Ok, so let me get this right. My children can't pray in school BUT Obama can address my children directly in the classroom without my permission and push his beliefs onto them? In case you aren't aware of what is going on, there will be a television broadcast shown to the children next tuesday directly from Obama. Most schools are not telling the parents. Call your schools and let them know how you feel!!!!

I don't know, I can see both sides.  But if you are concerned about your kids being "brainwashed" in school, just make sure you talk to them about it when they get home.  Find out what they heard, share your views and if you disagree, tell them why.  Kids are always going to end up making up their own minds anyway, and talking to them regularly about what you believe is really the best way to influence them.  This is tiny compared to the "no child gets ahead act" - as well as many of the video games that have been designed as military recruiting tools.  Oh, and television, the biggest brainwash agent of all.  My kids are aware of many of the issues, and they have learned to judge the politicians based on those, not on their political party affiliation or what they look like. 

RNprogressive, if you knew Aisha you would know it isn't the 'black guy' she is objecting to. She would never object to something or someone because of race.

I happen to not agree with her on this matter, because I think that telling children to stay in school is a good thing. there are too many dropouts running around out there now. Lets do something to keep children in school. They may go to college and rebel against the consevative xenophobia.....or they might even go to college and learn that tax and spend for government programs will not work.

Don't get me wrong, I am not and never will be an Obama supporter, but I do think he is doing something right for a change with the children.

Presidents George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan both spoke to school kids with the same basic message that Obama is going to use. A lot of you are jumping on the "brainwashing" bandwagon and I'll bet you do not know the original reason this protest started.

The Obama administration issued SUGGESTED lesson plans on using this speech to accomplish several goals for the kids. The sticking point in the beginning was the suggestion the kids write letters to the President telling how they could help him achieve his goals.

But these letters were to be kept by the teachers and then given back to the kids themselves at a later date so the writer could assess whether they reached their goals! These letters were not ever going to be sent to the President. The key word is "suggested", not mandated or ordered.

George W. Bush was IN a school on 9-11.

If this isn't the most divided I have seen the country since the VN war I'll spit. But now we aren't divided on how we are losing our soldiers in a stupid pointless war - we are split over the President! And not how he has let us down or led us into more stupid pointless wars. He hasn't been in office 9 months. No this time it's because of who is President.

Don't say it isn't because the crap started before he was even elected. There are people who are going to go to their graves insisting he sin't a native born American. This, even though the state of Hawaii has declared his birth cetificate valid and confirmed he was born there. But that is probably the result of a huge complicated successful plot by the Democrats, right?

This is reminiscent of Uncle Joe - the jerk who saw a communist behind every bush. Who ruined countless lies accusing people of being a communist even though this is the US - the land of free choice. The number of actual communist sympathizers he exposed pales in comparison to the multitude whose lives he ruined by accusing them falsely.

To blkmaleRN - I can assure you there are those here who hate our President because he is part African American. But after a bunch of arguing with these folks I think most hate him because he is a Democrat.

The GOP has turned into the party that is more closely represented by the back end of the Democratic mascot instead of the elephant used by their party. It represents the worst of what America has to offer.

RNprogressive says ...

Hey aiesha haven't left the country yet?  Of course the president can give a speech to the youth of America about working hard, finishing school and going on to be a productive American citizen.  Did you scream when Nixon, Reagan, Bush 1 and 2 did it or is it only the black guy you object too?  Kids who are doing well in school are less likely to need those abortions so many on this site abhore, will be more likely to go to college and pay their own way for health care benefits which so many here won't accept a public option.  Or is it kids who finish school and go to college might just rebel against the conservative xenophobia of their parents and lead this country into a brighter future?  BOO!!! Educated young people with reasoning skills and compassion in their hearts for their fellow man.  Yeah I'm calling my schools and telling them to let free speech reign it was good enough for the founding fathers and oh yeah seems to be the rallying cry of the teabaggers too. 

Geez make up your minds censorship or free speech...or it it only free speech for those who have your narrow view of the world?

