is this seriously happening? parents pulling their kids out of school so they don't hear the president speak? Or is it just filler for the radio wingnuts, and fodder for the bloggers? Are we being played?
I would suggest that any parent that doesn't want their kids to hear about the value and importance of education is stupid and insane.
Email or call your ISD superintendent, school principal, and child's teacher urging and supporting them to allow the children the opportunity to witness the first-ever presidential address to the students of America. You know that the well-funded, organized campaign behind this slur to our president is doing it.
I think racism here is a reach then. Maybe way back when these parents decided they didn't like Obama, race was a factor. Now, though, I'm sure they've taken the reasoning shortcut of seeing Obama as simply the Enemy. He might have become the Enemy because he was black, but it doesn't matter why anymore. Here, you have the Enemy trying to build trust and rapport with your children with a seemingly innocent and innocuous address, but he's really just investing in some future diabolical plan for which he'll need the implicit trust of the population, including those who are now school-aged. Black or white, he's still the baby-killing, communist antichrist. So I think a racism allegation is unfounded, but I wouldn't be surprised by a high co-incidence with racism. Maybe the distinction doesn't matter though.
Good question. With the Palin and Tea partiers it is hard to underestimate the intelligence of these folks. It is sad to see them manipulated by the fat cat core of the GOP/conservative movement. I think in the long run about all we can do is give them national health care, raise the minimum wage, try to improve the education system and do other things to help them so that they are not so angry that they can be manipulated into blaming immigrants, Obama, liberals, foreigners, educated folks or whomever the fat cats want them to be pissed at.
why wouldnt any parent want their kid to listen to ANYONE who challenges them to push themselves in school. i dont get it. im beginning to see why people are thinking this is a race issue if it's not a race issue, what else can it be? he's talking to kids about the importance of education. I doubt these parents would pull their kids out of school if it was a former drug addict or prisoner tellin them to stay out of trouble like they do in the DARE program
I wouldn't have a problem with him addressing students (though I don't see the point in it) but I do see why you'd have a problem with some of the ancillary things that go with it. Posters of his quotes? Writing letters about what he has inspired you to be? How can you help the president? I don't know. It seems creepy to me.
I think the issue is that many people feel that isn't what this is about at all, that at the heart of it, this is a political move by Obama. And? Parents and teachers can't get that through to them, but listening to the president is supposed to? I don't think it's race, I think it is strict comfort with Obama. If you voted for him and you like him you don't have a problem with this because you support what he believes, etc. If you didn't vote for him or don't support his views you aren't might not like this because you could be fearful that there is an ulterior motive.
I have to question the motives of the people who are vehemently denying that this is racism. It seems pretty obvious to me or did I miss the tea parties, birthers and people claiming he is tired to terrorism that every (or any) other President has had to deal with.
well i tend to deny it too, but the reason obama is in the whitehouse is because of the white vote...but now stuff has just gotten out of hand. comparing him to hitler? im not sure some people realize who hitler was...and now this? he's talking about education. i just dont get it. it's a simple speech...kids are going to understand it. it's NOTHING to be afraid of....he's not trying to convert your kid into a democrat.
I think it's a relatively small group of people but even 5% of the population is enough to make a lot of noise. I discussed it another thread but I work with some fairly well-to-do people and they have no problem admitting it's about race once we are out of work and in a more casual setting. I'm talking about 6 figure earning, degree-achieving, upper middle class Christians here. Obviously, I can't speak for all of these people based on my personal experiences but when enough of the pieces fit you pretty much know what the puzzle looks like. Don't ya know? He's sending subliminal messages so that the kids will vote for him in 2020 when he runs for his 4th term!!!
what views? he's not gonna be talking about the war or healthcare in this speech. he's just gonna tell a bunch of elementary school kids that reading and writing is important. i dont care who the president is, it's something i will always agree with. maybe i just thought that the importance of education was something democrats, republicans, whites, blacks, asians, etc...was something everyone could agree with
