Parents protest decision not to air Obama's speech live on Tuesday

[bemildred]

Source: WWAY

Kids in Brunswick County had the day off from school, but that didn't keep many parents and even some teachers from showing up at the school district offices Monday afternoon.

They were there to protest the decision not to air President Obama's speech in school tomorrow.

Other than one person, the Brunswick County citizens want Brunswick County school children to be able to watch President Obama's speech live during school hours on Tuesday.

"It is sending a horrible message to students because it says don't respect the President, don't respect the Commander in Chief, don't listen to him if he's not with your political party and that's very scary,” said Michael Burke, a retired professor.

Read more: http://www.wwaytv3.com/node/18104

[bemildred]

1. Understanding President Obama's Speech

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Parents should talk to their
kids about issues surrounding the President's speech to the nation's school
children Tuesday, such as the role of the federal government in education, the
state of our nation's education crisis, and how they can elect officials who
will make critical changes, according to Making Sense of President Obama's
School Speech: 10 Things Parents Should Share with their Kids, released today
by the Center for Education Reform.

"Parents are not only the first line of defense when it comes to their
family's education, they should be the first line of offense as well," says
Jeanne Allen, president of the Canter for Education Reform. "Parents can be
assertive and effective change agents in improving schools and using this
occasion to help their young understand how to right education's wrongs is a
big first step to reforming our schools."

The Center for Education Reform has for 16 years helped parents become better
advocates for their children, and given policymakers the tools they need to
succeed. Thus CER brings its broad and unique expertise to the controversial
discussions surrounding the president's speech by offering parents a variety
of topics to cover to help educate their children about why President Obama is
speaking to them, what his role is, and what other issues this nation faces in
bringing excellence to all schools.

"Above all parents should remind their children something that schools often
neglect -- that they live in the land of opportunity, the best nation on
earth, and that along with making sure they receive a great education, they
must always seek to learn from history and to advance the principles upon
which this country was founded," added Allen.

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS152142+07-Sep-2009+PRN20090907

[Lorien]

8. Well, this part IS propaganda:

"...that they live in the land of opportunity, the best nation on
earth, and that along with making sure they receive a great education.."

"Land of opportunity?" Not if you have a health concern and can't afford $1,000.00 a month insurance, and people are still denied opportunities because of gender, race, age, sexual orientation and faith."Best Nation on earth?" Are they fucking kidding? We're tops in military spending and incarcerations. That's it. We don't rank #1 in any positive category. "A great education?" How do we rank globally is that category again Jeanne? "Thus CER brings its broad and unique expertise to the controversial discussions surrounding the president's speech". Um, yeah.

[Cirque du So-What]

10. I was on the receiving end of some of that propaganda nearly 50 years ago

in a public elementary school.

The school store sold pencils emblazoned with a small American flag near the eraser end, along with the Pledge of Allegiance in tiny script. Also included was a separate phrase: 'America - Best Place on Earth.' Even as a second-grader, I pondered whether the phrase was just so much empty jingoism (although I hadn't yet become acquainted with that word). I also wondered if any other countries saw fit to claim divine favor and status of First Among Nations.

Well, I'm here as living proof that their 'indoctrination' didn't work on me. I have retained a healthy skepticism all these intervening years, and my ear is still tuned for the distant drumbeat of faux patriotism.

[1Hippiechick]

12. I had just replied in another thread that I grew up in the 50s & 60s w/the white version of American

history. (The other post was about school textbooks.)

[llmart]

23. Me too!

I always wondered if there were more kids like me out there who had these thoughts at such a young age. I would just pretend to mumble through the Pledge of Allegiance because it seemed so ridiculous. I always thought to myself, "I'll bet there are kids in other countries who think their country is number one. We can't all be number one." I pondered some serious stuff as a youngster:)

[DrZeeLit]

29. How cool. I thought the same thing. I used to think of us as "the playground bully" --

We puff out our chest and push everybody around and say "we're the best," and probably nobody likes us at all.
Yep, that's what I thought somewhere back about 3rd-4th grade, in 1959-60.

When I finally got a chance to travel, I felt vindicated. Other countries, (surprise! surprise!) were just as wonderful. AND... Paris had the most awesome metro and bullet trains! Wow! AND just about every other country had really bitchen money -- very colorful and cool. Not to mention the great free medical care I received while traveling in Italy.