Evidently I can't be American and still disagree with the liberal views of our current leadership.  Have you previewed the President's speech?  Do you know what it contains? If so, wonderful, but I have not been given that opportunity, and I cannot be sure that Obama is not going to use this as an opening for his liberal agenda.  I am the parent of my children, and it is my responsibility to make sure they are exposed or not exposed to what I choose.  That is MY RIGHT as a parent.  The last I knew, Obama had not taken that away from me yet.

Furthermore, I find your racist overtones quite amusing.  This has nothing to do with the fact that Obama is BI-RACIAL (not  black), don't believe that?  Simply ask my BLACK husband or my BI-RACIAL children if I have those concerns.  Seems to me you are far more focused on his color than I am. I have never once mentioned his race being an issue for me in any forum I have posted in.  Pulling the race card is rather outdated, don't you think?  If that's the best defense you have against someone not agreeing with Obamas liberal views then you have much work to do.

Latest statistic: America has a high school dropout rate of 15% overall. For every 100 9th graders entering school for the Class of 2013, only 85 will graduate. Hispanics have the highest dropout rates followed in order by African Americans, White and Asian.

In some cities the rate is absolutely dismal. Detroit hovers around 30%. A poorly educated population dooms all of us to a lower economic status. Just like theft from stores affects every honest paying customer unskilled and uneducated people pose a burden on us all.

Dropouts are much more likely to bear children at a young age, take part in risky behavior such as drugs and alcohol abuse, become career criminals and be parasites on welfare and the associated social programs.

I say anybody who has any possible positive influence on halting this crap should be heard.

Well, it is very simple.  If you are really so fearful of one man's words, maybe you and your kid should wrap yourselves in a bubble and try to shield yourselves from the eeeevvvvviiilllll President of the United States.

Yeah, that'll work.  The idea that one man's speech to kids will "indoctrinate them" is stupid beyond words.

And now I'll actually give you my opinion -

I have no problem with a President addressing children. My problem is the way it was done - it began as a "mandate" from the Dept of Education. I don't think that is proper - that Dept is not charged with directing school systems in their activities.

Did you see the original video that was put out? I did - here's an exact quote:

"I pledge to be of service to Barrack Obama." I can't imagine school children of an earlier day pledging themselves "To be of service to John F. Kennedy" or "Dwight Eisenhower." Service to the USA, okay, but not to the President personally - a bit high handed, I believe...

In addressing school children, I believe the only emphasis should be "Service to my country."

JFK did not say "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for JFK."

This is a great opportunity for my High Schoolers to jump in the debate.  My kids are well informed, opinionated, and love talking/debate.  So, if anything is thrown out by the president that is incorrect, my kids will be all over it, in the debate afterwards.  Can you believe in High School, there are still kids that don't know what communism or socialism is?  I hear it from my kids.  My daughter was told by one of her 'friends' that if she wants a date, or to be popular she better 'dumb it down'.  My daughter thought that was a riot, and said 'I don't know how to dumb it down.'  My son's social studies teacher, told me that my son, loved social studies, and was one of the best debaters in class.

I say BRING IT ON!

Aiesha and Eric get a room!  Careful all that love going on might just make you a liberal!

Aiesha says:

Evidently I can't be American and still disagree with the liberal views of our current leadership.  Have you previewed the President's speech?  Do you know what it contains? If so, wonderful, but I have not been given that opportunity, and I cannot be sure that Obama is not going to use this as an opening for his liberal agenda.  I am the parent of my children, and it is my responsibility to make sure they are exposed or not exposed to what I choose.  That is MY RIGHT as a parent.  The last I knew, Obama had not taken that away from me yet.

Furthermore, I find your racist overtones quite amusing.  This has nothing to do with the fact that Obama is BI-RACIAL (not  black), don't believe that?  Simply ask my BLACK husband or my BI-RACIAL children if I have those concerns.  Seems to me you are far more focused on his color than I am. I have never once mentioned his race being an issue for me in any forum I have posted in.  Pulling the race card is rather outdated, don't you think?  If that's the best defense you have against someone not agreeing with Obamas liberal views then you have much work to do.

