Just asking for Clarification - Obama

In my opinion, people's problem with this can be understood by viewing the entire situation in context and not just looking at it as Obama delivering a message to kids. There are certain aspects of this that are just different. First off, as I understand it, this is the first President in America's history to deliver an address to the schools. On its surface, speaking to the kids for an hour may seem like no big deal and a really cool experience if you're a kid, but then you realize that he's not showing up in classrooms in person (although he may be showing up in one. I'm not sure); he's showing up via message in every school. That's a first for a President, but that's not what makes people's radar screens blip. What's causing a little unnerving behavior is the fact that memos are going out and kids are being asked to "help" the President. A supporter may view this is as what kids should be doing. However, someone more cynical may see that Obama has no problem using children to feed his national image (remember the rigged girl at the town hall meeting?). The afforementioned is just 2/3 of the first problem. The final third is the fact that a lot of teachers--some may even say the vast majority--are liberal leaning. You have the unions to contend with. You have schools in America that teach much more ideology than math and history. These factors leave some people worried. "Is the teacher going to 'teach' my kid to be pro-Obama?" "What if my kid happens to disagree with the President? How will he/she be treated?" And there are many more questions. Another problem with this, again, in context, is that there is A LOT of fishy behavior surrounding Obama and supporters. For instance, whoever wrote the provision in the stimulus to give money to the "arts" seemed to had done so to create "art" promoting Obama. A conference call has recently surfaced where many artists, on phone with the White House, were discussing how they can essentially promote Obama's agenda with art. No big deal? Yeah, until you realize that it's taxpayer money possibly (likely) being used to fund pro-Obama, anti-opposition art. Money was intentionally set aside to promote agenda. Wow. There's also all of this unflattering information coming out about the people Obama appointed to "special" positions. Many call them czars. These czars were backdoored in to avoid Senate confirmation, and more than a few are proving to be very radical... even by liberal standards. This all ties in together. What kind of man is Obama? What kind of system does he have running? Why is he speaking to our children using his organization tactics and preemptive memos to set the scene? What would you think if Bush was doing this the exact same way? If a partent has a problem with this, I can't hold that against them. If they don't, that's fine too. But when you look at Obama, his administration, his actions, and his shameless self promotion in context, you may draw a conclusion that it's not just a simple speech. My opinion on it: MSNBC, ABC and CNN will be running spots on children "agreeing" with Obama's healthcare proposal a few days after the speech is given. I hope it doesn't happen like that, but Obama's entire political career is a series of minor steps toward an ultimate goal. I highly doubt this is a simple "stay in school" message being delivered.

I don't have kids. But if I did, I wouldn't have a problem with the President (or any political leader) talking to schoolchildren and expounding the benefits of an education. Encouraging children to study hard, get good grades, and succeed is not a bad thing. However from what I have heard that is not necessarily the case with what is going to happen with Obama. I think many parents are concerned about the way it will be approached and the fact he may be telling the children they should be following what the President says because he knows best. That is hardly encouraging children to think for themselves. I sincerely hope that his speech is limited to what I described in my first paragraph. I think it would also be good to remind children that he himself is a minority, and yet despite that he has risen to the highest most powerful position in the country. This would be a great encouragement for those children who may feel they can't get ahead in life because of the circumstances they live in.

The people who call him Hitler,have no clue about Hitler . Or they would never say these things,my grandparents were under Hitlers thumb. I am gonna give the guy a chance,without passing judgment.I also think its great that he is reaching out with times such as these.Not just the children but adults alike. He seems sincere in his efforts,I do wish him the best.The Republicans are having hissy fits daily.But if McCain had won the Democrats would be the same.Funny you can never please them all,then there are others who just need to b!tch. Seeing it is such a big to do about a man of color taking office,He will leave a lasting impression on all those children who will run our world when we are gone,giving them hope about everything in life.Some impressions are ever lasting.So yes he is doing the right thing with the kids .After all thinking of the future that far off with all on his plate makes him ok with me. Well I might here it for my mouthful but will only respond to the original poster no fights gonna break out over Hitler when the question is dealing with children. Have a great day

