Help! President Obama May Encourage My Son To Be Educated!
I got my weekly newsletter from my daughter's elementary school on Friday. Things were as expected: no charging for lunches, t-shirts for $9, no school Monday. But near the end, I found something a little surprising:
Presidential Address to Elementary students - We have had some phone calls asking us whether or not we will be showing the President's Address to elementary students on Tuesday. It will be available for any who want to watch it. An alternate location will be provided for students to be who do not want to watch.
An alternate location? This was strange to me, because it felt like the President's address could kind of be compared to sex ed. or something. You know, when you have to get a permission slip signed in order to watch? And the kids who don't have one get shuffled into the library?
Then, in Jed's Facebook thing (whatever you have in Facebook), parents were writing that they are not going to let their children watch the President's address.
Really? I'm confused. Why would you not let your child watch a Presidential address to the Elementary students across the United States specifically about the importance of education?
This bothers me. Not because I'm political, but because I believe we, as Americans, have gotten so wrapped up in the party system that we do not respect the office of the President. And depending on what party we belong to, and if our guy won or didn't, we just "get through" the four years by complaining and blaming the other party for all of our national problems.
What happened to unity? Can we not disagree with some of the decisions a president has made (and come on, they all make mistakes) but still respect the office and support The President? It seems to me, the message we are sending our children by having them sit out of an address from The President of the United States is: what this man says is either not important, bad, or may hurt me. (And, in case we forget, he's speaking on the importance of education.)
I'm reminding you, I affiliate myself with no party. I believe as a country, we treated George W. Bush terribly. And while he made mistakes (remember they all do), I believe it is shameful to show such disrespect to the President of our nation. I am seeing the same thing happen to President Obama. Are we a united nation or a nation divided by parties? I personally feel that no matter what our stances are on health care, the war in Iraq, or on education, we elected a President and he needs (and deserves) our support and respect.
So for crying out loud, send your child to the address. Dress her up in red, white and blue, and let's pretend we're a united nation for a morning.
37 comments:
amen jayne! finally someone with some sense! i have been racking my brain trying to figure out what people are so afraid of! what do they think he is going to say to the children? i just DON'T get it. and i agree with you, ALL presidents make mistakes and you can find dirt on all of them (ahem... they ARE politicians). But he IS the president, regardless of whether or not YOU voted for him, for crying out loud. so show some goshdarn respect and let your kids listen. what the hell is it going to hurt? geez. i'm fired up. thanks for the post.
This is exactly what I would expect from a liberal socialist like you!
Amen Sister!!!
Thank you for writing ~ exactly what I was thinking ~ so well.
I agree with this and it's nice to see someone speak out! Thanks Jayniemoon.
I agree Jayne, this whole thing has just been so weird. And very disrespectful to the office of the president, however people may feel about the guy who happens to hold it!
Well said, Jayne!! I completely agree.
Oh, and Mike Birbiglia is my FAVORITE!!!! I love when he says "I knooooooooow!" So dang funny! Good call.
Good for you! Off to share this post.
Well said, Jayne!
Maybe they should get Provo's best buddy Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck to do an alternate speech for the children who parents are TRUE Americans. That would make all those wing nut neocons happy.
AMEN! I have been floored at how many people are up in arms about the PRESIDENT of our COUNTRY wanting to talk to the kids. It really is beyond my realm of understanding why people would act this way. A little respect please.
My son is in Kindergarten, so I haven't heard if they are watching it or not at school...I am definitely asking on Tuesday when I drop him off though.
I think parents are concerned because the last message approved by the president and shown to elementary schools was full of political propeganda. I don't know if you saw it but it was a bunch of celebreties pledging to support stem cell research, only flushing after a "duece" ect, and pledging to serve Obama. It was NOT appropriate for children and yet was shown to elementary schools. However, I have no idea what this new message contains. Parents can access it today on the web. I think if his message is supporting education, and not his party agenda then I totally think parents should support this and let their children watch it.
My cousin just posted the website for his speech. I just read through it and it is very good. http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/
HERE! HERE!
