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Jolie Rouge · 09-10-2009, 12:23 PM

The problem with Obama's speech to kids: It's bland
By Jonathan Zimmerman
Tue Sep 8, 5:00 am ET

New York – Here's a quick quiz in preparation for President Obama's speech to America's students today. To succeed in school and in life, you should:

a. work hard

b. set goals for yourself

c. take responsibility for your own actions

d. all of the above

The correct answer is "d," of course. But every American kid knows that already.

And that's the real problem with the president's message, which will be broadcast live on the White House website and on C-SPAN: It's bland, neutral, and mind-numbingly obvious. You can't even imagine a cogent objection to it.

Of course, that hasn't stopped GOP firebrands from trying. In the blogosphere, especially, Republicans have charged that Mr. Obama's speech will indoctrinate students with his supposedly "socialist" views. Across the country, parents have demanded that schools obtain their permission before showing Obama's speech to their children; others have announced that they will simply keep their kids home today.

But there's nothing socialist – or even partisan – about Obama's speech. If you think otherwise, go online and read the text of the speech or the White House's suggested classroom activities to accompany it. One exercise asks children to make a poster of their goals; another instructs each student to "brainstorm" about what qualities promote personal success. Not a word about Obama's positions on healthcare, taxes, or anything else.

And that's precisely the problem here. To really learn, our kids need to confront the real dilemmas that grip our country. No one will learn anything new from yet another bromide about hard work and personal responsibility; instead, they'll tune out.

So how about using this week to teach our children something they don't know?

Consider our ongoing war in Afghanistan, which appears to be losing its support at home. Fewer than half of Americans now say they approve of Obama's handling of Afghanistan, where he has pledged to increase troop levels. Indeed, 41 percent say they want the troops to start coming home, up from 33 percent in April and 24 percent in February.

Are they right? I don't know, myself. But here's what I do know: Our kids need to be reading, talking, and thinking about the answer. Some of them will become soldiers one day, of course, but all of them will become citizens. And they will have to sort these things out for themselves.

What better time than this week? Just three days after Obama's school speech, after all, the nation will commemorate the eighth anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The 9/11 attacks remain at the heart of America's rationale for fighting in Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda planned and financed them.

That's why Obama referred to 9/11 no fewer than five times in his address last March justifying increased troop commitments to Afghanistan. Unless we root out terrorists and rebuild Afghanistan, the argument goes, we will always remain in peril.

I'm not sure I buy that. But I'd like to hear the president make the case for it directly to our young people. And, most of all, I'd like to hear them respond.

That would bring even more of Obama's enemies out of the woodwork, of course, braying about propaganda and indoctrination. But any teacher worth her salt would expose students to arguments against the president's position, insisting that the kids formulate their own.

And to do that, of course, they would have to learn something about the history of the conflict. How many American children know that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, for example, or that the United States supported the anti-Soviet mujahadeen? How many kids could even find Afghanistan on a map?

As soon as the president has finished his dull speech about hard work and personal responsibility, let's get down to the truly hard work of teaching our children how to be citizens. We need to give them the information and skills to debate and decide the most pressing issues of our time, including the war in Afghanistan. That's our biggest responsibility, as adults, and we all need to remember it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20090908/cm_csm/yzimmerman

krisharry · 09-10-2009, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

The problem with Obama's speech to kids: It's bland
By Jonathan Zimmerman
Tue Sep 8, 5:00 am ET

New York – Here's a quick quiz in preparation for President Obama's speech to America's students today. To succeed in school and in life, you should:

a. work hard

b. set goals for yourself

c. take responsibility for your own actions

d. all of the above

The correct answer is "d," of course. But every American kid knows that already.

And that's the real problem with the president's message, which will be broadcast live on the White House website and on C-SPAN: It's bland, neutral, and mind-numbingly obvious. You can't even imagine a cogent objection to it.

Of course, that hasn't stopped GOP firebrands from trying. In the blogosphere, especially, Republicans have charged that Mr. Obama's speech will indoctrinate students with his supposedly "socialist" views. Across the country, parents have demanded that schools obtain their permission before showing Obama's speech to their children; others have announced that they will simply keep their kids home today.

