Last night we received a recorded phone announcement from our public school telling us that President Obama will be speaking to all students Wednesday, and letting us know we can opt out of the speech if we wish.
The recording instructed us to go to Whitehouse.gov to get more information. I dutifully went to the site to read the speech, as I did last year and the year before. This year, information on the speech was nowhere to be found. Nor did it show up on any Google searches I tried.
So I took time to call my school and school district, but they couldn’t find information on the speech either. I guess parents aren't in the official Whitehouse loop any more.
This may be the first year I opt my kids out of the speech. Here are 5 reasons why:
1) Pretty Words Are Powerful
Armed with great speech writers and a teleprompter, President Obama can be a powerful persuader. As a first-term senator, he wrested the democratic presidential nomination from Hillary Clinton’s sophisticated political machine and won the hearts of millions of Americans with pretty words and poll-tested phrases.
A majority of people voted for him, notwithstanding readily available evidence that his words were not congruent with his record.
Now, almost three years into his presidency, many of his former supporters recognize that President Obama is not what they thought he would be.
But most students don’t follow politics. They are unaware of Obama’s attack on the Constitution, his usurpation of power, and the unprecedented path of destruction he is leaving behind.
A majority of people voted for him, notwithstanding readily available evidence that his words were not congruent with his record.
Now, almost three years into his presidency, many of his former supporters recognize that President Obama is not what they thought he would be.
But most students don’t follow politics. They are unaware of Obama’s attack on the Constitution, his usurpation of power, and the unprecedented path of destruction he is leaving behind.
2) Sweet Sounding Promises Persuade
Following the pattern of progressive politicians everywhere, President Obama uses your money to make promises he can’t keep. Almost always unrealistic, socialist policies can overwhelm and destroy our economy at this time when the country is already staggering under the burden of unprecedented debt.
Adults with more experience in the real world usually recognize political posturing and unrealistic promises, but kids may not. It feels good to believe that government can solve all our problems. But it’s a lie, and a ploy to gain unprecedented power for politicians and restrict individual liberty of the citizens.
Adults with more experience in the real world usually recognize political posturing and unrealistic promises, but kids may not. It feels good to believe that government can solve all our problems. But it’s a lie, and a ploy to gain unprecedented power for politicians and restrict individual liberty of the citizens.
3) Education Is Not The Role of the Federal Government
The Constitution clearly defines and limits the role of the federal government. The states are responsible for education, not the federal government.
In the 40 plus years that the federal government has been involved in education, the performance of students and the quality of education have decreased dramatically, while costs have skyrocketed.
Every time President Obama promises kids he will make sure they get a good education and says he will provide what they need, he creates an impression that directly conflicts with the Constitution he has sworn to uphold.
In the 40 plus years that the federal government has been involved in education, the performance of students and the quality of education have decreased dramatically, while costs have skyrocketed.
Every time President Obama promises kids he will make sure they get a good education and says he will provide what they need, he creates an impression that directly conflicts with the Constitution he has sworn to uphold.
4) The Speech Creates an Opportunity for Political Activism
Most teachers have been educated in liberal institutions of education. Almost all teachers are members of the National Education Association (NEA), the official teacher’s union.
The NEA has already endorsed Obama in the 2012 election, even though the Republican nominee has not been chosen yet. No surprise there though. The NEA has never endorsed a Republican candidate for President.
As I remember, previous speeches President Obama gave were good. But future speeches of his, or of another president, may not be acceptable. And even if the President’s speech is fine, activist teachers can continue the discussion, infusing political propaganda into the classroom.
The NEA has already endorsed Obama in the 2012 election, even though the Republican nominee has not been chosen yet. No surprise there though. The NEA has never endorsed a Republican candidate for President.
As I remember, previous speeches President Obama gave were good. But future speeches of his, or of another president, may not be acceptable. And even if the President’s speech is fine, activist teachers can continue the discussion, infusing political propaganda into the classroom.
5) Precedent Is Being Set
These speeches are setting precedent. Public schools should not be a forum for government messages, or to favor one political party over another. Maybe it’s time for us to remind the President of the limits the Constitution places on him.