Soooo.... nope... they didn't indoctrinate me in the 50's and early 60's. I continued to wonder.

I tell my students now: GET OUT of the country, SEE the world, EXPERIENCE other cultures: it makes you aware of the viability of other countries AND will make you appreciate what is GOOD about ours.

But in the end, I still believe, nobody is #1. When you look at those pictures of the Earth, taken from Apollo 13, you don't see any lines or boundaries.
We're all in it together.

[DUlover2909]

30. I questioned the pledge of allegiance too.

I was in second grade. I asked the teacher why we put our hands on our hearts. She said it was a sign of respect. Respect for what? A flag? Why should I respect an emblem? Those were my thoughts as an 8 year old.

[dolphindance]

35. But I bet you still wouldn't want to LIVE anywhere else, would you?

No nation is perfect. But this is absolutely the best place to be if you want to live a productive life while having security at the same time.

[Lorien]

36. Bwahahaha! No. I've tried to immigrate to Canada, New Zealand, Ireland

the U.K. and I'm now looking into France or Switzerland. My finances and job are the big issues keeping me from leaving, but hell yeah, I've traveled the world and I'd move in a heartbeat if I could.

[dolphindance]

39. Really? Won't you miss the buffets here? (n/t)

[Lorien]

40. No, never been to one, but I'm sure you have. nt

[bemildred]

2. CMS Parents, Students Say Obama Speech Not Controversial

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Parents can get a sneak peek at President Barack Obama's education speech before he delivers it to students across the country on Tuesday.

The text of Obama's speech is now posted on the White House's Web site. It is scheduled to be broadcast in classrooms at noon Tuesday.

The text was posted to soothe some parents’ fears that the speech would be politically charged and would influence young impressionable students.

The focus of the 20-minute speech is about the importance of staying in school and taking responsibility.

http://www.wsoctv.com/education/20779463/detail.html

[bemildred]

3. Many presidents spoke in schools

Despite the crossfire from conservatives, the remarks President Barack Obama plans to deliver to America’s pupils on Tuesday turn out to be in the mainstream of back-to-school remarks the previous four presidents delivered in classrooms.

The White House posted the president’s prepared text on Monday, and it includes a variety of fatherly advice on persevering, finishing school and pursuing their dreams, plus his admonition that they’re “no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude … no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school … no excuse for not trying.”

Dan Pfeiffer, White House deputy communications director, said: “As people can see from the text, this is a completely non-political speech that is in line with the tradition of presidents of both parties speaking directly to students about the importance of taking responsibility for their education.”

It turns out that Obama’s four most recent predecessors made remarks during fall visits to schools, many of them similar in tone and content to the script to be delivered at a high school in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26829.html

[Doctor_J]

4. We should start calling Glenn Beck "King Glenn"

He now makes decisions on whether kids should see the president speak, decides who should and shouldn't work at the White House, and has his own private Army to go and wave guns at presidential appearances.

[tomm2thumbs]

5. someone else suggested 'Lord of the Fleas' because these people are all just a few fleas on a dog

he sure acts like a nut on a island full of other nuts - just need a pig head on a stick

[bemildred]

6. "Lord of the fleece" works really well. nt

[pnorman]

19. Did you mean: "Lord Of The Fleas"?

That's the first thing that popped into my mind!

pnorman

[bemildred]

22. Really so many ways to go with it, a rich harvest. nt

[valerief]

24. No, he's only the Prince to Rush's Queen. nt

[elleng]

32. 'emperor?'

[FightingIrish]

7. Our local superintendent pulled the same crap

This is a sanctimonious fundamentalist who home schooled his own kids before he took the superintendent position. This is in liberal Oregon and the underachieving students in his district need some motivating. The teachers I know have no respect for this man. I hope this costs him his job.

"Medford schools Superintendent Phil Long tells teachers not to take up class time to show the education address to students.

Oregon Sen. Alan Bates rallied behind local teachers in condemning a Medford School District decision to block students from seeing a speech by President Barack Obama that will be aired in many classrooms across the country Tuesday.

The Ashland Democrat's office has received about a dozen calls and e-mails from teachers who want to remain anonymous but criticized a directive from Superintendent Phil Long that they not show the speech that the White House billed as a pep talk for students."