What a great post! You don't know how happy it makes me to know that there are people like you out there. Between the news and sunday school I sometimes feel alone.
You are a very talented writer. Thanks for saying what I have had a hard time putting into words.
-Erin Williams (your mom's cousin's daughter - or something like that)
Oooh Jaynie! I posted your link on my Facebook (just join me already, please!!!!) and people are fired up. A few comments I deleted because they are foul mouthed, but other than that, my peeps are sharing their opinions left and right!
I vowed to never speak my views on religion or politics @ work. This will be a tough one to keep quiet about this week. :)
Someone in my government class compared the address to a thing Hitler would do...eh...it's not exactly propaganda to tell children the importance of education, unless of course, you want your child to grow up without an education or something....haha. It just doesn't make sense to me. Thanks for posting this Jayne! I completely agree with you.
What is patriotic about shouting down open discussion, name calling (liberal socialist? wing nut neocons?), and trying to censor what everybody elses children hear? They are the problem with this country...what are they afraid of?
Thanks for bringing it up
Thank you Jayne I sooooo agree with you! They aren't showing it in Madelynnes school which I think is a disgrace.
G.H.W. Bush made a similar speech in 1991 - telling kids to study, stay off drugs and turn in troublemakers. He must have been a socialist, fascist, hitler too. And how can one person be both a socialist and a dictator?
There are so many real problems in the world that could benefit from this kind of attention. Some people need to get a life.
Jayne, I really appreciate what you have said and I agree whole-heartedly! Thanks for sticking your neck out to defend--gasp--a presidential speech on the importance of education. It's nice to hear some logic (rather than fear and paranoia) about this whole thing.
I hope you don't mind but I linked to your blog via facebook. You just said how I was feeling so eloquently. I'll be giving this post a shout out tomorrow on my blog as well. Again...great post Jayne!
I am no Obama fan, but I was surprised to hear so much opposition to his address. Regardless of who the president is, I think the office deserves respect. If he gives some controversial indocrination speech to little children then I can see why parents would be concerned, but let's hear the speech before we start judging it.
mmm... jayne's so hot when she gets political.
I might print this off to show some of the teachers down at Wasatch today.I know they will be so proud of you Jayne. I surely am! You are such an eloquent writer Jaynie. You SHOULD send it in to the newspaper editorials really and truly. :)
Love, Muth
Good golly that was right on the money! I hope you don't mind I'm sending my bloggy friends over to read this today.
Well said. Thanks for posting this...as I think many do feel this way (like myself) and can't put it into words as well as you have here. It's mind boggling where we are at as a country sometimes. Kind of scary, actually!
I haven't written because your post just has me wanting to say so many things. Congratulations on a fine piece of writing is one of those things.
I watched the speech and found it to be inspirational and uplifting. My daughter texted me from school and it said, "He wants me to do my best and so I will." That sort of says it all for me.
Jayne, you brilliant girl! Perfect post!
Thanks again Jayne. I was actually disapointed because my son said that his class watched no video of the Pres. Today. I wonder what gives? I claim no party affiliation, I have sided with both on different things, boht sides have acted foolishly in the past and present. I chalk this one up for the republicans though. I mean really, they will let their children listen to the likes of Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity spew fear and conspiracy and at times blatant racism but they won't let them hear encourageing words on education from the President of our country in their classroom. Good grief!
Jayne, you liberal you. I mean look at you a 30 year old, stay at home, Mormon mother of three. Could you even get more to the left if yoiu tried?
HEAR HEAR!!
You are my new hero.
Well said! The text of the speech was released early and it was all about working hard and taking responsibility for your own actions and learning from your mistakes. I just don't get what the controversey was all about.
BRILLIANT!
I was going to blog on the same subject, but you said it so much better. Couldn't agree more.
all I could think while reading this was...AMEN SISTA!
I couldn't agree with you more and wish I could have expressed it evenhalf as eloquently as you did.
as of today, are your feeling the same! Just wondering!
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