But there's nothing socialist – or even partisan – about Obama's speech. If you think otherwise, go online and read the text of the speech or the White House's suggested classroom activities to accompany it. One exercise asks children to make a poster of their goals; another instructs each student to "brainstorm" about what qualities promote personal success. Not a word about Obama's positions on healthcare, taxes, or anything else.

And that's precisely the problem here. To really learn, our kids need to confront the real dilemmas that grip our country. No one will learn anything new from yet another bromide about hard work and personal responsibility; instead, they'll tune out.

So how about using this week to teach our children something they don't know?

Consider our ongoing war in Afghanistan, which appears to be losing its support at home. Fewer than half of Americans now say they approve of Obama's handling of Afghanistan, where he has pledged to increase troop levels. Indeed, 41 percent say they want the troops to start coming home, up from 33 percent in April and 24 percent in February.

Are they right? I don't know, myself. But here's what I do know: Our kids need to be reading, talking, and thinking about the answer. Some of them will become soldiers one day, of course, but all of them will become citizens. And they will have to sort these things out for themselves.

What better time than this week? Just three days after Obama's school speech, after all, the nation will commemorate the eighth anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The 9/11 attacks remain at the heart of America's rationale for fighting in Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda planned and financed them.

That's why Obama referred to 9/11 no fewer than five times in his address last March justifying increased troop commitments to Afghanistan. Unless we root out terrorists and rebuild Afghanistan, the argument goes, we will always remain in peril.

I'm not sure I buy that. But I'd like to hear the president make the case for it directly to our young people. And, most of all, I'd like to hear them respond.

That would bring even more of Obama's enemies out of the woodwork, of course, braying about propaganda and indoctrination. But any teacher worth her salt would expose students to arguments against the president's position, insisting that the kids formulate their own.

And to do that, of course, they would have to learn something about the history of the conflict. How many American children know that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, for example, or that the United States supported the anti-Soviet mujahadeen? How many kids could even find Afghanistan on a map?

As soon as the president has finished his dull speech about hard work and personal responsibility, let's get down to the truly hard work of teaching our children how to be citizens. We need to give them the information and skills to debate and decide the most pressing issues of our time, including the war in Afghanistan. That's our biggest responsibility, as adults, and we all need to remember it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20090908/cm_csm/yzimmerman

Yes, my oldest and his friends were not impressed. Said he would rather be in math. LOL To him, it was more of the same old same old. But I guess it doesn't hurt hearing the message over and over esp. for those kids whose parents don't really give a crap-although those kids probably weren't motivated either but you never know.

SHELBYDOG · 09-10-2009, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

That was then, this is now –
How Democrats treated GHWB’s speech to schoolkids
Posted by: Sister Toldjah on September 8, 2009 at 10:22 am

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock the last week or so, you’ve seen and maybe even commented about the controversy surrounding President Obama’s speech to schoolchildren, which he has either already given this morning at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA or will give sometime today (I don’t know the exact schedule of events).

I don’t really have an issue with him giving a speech to schoolkids – provided there is no line in it about how the kids can “help the President” with his agenda (thankfully, there isn’t), and provided it’s pretty innocuous (it is). In fact, it appears as though there is a tradition of sorts surrounding Presidents giving “pep talk”-type speeches to public school students at least once during their respective administrations and usually in the fall.

What’s interesting to me about all this is the hypocrisy angle.

Byron York has a detailed look at how the left treated George H.W. Bush’s speech to school kids in October 1991. They didn’t kick up much of a fuss before the speech, but they sure as heck did after it – even launching a GAO investigation as to whether or not it was appropriate:

Not only that, but lost in all of this is how conservatives are being treated as “nuts” by the MSM for being concerned about what the context of Obama’s speech was going to be (the speech transcript was finally released over the weekend), whereas the MSM obviously played an active role in perpetuating the liberal myth that GHWB’s speech was nothing more than “political propaganda.”

Mainstream media hypocrisy? Check.

Congressional Democrat hypocrisy? Another check.

