For those who are reading this who are not Americans or not aware of the news from America, here’s the background.
A few weeks ago President Obama arranged to have a speech to schoolchildren televised to every school across America. He was going to talk about their experience, and encourage them to strive to do their best in their studies. This from a guy who was in a single-parent family for much of his early life and, overcoming that experience, went to to become a successful lawyer, academic, community organiser, legislator, and President of the United States.
Well. Republicans and Neanderthals all over the country were up in arms. The President was out to indoctrinate their children. Perhaps he’d be encouraging them to urge their parents to support health-care reform. This belied the fact that Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush the First had also made similar televised addresses to schoolchildren.
Some schools decided to record the speech and, after reviewing it, would decide whether to show it to the children or not. I suppose that most home-schooled children didn’t see it. But, after reading it, I can’t see anything in it that is in any way indoctrinating children, unless urging children to do their best in school to prepare for a better life is indoctrinating them. I don’t believe that even George Bush the Second could object to any of it. You can judge. Here it is, behind a cut.
The President: Hello everyone
I really couldnt believe I was reading stuff about schools not showing this or parents saying he was going to turn their kids into socialists and all of the other reports.
Its just amazing that people have seemed to have forgotten what happened the last 8 years with Bush? How Presidents before have given speeches to children. It just boggles the mind sometimes.