Just to make things more entertaining, here is the text from the speech that President Reagan broadcasted to classrooms across the country when he was in office.
http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/51386d.htm
Remember all of those liberals at the time throwing a hissy-fit about this? No? Probably because it didn't happen.
Oh how I wish President Obama was giving a similar speech. It would provide days, maybe even weeks-worth of priceless video from psycho conservative (is that redundant?) parents. If President Obama's benign speech results in parents acting like the one in the link below, a policy speech would surely cause them to act in a manner which makes Glenn Beck look somewhat sane. Hard to imagine, I know.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/video/20704892/index.html
6 comments:
First, I agree with you that the complaints about President Obama's speech to students are largely silly.
But you are wrong about the lack of protests to Republican speeches to students. I can't recall if it was the Reagan speech or the G.H.W.Bush speech, but some congressional Democrats wanted an investigation to see if federal funds were used. Not many remember it because I doubt it was much of an issue since this was before cable, before Internet and before Fox News.
Obama's speech was fine. Although the Sec. of Education didn't do him any favors by suggesting teaching tools that included listing all the ways a student could help President Obama. That does seem a little beyond the pale. However, they changed to having students write goals that would help them reach their educational goals. Much better.
First, I agree with you that the complaints about President Obama's speech to students are largely silly.
But you are wrong about the lack of protests to Republican speeches to students. I can't recall if it was the Reagan speech or the G.H.W.Bush speech, but some congressional Democrats wanted an investigation to see if federal funds were used. Not many remember it because I doubt it was much of an issue since this was before cable, before Internet and before Fox News.
Obama's speech was fine. Although the Sec. of Education didn't do him any favors by suggesting teaching tools that included listing all the ways a student could help President Obama. That does seem a little beyond the pale. However, they changed to having students write goals that would help them reach their educational goals. Much better.
I read the original lesson plan, before it was changed. There wasn't any problem to it, unless you take it out of context. The questions followed this path:
Who is the President speaking to?
(students of the country)
What is the President saying?
(to work hard and take responsibility for your education)
Why is the President saying it?
(to improve our school system)
What can you do to help the President?
(set goals and try to do well in school)
Now if you just read the fourth question, sure, it sounds poorly worded. But it fit in appropriately with the other questions as the next logical step.
Jordan...I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, but I recall that the suggested lesson plan was more than you said. It suggested the student writing a letter or a diary in which he/she would write down 3 ways to help the president. It was later re-worded to a much more appropriate suggestion that the student list ways to meet his/her short-term and long-term educational goals.
The speech itself was fine and I think schools should have made it available...although I can see why schools might have wanted to do it under their own timetable.
But, be fair. Let's say 2 years ago there was a opening day speech to students from President Bush about the patriotic values of education. I would guess that for many people, their opinions would be exactly reversed from today. There would be Democrats and liberals whose blood vessels would burst at the idea; meanwhile, the conservatives and Republicans would be outraged that left-leaning teachers' unions were disrespecting the president of the United States by not showing the speech.
Don't you think that would have been the case?
As for taking things out of context, how about you and Judy taking a few people out of several thousand at the Tea Party Express and suggesting the media was somehow wrong in not reporting them as representative? I've noticed that some people are determined to be victims and there isn't much you can do about it. Judy has long since joined that group...I'm hoping you will resist.
I agree with what your first paragraph is saying, that that was part of the original lesson plan. Where we disagree is that I don't find that as a problem. If you just add "improve the education system" at the end of the "3 ways to help the President", it shouldn't be controversial. And if the question was posed in context of the others, that ended is easily implied.
If President Bush was going to give a speech to students, I fully believe it would result in liberal voices mocking the idea, but no one would give credence to someone saying he was trying to 'indoctrinate' them. They would mock it because he has the unfair image of being dumb, so they would poke fun at the idea of his audience being smarter than him, and him not heeding his own advice. But if anyone came out and said he was trying to brainwash the students, and his actions are something from North Korea or Chairman Mao, they would be dismissed by both sides.
This is due to the obvious difference between the liberal media and the conservative media. The liberal media has found their niche in making people laugh about the other side. The conservative media has gained ratings by getting people terrified at and furious about the other side.
(There are of course exceptions to those rules, but they are the general principles)
Interesting angle...I'll have to give it some thought. Thanks.
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