Same crap, different day.

GayPatriot asks a good question here in wondering whether or not the speech would have been overtly political in nature had conservatives not made such a fuss about it. My guess is that it probably would not have been, and I say that as someone who takes second place to no one in calling out this administration’s shameless political opportunism time and time again.

Let’s save our energy for the bigger battles we will continue to wage against this administration on a number of issues including the war on terror, cap and trade, the free market, ObamaCare, union favoritism, the rights of the unborn, etc. Compared to those things, his speech to school kids is small potatoes, IMO.

Comments

http://sistertoldjah.com/archives/20...to-schoolkids/

Why should D.C. schoolkids listen to Obama?

Why should D.C. schoolkids listen to Obama? He didn’t listen to them.

Would love to see this video played in schools as a follow-up to Obama’s speech.

He’s all for educational values…except when he isn’t.

Not forgotten: http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/02...oolhouse-door/

First, watch this powerful video open letter to President Obama from students who have benefited from D.C. public school choice through the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. Kids who support government monopolies get all the MSM attention. These kids get…ignored

The pro-school choice movement is joined, believe it or not, by the Washington Post editorial board, which writes today that “Ending D.C. school vouchers would dash the best hopes of hundreds of children.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...030101617.html

The question answers itself...

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/08...sten-to-obama/

How can you compare GHWB speech 18yrs ago to Obama's today, especially from people who don't want to look back on the past 8yrs & dare to compare Dubya with Obama today?
Someone had to dig deep for this..........

SHELBYDOG · 09-10-2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

The problem with Obama's speech to kids: It's bland
By Jonathan Zimmerman
Tue Sep 8, 5:00 am ET

New York – Here's a quick quiz in preparation for President Obama's speech to America's students today. To succeed in school and in life, you should:

a. work hard

b. set goals for yourself

c. take responsibility for your own actions

d. all of the above

The correct answer is "d," of course. But every American kid knows that already.

And that's the real problem with the president's message, which will be broadcast live on the White House website and on C-SPAN: It's bland, neutral, and mind-numbingly obvious. You can't even imagine a cogent objection to it.

Of course, that hasn't stopped GOP firebrands from trying. In the blogosphere, especially, Republicans have charged that Mr. Obama's speech will indoctrinate students with his supposedly "socialist" views. Across the country, parents have demanded that schools obtain their permission before showing Obama's speech to their children; others have announced that they will simply keep their kids home today.

But there's nothing socialist – or even partisan – about Obama's speech. If you think otherwise, go online and read the text of the speech or the White House's suggested classroom activities to accompany it. One exercise asks children to make a poster of their goals; another instructs each student to "brainstorm" about what qualities promote personal success. Not a word about Obama's positions on healthcare, taxes, or anything else.

And that's precisely the problem here. To really learn, our kids need to confront the real dilemmas that grip our country. No one will learn anything new from yet another bromide about hard work and personal responsibility; instead, they'll tune out.

So how about using this week to teach our children something they don't know?

Consider our ongoing war in Afghanistan, which appears to be losing its support at home. Fewer than half of Americans now say they approve of Obama's handling of Afghanistan, where he has pledged to increase troop levels. Indeed, 41 percent say they want the troops to start coming home, up from 33 percent in April and 24 percent in February.

Are they right? I don't know, myself. But here's what I do know: Our kids need to be reading, talking, and thinking about the answer. Some of them will become soldiers one day, of course, but all of them will become citizens. And they will have to sort these things out for themselves.

What better time than this week? Just three days after Obama's school speech, after all, the nation will commemorate the eighth anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The 9/11 attacks remain at the heart of America's rationale for fighting in Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda planned and financed them.

That's why Obama referred to 9/11 no fewer than five times in his address last March justifying increased troop commitments to Afghanistan. Unless we root out terrorists and rebuild Afghanistan, the argument goes, we will always remain in peril.

I'm not sure I buy that. But I'd like to hear the president make the case for it directly to our young people. And, most of all, I'd like to hear them respond.