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090905/NEWS/909050316


Our local paper (Owned by Rupert Murdoch) slapped him down.

"Medford schools Superintendent Phil Long has set a new standard for the community and its students: No longer will televised talks from any leaders or political figures be allowed in our schools.

Long would likely protest that statement, but the truth is that he has established a precedent that will be hard to overturn, unless he is willing to tell the community that some politicians may speak, but only if it's agreeable to the powers that be in the district.

Long's decision to ban a televised talk by President Barack Obama is wrong on many levels: It denies students access to a national leader who wants to speak directly to them. It smacks of political censorship, since other televised events are allowed in school. And it shows students that bullies who scream loud enough can get their way."

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090906/OPINION/909060325

[mcollier]

9. There will be some super intendents losing

their jobs as a result of this.

[1Hippiechick]

13. To push back, parents should demand to be provided--in advance--the name/subject matter of any guest

speaker who will be addressing students during school hours to determine if they believe the purpose of the speaker is for "indoctrination." Just my opinion.

[lib_wit_it]

34. What will make it hard to overturn? That he will look like a hypocrite when he allows an RW speaker

to address the students in the future? Yeah, right, because the fear of showing their hypocrisy really affects RWers' actions.
:sarcasm:

[Robb]

11. The GOP needs a refresher on the Pogo Principle. nt

[Jefferson23]

14. Thank goodness!

[DollyM]

15. I read through the speech and found it inspiring . . .

He spoke of his childhood and overcoming the limitations that many kids have today with a lack of money, neighborhoods without many opportunities and so forth. All I saw in the speech was encouraging kids to work to overcome their "disadvantages" because they might be the next person who does something that will make a tremendous difference in our world.
Our son was able to vote this year for the first time, he was so excited. I remember he chastised his friends who didn't and was trying to round them up and take them to the polls with him. When he was a small child and all the way through his teenager years, I always took him with me to the voting booth. I explained it every time about how and why we did this. All I can about parents who want their kids to live under a rock (and yes, we homeschooled and DID NOT live under a rock!)is that the are depriving them of the opportunity to make informed decisions in their lives and to make a difference in the world. If they limit them in the smallest ways like listening to the Presidents speech, they are sending the message that their view points alone are the right ones and limiting their kids from knowing and understanding the many viewpoints and differences in our amazing world. I attended and graduated from a Christian college then went on to a state college to complete my Master's degree. I didn't always agree with with was taught but I listened and presented my view points and learned from other's. Sadly, there are people who are living their life with restrictions in their potential because they are afraid of learning something that goes against their belief system. If your belief system is solid, you have nothing to fear.

[zonkers]

18. Inspiring . Thanks for sharing.

[Igel]

37. On yabednichaet.

It's a Russian phrase. "Yabednichat'" means to "exaggerate one's poverty." He's "yabednichaying".

There are three child-independent factors that predict a kid's success in school.

1. Parents' education. His mother was ABD, his grandparents also reasonably well educated.

2. Race. Take out parental education, you're still left with culture and, sometimes, language (which is strongly correlated with race, and which some people still confuse with race or ethnicity). You're also left with skin color per se. These all get merged into 'race'. In Obama's case, you can't merge them. Obama's cultural background was white middle class; his English was standard English. He had to consciously learn AAEV when he was at least a teenager. Note that 'parents' educational attainment' and 'parents' attitude towards education' are different things, and attitude towards education properly falls under 'culture'. I knew a white man who had his BA and despised college and public schools; of his 5 kids, only one went to college--and that was a low-ranking engineering college so he could learn a vocation, computer programmer. Locally, black, brown, and white all go to the same schools, and do so from kindergarten, but the graduation rates, test scores, college attendance rates all pattern by ethnicity. Note that skin color by itself doesn't play a huge factor in education; it's a portmanteau rubric for all sorts of things. Just look at the differential education attainment and college attendance of African-Americans and Americans whose parents immigrated from Africa, such as Nigerian-Americans or (ahem) Kenyan-Americans.

3. Family wealth. His grandparents raised him for most of the time that family wealth really matters and their income was good. Factoring out educational achievement, what's left probably equates to good schools and neighborhoods. Also not a problem for Obama. Note that his mother's "poverty" also isn't a big deal: Poverty matters most in having bad schools and a feeling of deprivation and injustice, so if your family is poor like the rest of society it's not as big a deal.