Hmmm. Well... since I posted the discussion stating that I don't want anybody indoctrinating MY child, I will address your questions. First of all, if this was for junior high and high school age only, it wouldn't bother me AS MUCH. Notice I didn't say 'it wouldn't bother me at ALL', because it would still bother me. However, I don't think they should be dumping this on the youngest kids - that is where government does not have the right to overrule parents. I'm going to ask my son in high school about this and see what HE gets out of it. I think it's rather appropriate for a high schooler, but again, if they disagree or prefer to remove themselves from the classroom, I believe they have that right too. I am choosy about friends, I have some who are close and others who are closer. There are only a FEW I would allow my daughter to spend a whole day and night or longer with (without me there) because hmmmm... I only trust a few. Wouldn't you think that I really wouldn't want my GOVERNMENT - which is made up of people I don't know, am not friends with, am not related to, etc etc - influencing my child? HELLO. Do you want your precious child influenced by strangers you don't like?? It's totally fine with me if you trust your government that much. I mean I know parents who let their 8 year old get on subways or city buses alone. Whatever THEY want to do, right? I wouldn't. I was even concerned about my older daughter when she was 15 getting on a city bus. There are weird people all over and some of them target kids. Once again, do whatever you like. I'm not stopping you. I might think you're crazy but I won't try to legislate what you're allowed to do, force you to stop, or anything like that. I won't DO WHAT YOU DO though, not in a million years. I'm not going to bring up Hitler. While it's a similarity, it's not really fair, even if I DON'T agree with Obama's policies. As far as the schools getting support from the government? THIS is what I want as a parent for my public schools. I want the government to give the schools enough money so they do not have to lay off teachers. I want them to have enough teachers so the class sizes can be reduced again, 20 to 1 ratio would be best but 25 to 1 is okay. I want them to always have enough books for EACH student. I want the teachers to have enough resources like COPIES so that the school is providing for the costs of all the copies and the teachers are not running out of paper. I want the schools to have enough resources and reserves to ALWAYS have a full time art teacher, music teacher, and PE teacher, and for those teachers to devote at least one day a week to each grade for elementary school. For junior high and high school? Those kids should get those types of classes DAILY. I would prefer for elementary to get those daily too but it doesn't seem like they have time, not with so many grades and kids at one school. THOSE are the types of things we are talking about, not having anybody in government try to INFLUENCE our kids! They also should donate or give resources to the schools in order to provide extra aides and help to the struggling students, the ones who are learning english, the ones who may have shorter attention spans or have trouble sitting still long enough to 'get' a concept and then practice it. If they WANT our children to be the future, by all means, that means you have to give them variety and resources - just like college! SO many people say 'oh, well you have to take all those extra things that you don't need for your degree so you are well rounded and show that you care'. OK, by that token, we need to put PE, music, drama, art, and sports back into public elementary schools. EVERY DAY. Those things are just as important as your kid making change from a dollar, reading a book, and knowing the capital of the state where they live. By the way, you would NEVER give a two year old an opportunity to choose whether they wanted to play in the street or eat a whole pie instead of dinner. YOU KNOW that two year old is going to want to play in the street and eat the pie instead of eating some chicken and vegetables and noodles BEFORE the pie!! I am really riled up about trying to include pre-K and K in this whole 'speech' thing. Denying the children the opportunity to think for themselves?! Let's make sure that ALL parents have had the opportunity to discuss this with their children - or to avoid it until they feel their children are old enough to HAVE to deal with this. Like I said before, my daughter is five and she's in kindergarten. I don't talk about OBAMA with her and she doesn't even know who he is and that's fine. She doesn't need to. If he came to her school and tried to talk to her, do you know what she'd probably say? I don't talk to strangers. If you want to talk to me then you ask my mommy. I am not responsible for the state of the country right now. My choices have all been mostly opposite of what has been happening and what is currently happening. Because there are just a FEW more people who are in favor than those of us that are not, that's how things are going. I prefer to be a-political because I really despise politics. I despise the lying, the loose morals, the broken promises, and more or less the greediness and inability of the people who are there to do a job to DO THE JOB WE WANT THEM TO DO. They aren't listening to us at all. There's no point in helping. There's not much point in ranting either although it does make me feel good to say it. You have the right to be okay with this. I have the right to NOT BE OKAY with this. You asked the question and there is the answer.

Because it's creepy, that's why. This guy should try to fix the economy, period. He should stay the hell out of the schools, and I'm sick of seeing his ugly mug on tv, lol.

I am a parent of 4 children, my oldest is starting Kindergarten on the 8th. While I am not around my child is going to be exposed to a man who I feel is very dangerous to America. He is a marxist and that is a system of government/economy that I feel is restrictive. But when you are a child you don't understand all that is involved in that lifestyle. What you hear about communism and the green movement, two of Obama's objectives, it all seems wonderful. And in a pure society without corruption it could be. But there is so much more involved in implementing these rather unrealistic utopias. First of all there is going to be poverty from jobs being lost to shift from one job set to another. There is going to be the "reverse mcCarthyism" on the capitalists and those who feel that the green movement is only out to hurt the private sector in a bid for government control. You will have the social and economic demonization of an entire class of people. So my child will be exposed to the President who may say something like, "keeping lights on is killing our planet and it is wrong." Then my children may come home and say, "Mom turn off that light you are killing the planet." And then I am going to have to take time to explain to them exactly why that is not completely true. When you start in on children that young, all your are teaching them is how to react emotionally, and not with critical thinking. Something they are too young to understand in the first place. So I am preparing myself to be accosted by my own child about an issue they find very important because the President said so. That is why I am apprehensive about the President speaking to my children.

I think they are afraid Obama is going to indoctrinate their children with a socialist view point. I believe the children are already getting that without Obama's help. It's up to the parents to show their children a different point of view and to explain why they (the parents) believe the way they do. There's nothing wrong with hearing both sides. You can weigh the difference and make a more logical decision when you know all the facts.

Raven, How would you feel if you are a liberal,if Rush Limbaugh addressed your kids and told them everything Obama is doing is wrong? Don't you understand this kind of crap is what 3rd world communist do all the time? I will wait and see what he says. If he says a bunch of liberal crap about how everyone should serve him, I will tear into him like there is no tomorrow.

I have to admit I wondered about this because I read the threads where everyone was saying how evil it all was, and then I read what schools were saying about the President to their kids and I thought, so whats the problem? I think that children should be taught to respect the President and his position, while still being able to question his policies etc for themselves. Actually a huge part of the responsibility lies with parents. There are all sorts of things your kids get taught at school you may not agree with, make sure they have a good foundation at home.And in some cases, being made aware of another school of thought at school may be a good thing - I came from a family which constantly ranted about a certain political side and I was pretty much told how to vote. I still feel almost guilty for voting how I actually believe, instead of how my parents told me. Give our kids some credit, maybe they are actually capable of listening to these things critically themselves, and choosing what they believe.