Yes I know about your personal choices in relationships and that is fine.  Why then are you threatened by a successful thoughtful mixed race American urging children to stay in school and make a future for themselves?  He, of all politicians, should be a strong example of all you can now achieve in America for your children, regardless of his politics.  What has he done in his policies to hurt you or your family?  Remember the majority of the first stimulus was Bush and the wars were Bush ...

I suggested racism as the cause of the knee jerk response for the vitriol spewed immediately upon hearing the president wanted to address school kids.  You didn't even wait for the transcript.  The transcript is out, it is wonderful and lays down the challange to our youth to face the challanges ahead and never give up no matter what your circumstances.  It is much what any good parent would say to their child.  Oh yeah, as a nurse, I love the part about washing your hands!

Lastly, we had eight long years of Jesus and biblical quotes in speech after speech poured down our throats and our children's throats from Bush.  He evoked the Christian God numerous times in policy speeches and on the international stage.  This is a pluralistic society with all religions represented-- as president Bush should have recognized that and not used words like crusade and verses from the Bible in his speeches.  His speech made us less safe around the world as other religions see us as intolerant and out to destroy them

By the way anyone can pray anywhere they want just not in an organized manner out loud in public schools.  If God is in your heart he knows what you ask or thank him for without a verbal utterance.  You don't seem to give God enough credit.  Public prayer is about conversion and recruiting for Evangelical Christianity do that on your own time with my blessing not in public schools.

Good idea on the Spanish maybe telemundo can broadcast it too in translation or there can be a running translation on the bottom of the screen with Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese etc for the different languages in our schools!  I'll suggest it on the White House website.

I hope those who are frightened or mad about their kids possibly hearing the President stay up every night reading ahead on your kids textbooks. Better stay a week ahead in fact so you can censor anything you deem undesirable, untrue, politically askew of your views and so on.

mrbrownrn49 says ...

I hope those who are frightened or mad about their kids possibly hearing the President stay up every night reading ahead on your kids textbooks. Better stay a week ahead in fact so you can censor anything you deem undesirable, untrue, politically askew of your views and so on.

This really wasn't about the content of the speech, or kids textbooks.  It was about people trying to find a reason to pick at the President.  A wasted effort, and some of these people just plain made a mountain out of a molehill.

mrbrownrn49 says ...

Latest statistic: America has a high school dropout rate of 15% overall. For every 100 9th graders entering school for the Class of 2013, only 85 will graduate. Hispanics have the highest dropout rates followed in order by African Americans, White and Asian.

In some cities the rate is absolutely dismal. Detroit hovers around 30%. A poorly educated population dooms all of us to a lower economic status. Just like theft from stores affects every honest paying customer unskilled and uneducated people pose a burden on us all.

Dropouts are much more likely to bear children at a young age, take part in risky behavior such as drugs and alcohol abuse, become career criminals and be parasites on welfare and the associated social programs.

I say anybody who has any possible positive influence on halting this crap should be heard.

 

 

 

       Yet, it seems many want to provide healthcare for what you call 'the parasites' as well; give them more food so they can learn over the years to expect more food with no effort and raise more in their behavior expecting someone always to give them more (again with no effort).  They would possibly get that in prisions as well (free/low cost healthcare).  Be careful of words as they can turn around and cut cut cut cut you.  Explain further please?

 

High hopes & God speed - Tim, R.N.

Angie use your public school education and read the speech.  There is nothing there anyone wouldn't want their kids to hear.  Seriously, this is a large outcry scaring children and making them fearful of a President asking them to work hard for their future and the future of this country.

Any real American would want the best for our nation and an educated populous, kids who stay in school and graduate and go on to become productive members of society, nurturing that expectation is a role of local. state and federal governments. 

I hope some of you managed the same outrage when GWB sat and read  "MY PET GOAT" while the US was under attack and Americans were dying.  I will never forget that image, he was like a deer in headlights and didn't know what to do.  He should have excused himself thanked the kids and gone and made decisions.  He is the definition of inept and a truly scary President.