*ETA: This has been sitting in my draft box for a few days. I wasn't sure who even read my blog, but at this point, since so many people have been talking about it, I'm finally finishing and publishing this post.
I'm not sure why people were getting in such a tizzy over President Obama's speech to school-aged children all over the United States. Seriously. I read the transcripts and there was absolutely nothing even remotely political in it. Why would a Utah County parent pull their kid out of school so they could miss this speech? If it were anyone other than President Obama, would they have left them in school to hear the speech? And why were schools so worried about sending notices or even permission slips? Did they think that the President was going to brainwash them or force them to have the same ideals and opinions as he?
Honestly. All he really said was stay in school. If you make a mistake or fail, it doesn't mean you're stupid or dumb. It just means you have to try again and try a little harder. It's the "if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again" principle. I don't know who first said that, but it's the same concept. Sure, the speech was a little long. My 1st grade niece couldn't remember most of it, but when we asked her about it, she said, "He said that if we fail or make a mistake, it doesn't mean that...wait, I have to say a bad word here." That's where I got a little what?? The "bad" word was stupid. Anyway, she continued to tell us that you're not stupid if you fail or make a mistake. That's all she remembered from the speech, which is basically the gist of it all; do your best and don't give up.
What parent wouldn't want their child to hear from the Commander-in-Chief of our government tell them that they should aim to succeed in all they do? What's the harm in hearing that from the President? If it were President George W. Bush, would he have gotten the same uproarious behavior?
All this is problematic. There should be respect for the office of President, just like with church leaders. Sure, your opinions and ideals may differ and you may even not like the guy, but it doesn't mean that you should make your child miss a very non-political speech just because think that he's going to screw up your kid. Yes, you every right to feel the way you do, but the transcripts were online the night before he gave his speech. Also, why would you even think that President Obama would present his platform to a bunch of kids who don't even give a rat's behind about what he stands for? I mean seriously! My school-aged nieces and my 8 year old brother could care less what a democrat is or what a republican is. They don't even know how to use those words in a sentence. Parents who opted out of letting their children listen to the speech missed out on a very important dialogue with them. You could have asked them questions about what they learned from speech and what they thought. They could have explained to their children that this is what your mom and dad think, this is what President Obama thinks and this is where we meet in the middle.
Having respect for the office of President doesn't mean you have to agree with him. Having respect for office of President just means that you acknowledge, "Yes, that is President Obama. I may not like what he's doing or what he stands for, but I'll listen to him and possible accept his faults." How would you feel if you were President, gave the same don't-give-up speech and all the children across the nation were opted out of class? You would indeed feel no respect from the nation you're supposed to lead. Respecting the office of President simply means that you acknowledge him as such. As someone who will make laws that will have an affect you.
Ignorance and intolerance breed even more ignorance and intolerance. It's like on the movie Idiocracy with Luke Wilson. The movie is basically about how well educated people are having less and less children and all the stupid white trash, beer guzzling, butt scratching people are having more and more and more children. The less appealing population multiplies exponentially until all the smart, well educated people have disappeared. Ignorance and intolerance breed bigger and bigger with each passing generation.
So really, my point is - and I've rambled on long enough - don't be one of those people who will pull your kid out of school just because you think a less than ideal President is in office and wants to tell your kids to stay in school and make something of themselves. What parent doesn't want their kid to hear that from the President of the United States? I mean seriously.
I'm not sure why people were getting in such a tizzy over President Obama's speech to school-aged children all over the United States. Seriously. I read the transcripts and there was absolutely nothing even remotely political in it. Why would a Utah County parent pull their kid out of school so they could miss this speech? If it were anyone other than President Obama, would they have left them in school to hear the speech? And why were schools so worried about sending notices or even permission slips? Did they think that the President was going to brainwash them or force them to have the same ideals and opinions as he?
Honestly. All he really said was stay in school. If you make a mistake or fail, it doesn't mean you're stupid or dumb. It just means you have to try again and try a little harder. It's the "if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again" principle. I don't know who first said that, but it's the same concept. Sure, the speech was a little long. My 1st grade niece couldn't remember most of it, but when we asked her about it, she said, "He said that if we fail or make a mistake, it doesn't mean that...wait, I have to say a bad word here." That's where I got a little what?? The "bad" word was stupid. Anyway, she continued to tell us that you're not stupid if you fail or make a mistake. That's all she remembered from the speech, which is basically the gist of it all; do your best and don't give up.
What parent wouldn't want their child to hear from the Commander-in-Chief of our government tell them that they should aim to succeed in all they do? What's the harm in hearing that from the President? If it were President George W. Bush, would he have gotten the same uproarious behavior?
All this is problematic. There should be respect for the office of President, just like with church leaders. Sure, your opinions and ideals may differ and you may even not like the guy, but it doesn't mean that you should make your child miss a very non-political speech just because think that he's going to screw up your kid. Yes, you every right to feel the way you do, but the transcripts were online the night before he gave his speech. Also, why would you even think that President Obama would present his platform to a bunch of kids who don't even give a rat's behind about what he stands for? I mean seriously! My school-aged nieces and my 8 year old brother could care less what a democrat is or what a republican is. They don't even know how to use those words in a sentence. Parents who opted out of letting their children listen to the speech missed out on a very important dialogue with them. You could have asked them questions about what they learned from speech and what they thought. They could have explained to their children that this is what your mom and dad think, this is what President Obama thinks and this is where we meet in the middle.
Having respect for the office of President doesn't mean you have to agree with him. Having respect for office of President just means that you acknowledge, "Yes, that is President Obama. I may not like what he's doing or what he stands for, but I'll listen to him and possible accept his faults." How would you feel if you were President, gave the same don't-give-up speech and all the children across the nation were opted out of class? You would indeed feel no respect from the nation you're supposed to lead. Respecting the office of President simply means that you acknowledge him as such. As someone who will make laws that will have an affect you.
Ignorance and intolerance breed even more ignorance and intolerance. It's like on the movie Idiocracy with Luke Wilson. The movie is basically about how well educated people are having less and less children and all the stupid white trash, beer guzzling, butt scratching people are having more and more and more children. The less appealing population multiplies exponentially until all the smart, well educated people have disappeared. Ignorance and intolerance breed bigger and bigger with each passing generation.
So really, my point is - and I've rambled on long enough - don't be one of those people who will pull your kid out of school just because you think a less than ideal President is in office and wants to tell your kids to stay in school and make something of themselves. What parent doesn't want their kid to hear that from the President of the United States? I mean seriously.
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