That would bring even more of Obama's enemies out of the woodwork, of course, braying about propaganda and indoctrination. But any teacher worth her salt would expose students to arguments against the president's position, insisting that the kids formulate their own.

And to do that, of course, they would have to learn something about the history of the conflict. How many American children know that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, for example, or that the United States supported the anti-Soviet mujahadeen? How many kids could even find Afghanistan on a map?

As soon as the president has finished his dull speech about hard work and personal responsibility, let's get down to the truly hard work of teaching our children how to be citizens. We need to give them the information and skills to debate and decide the most pressing issues of our time, including the war in Afghanistan. That's our biggest responsibility, as adults, and we all need to remember it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20090908/cm_csm/yzimmerman

Bland is all?
I'd a thought Michelle Malkin would of figured out the hidden sublimanal message Obama was trying to brainwash all the school kids with?

I'm really disappointed in MM.....

speedygirl · 09-10-2009, 06:07 PM

Really bright;

Quote:

The correct answer is "d," of course. But every American kid knows that already.

And that's the real problem with the president's message, which will be broadcast live on the White House website and on C-SPAN: It's bland, neutral, and mind-numbingly obvious. You can't even imagine a cogent objection to it.

Quote:

So how about using this week to teach our children something they don't know?

If it's so obvious there are a lot of people that are barely conscious then. What's wrong with reiterating? Kids need positive reinforcement and encouragement.

Jolie Rouge · 09-10-2009, 06:39 PM

Quote:

How can you compare GHWB speech 18yrs ago to Obama's today, especially from people who don't want to look back on the past 8yrs & dare to compare Dubya with Obama today?

Someone had to dig deep for this..........

Appearently both GW Bush and Clinton chose to leave school hours for teaching and instruction time...

Quote:

Bland is all?
I'd a thought Michelle Malkin would of figured out the hidden sublimanal message Obama was trying to brainwash all the school kids with?

I'm really disappointed in MM.....

MM's point has been "It's not the speech itself; it is the subtext"

My point has been a waste of school time to tell kids to pay attention and stay in school. Counterintuative if you ask me.

freeby4me · 09-10-2009, 06:40 PM

I love how it went from hype and terror over brainwashing kids and creating the next Hitler Youth Brigade to "Its Bland".

But wait, no no, it was because the Republicans "caught on" and made Obama change the speech. Yea, thats it.

freeby4me · 09-10-2009, 06:43 PM

That also doesnt make any sense. What is a better time to tell kids about the importance of school and education then when they are right there at school.

What would have been a better time? When would have been an easier time to "talk" with all students of all the grades?

Jolie Rouge · 09-10-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

I love how it went from hype and terror over brainwashing kids and creating the next Hitler Youth Brigade to "Its Bland".

Perhaps because different people have different points of view ...

Quote:

But wait, no no, it was because the Republicans "caught on" and made Obama change the speech. Yea, thats it.

GOT IT RIGHT AT LAST !
Welcome to the "Dark Side" - what size would you like your t-shirt ?

Quote:

That also doesnt make any sense. What is a better time to tell kids about the importance of school and education then when they are right there at school.

What would have been a better time? When would have been an easier time to "talk" with all students of all the grades?

How about one of the half dozen or so Prime Time live broadcast Presidential Presentation ?? You know like the one he did the very next night ??

hesnothere · 09-10-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeby4me

I love how it went from hype and terror over brainwashing kids and creating the next Hitler Youth Brigade to "Its Bland".

But wait, no no, it was because the Republicans "caught on" and made Obama change the speech. Yea, thats it.

I recognize this, it's called sarcasm.

SHELBYDOG · 09-10-2009, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeby4me

I love how it went from hype and terror over brainwashing kids and creating the next Hitler Youth Brigade to "Its Bland".

But wait, no no, it was because the Republicans "caught on" and made Obama change the speech. Yea, thats it.

Exactly!

I'm sorry I just don't see the waste of classroom teaching time or any other lame excuse for the POTUS addressing school children to study hard & go after their dreams, simple encouragement.
Had it been a speech to put fear into the school children that the POTUS is a very radical, mean & evil man that would of been quality teaching time.