.
Powers Sep 10th 2009 at 06:55 am 44
What is this absurd notion that “liberals reacted the same way to G. W. Bush’s speech years ago”? Calling into question the source and use of funds for the speech is one thing; suggesting that the content of the speech is somehow dangerous is another thing entirely.
How many times did Bush II address a crowd of schoolchildren in person, and talk about political subjects? Twice in my area alone. And while there were some protests, designed to communicate opposition to his military policies, no one tried to stop him from speaking. And those were *political* speeches!
As much as Bush was seen as illegitimate, as much as his policies were reviled, and as much as his speech patterns were ridiculed, very few people on the left felt the need for “makin’ stuff up” (to quote Palin) to try to undermine him. He was still the President and was, mostly, afforded the respect due. There is no valid comparison to the way Obama is being treated.
Fried Sep 10th 2009 at 08:01 am 45
Powers - incorrect. It was H. W. Bush’s (not G.W.) address to students and Democrat Congressman held hearings to determine if he was overs tepping his bounds. Same out cry occurred with Reagan.
Try not to allow bias to cloud facts…this was a nationally televised speech to intended and encouraged to be shown to all school children. not an isolated group. Two different things.
furrykef Sep 10th 2009 at 01:50 pm 46
It was a small vocal minority that led to the elimination of prayer in school- and look what has happened since.
The difference is that our country has a certain little thing called “separation of church and state” which, in my opinion, should be respected. Obama’s speech doesn’t violate any principles of the Constitution that I know of.
Can anybody explain to me how prayer in public schools doesn’t amount to government establishment of religion? (I don’t think claiming that the prayer is non-denominational would do any good there, by the way. There definitely would be pressure in one form or another to make them Christian prayers.)
- Kef
Paperboy Sep 10th 2009 at 02:07 pm 47
Kids CAN pray in school; it just has to be a private, personal action and not a teacher-led activity. (Of course, it DOES mean only Christians can get away with it, since they just put their hands together and bow their heads; they don’t have get down on the floor, face a certain way, sacrifice a chicken or whatever.)
Kara Sep 10th 2009 at 05:33 pm 48
The high school I attended did NOT show President Obama’s speech. Mostly because they wanted to avoid the political rampage that some people seemed to be pre-disposed to lately and they did not want to deal with the drama that may have ensued (this according to a teacher friend there). Which is too bad. The message was good.
However, when I was in high school and President Bush Sr. was doing his Whistle Stop tours, my high school band went and played the night he stopped in our area. It was considered quite an honor, and there was no hullabaloo about having our band playing for a certain political party - it was considered pretty cool to be playing for the president (he was running for re-election, if I remember correctly). Different school administration. Different time. Different parents.
Aidinthel Sep 10th 2009 at 06:43 pm 49
My school left the decision up to each teacher, and I saw the speech live in my English class. I do live in a very liberal area, though. There probably would have been outrage if the school had tried to ban it.
Snardo Sep 22nd 2009 at 01:47 pm 50
There’s always going to be a “small vocal minority” regardless of the issue, and yess, they do usually get the most attention. How often, though, have you not made a fuss over an issue because the small vocal minorty that got it’s way was the one you agreed with?