So apart from the actual color of his skin, he was never one of the kids he says he was like. Given that he went to school in the late '70s and early '80s, that didn't much matter. There was racism, but it was "structural racism"--which focuses on education and family background.

[elfin]

16. My district in Wisconsin also "opted out" --

via a statement to the press by the superintendent. I emailed a scathing letter to each board member as to their individual stance as well as to the superintendent and as well as an LTE (not published.)

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a response area which, last I checked, was heavily against the decision.

So far, have only had one response from one board member -- "I have not stated an opinion on this matter."

So what is your opinion you weasel?? That will be my next round, but perhaps in a bit more polite phrasing.

[karmaqueen]

17. I was so proud of everyone there!

This was on our local news! When the news said stay tuned for a protest we automatically thought it was against the President. When we heard what was being said was so positive we broke into big smiles!!! YESSSSSSSS It is about time we hear more of this. Only one person there was complaining. Brunswick is a very rural County and they are fighting back! Yes we can.... Please everyone keep fighting the good fight for what we believe in!!!!

[dorktv]

20. Have we gotten any news of schools changing their no show to show?

I keep hearing about the non-showing and protests to get it shown but so far no one has posted any stories of the decision being reversed.

[wisteria]

21. Good for them! I am happy these people are countering the misinformed parents out there.

They are correct, it shows disrespect for our president.

[kestrel91316]

25. Can't have that UPPITY black man talking to our kids like he's hot stuff, or something.....

Nobody will ever convince me this isn't about RACE.

And I'm white.

[goclark]

27. I'm Black and I'm sure I won't convince

you but if anyone should believe it is totally about Race it should be me.

Of course they are not happy to see a BLACK man in the WHITE House because they thought the WHITE House belonged to them.

However, they were extremely calm about this during the Primaries and up until now -- then the Birthers got going,
like Monica got going and we are off to the races!

I now believe that it is just sinking in that they are out of POWER and that is scary to them.

That would be the case if Biden, Clinton, Edwards or any Democrat came into office.

Remember also that we are dealing with the bottom of the barrel now and the few sane Republicans that are left can not control the Mob. They really have two visible leaders - Rush and Beck right now and so there is no one to put the nuts back into the candy bars.

Unless ~ ~ Palin stepped in to calm the Mob and that doesn't seem to be happening. If she could take control of them - she would but she knows she can't.

[Alcibiades]

28. You're right

These folks are racist and Republican. Maybe the whole Republican Party isn't racist, but I bet most of the teabaggers, birthers and other assorted crazies are. I keep saying like a broken record that these are the George Wallace people and their kids, folks who became Republican over 30 years ago over their own bigotry.

But I also think they would give any Democrat the same hard time. It happened during Clinton, but the main difference is back then it was just Limbaugh: now they have Beck, Hannity and O'Lielly on the teevee.

We have a few loons in our party, too: the difference is that we don't bus them in and egg them on, all the while maintaining an official distance. The Republicans in Washington could discredit the lies these loons are spreading, and the insurance industry itself knows much of what has taken place in the health care debate lie upon lie. But they are willing to sit back and let these crazy old white idiots do their work for them, so they can go back to the middle of the road Republicans back home and talk about their own "fiscal responsibility" and "values."

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[goclark]

31. I agree ~ the Republicans have no real Party now

they only have Bandits that have stolen their Party.

[carlyhippy]

26. This is the craziest thing I swear I have ever witnessed (rant to ensue)

WHY is this such a problem, why are our school systems censoring this speech, our nation's leader is trying to address our youth, giving them messages of hope and inspiration toward personal success, my god is this going to be the norm for the next 3 years? The man is trying to help and every little thing is going to be picked apart!

What messages are these educators conveying to their students who censor this speech? Don't respect or listen to our nation's leader, how unpatriotic, why cannot these kids watch this speech and make their own point of views?????

Kudos to the schools who are showing this speech!!!

[bemildred]

33. It's not hard to understand, a charismatic, smart President speaking directly to the people.

Of course it freaks them out. It has always freaked them out, long as I can remember.

[dugaresa]

38. I just sent an email to the superintendent of our school about it

I basically said, "is this because our district is full of racists?"