Comments on: President Obama Addresses Students

By: corrin

corrin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:13:54 +0000

I thought the speech was fantastic and I think kids SHOULD be watching ALL presidential addresses. When our president makes a speech it’s an opportunity for all to learn, discuss and debate. There was absolutely nothing in this most recent address that the majority of our parents haven’t been teaching all us our entire lives.
corrin´s last blog ..Austonians

By: Laurie

Laurie — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:21:14 +0000

It’s crazy… they banned it in the schools in my town. While I don’t agree with everything he says or stands for, staying in school is definitely a message I can back him on.
Laurie´s last blog ..Only in Texas: Deep Fried Butter & Deep Fried Peaches

By: Norris Hall

Norris Hall — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:55:50 +0000

Ginny, the only way you are going to insulate your children from hearing politcal messages you don’t approve of is to
1. Homeschool them
2. make sure they don’t leave your house
3. take away any communications tools like TV or internet
4. forbid them to associate with any other kids.

Unless you do that you risk exposing them to influences that could be much worse than president Obama’s “stay in school” speech

By: Pat Curry

Pat Curry — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:24:22 +0000

Connie you have inspired me to write a blog post too. This craziness has to stop!
Pat Curry´s last blog ..What I did on summer vacation

By: JMom

JMom — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:23:50 +0000

I think that the controversy just shows how many narrow minded people are still out there and some of them are raising the citizens of tomorrow.

For those who chose to skip the speech, they just missed out on a great learning tool. Whether they agree with the President’s “agenda” or not, wouldn’t it have been better to expose their children to the issues so that they can discuss it intelligently?

My girls, I know, are not always going to believe in the same things I do, and I want them that way! I want them to be able to assess a situation, weigh the pros and cons then make up their own minds about it rather than taking my word for it or any one elses for that matter.

And really, do they really think that kindergardeners will become little Obama followers just from watching this speech? They give our president too much credit. lol!
JMom´s last blog ..Friday Giveaway Hop #4

By: Danna Crawford

Danna Crawford — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:49:15 +0000

Hello, yes I think no matter what your background is, the fact remains he is the President of the United States and the children need to show him respect. And the parents are examples of teaching our children to be respectful.
When they see mommy and daddy acting all goofy then what is that saying?
Danna Crawford´s last blog ..Learn to sell on eBay: Ocala FL: Sept 9, 2009

By: Holly

Holly — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:37:00 +0000

I don’t have children, but I am pretty involved in both my brother (16) and my nieces(8)education. I’m not sure their schools are showing the broadcast as the first day of school is tomorrow, but both my mom and my sister will let them watch it.

Other presidents have done this without any issue. They also have asked students what they can do to help the president to achieve their goals. I really just think people are seeing what they want to see, and not being rational about it. Children/teens should be able to form their own opinions or else later in life they won’t be able to do anything for themselves.
Holly ´s last blog ..Fall Into Autumn With Your Decor

By: Colleen

Colleen — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:22:57 +0000

There’s a huge difference between showing a presidential address to middle school or high school-age students and elementary school children!
I would not let my pre-k child watch any kind of presentation by any politician, democrat or republican, unless I was given the chance to preview it.
And please, don’t pretend that President Obama doesn’t have a political agenda, even when addressing children.

By: Ginny

Ginny — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:32:47 +0000

I don’t understand the controversy at all. If it was last year & Bush was addressing my kids, I’d let them see it. Even though I was and am totally against Bush. It shouldn’t matter who the president is!

Kind of funny, let’s freak out because Obama, oh no a democrat is asking kids to write letters to themselves with goals in it. Oh the horror, he is asking kids to STAY IN SCHOOL. What a shame, this democratic president must just be awful to want our kids to have goals and stay in school.

So all these Republicans are having their kids be taken out of the classroom. That will sure teach them, if you don’t like the president you just opt out of hearing anything. Why bother letting the kids start to form opinions or even maybe talk to them about it when they get home. Tell them how you feel about it, etc. Again let them form opinions. But then again, most Republicans don’t want their kids forming opinions and using their brains. They would rather have them be sheep that just follow along.
Ginny´s last blog ..Review & Giveaway ~ Celebrate Chocolate Covered Cocoa Almonds

By: Norris Hall

Norris Hall — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:29:16 +0000

This whole things is a big double standard. It’s OK for a Republican president to addressed a national audience of students and toot his horn and push his political position but it’s not ok for Obama to tell students to stay in school?

You guys are hypocrits.

On November 14, 1988, President Reagan addressed and took questions from students from four area middle schools in the Old Executive Office Building. The speech was broadcast live and rebroadcast by C-Span, and Instructional Television Network fed the program “to schools nationwide on three different days.”
In his speech to students and the question and answer session following Reagan

1. stressed the importance of low taxes and free trade. Next he
2. stressed the importance of religion in our nation.
3 touted the economic achievements of his administration ,
4.put in a plug for the line item veto,
5. told the students that lowering taxes increases revenue
6. boasted of his administrations aid to Negro colleges
7. and told students that if guns were banned, burglars would be “celebrating forevermore”

Go ahead. Read Reagan’s entire Televised speech to the students here at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library archives.

http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1988/