Obama is taking more criticism for his school speech. AP Photo Alex Brandon
The President's planned address to the nation's students next Tuesday has certainly riled up a good part of the conservative base. Commentators like Glenn Beck have gone as far as to call for parents to let their students skip school on the Obama speech day. Some parents are following Beck's advice and forming opposition groups in response to the speech. Many school districts now have a headache from dealing with complaints and others have canceled plans to show the speech altogether.
In response to these protests liberals, and even some conservatives, are calling out the opposition as absurd. Joe Scarborough issued a condemnation to all those making a huge deal out of the speech. In the interview below a self-described Libertarian and Obama opponent also states the opposition to the speech is simply over-the-top.
What will really start to make people upset however is new allegations of racism and bigotry made toward those opposing the speech. In the clip below David Schuster of MSNBC brings up the "racism" allegation which has been made by some liberals against the conservatives opposed to the speech. The charge is that those opposing the speech are simply doing so because of a negative reaction to the President's race and not because of the actual speech.
I for one do not believe racism is really at the heart of the opposition effort to the Obama speech. I have consistently said that I believe those opposing the speech are overreacting but I do not believe racism is their motivation. Instead I believe conservatives just have issues with a liberal addressing school students. If President Clinton had tried to give the same message (especially after the Lewinksy affair) I think we would have seen a similar conservative reaction that we are seeing today.
This is not to say I in anyway agree with the conservatives opposing the speech. I still believe they are overreacting to a harmless, and potentially beneficial, speech from the President to school children. As the Libertarian commentator says in the clip people should be glad that the President is attempting to encourage children to value their education and work hard in school. In addition I believe that conservatives are somewhat hypocritical in disapproving of President Obama's address when both Presidents Reagan and George H. W. Bush gave similar nationwide addresses without such a conservative uproar.
So in conclusion I do not believe those opposing the Obama school speech are racist. However I do believe they are somewhat hysterical, hypocritical, and premature in their condemnation of President Obama's address to school children.
Comments
Obama might not be a racist and his speech will most likely not advocate such a sentiment, but I do not like the fact that in some schools there was advertising of celebrities endorsing Obama with "Support Obama" as a message as opposed to the usual "Do well in school'" which it should be. Students in school should not be influenced to support the President as it is a form of just that, influence. These students are young and intelligent but are in need of having to be able to make up their own mids. You can influecne them from tv, but using the schools as a platfrom to influence them is too blatant. Students link school to learning and influencing them in school with "Support Obama" is just like teaching them that they should support Obama. It takes away their choice as they think that is what they need to do when they hear it at school. I am not against Obama, but I am against the way that some of these messages are projected. Dont project them in schools, give them a choice.
In response to the above "opinion," Barack Obama is the President of the United States--of the right wing, left wing and everyone in between. Whether you agree with all of his policies or not, there is nothing wrong with children being encouraged to be supportive of their president, in general. Wanting an administration to fail because it is not the one for which you voted is divisive and not what this country needs right now.
New charges of racism being made toward those opposing Obama school speech
So! The term has been so perverted it no longer has meaning.
Everybody is a racist so it no longer matters.
While the majority of the anti-Obama people may be "not racist", the majority of racists (in the actual meaning of the term) are certainly anti-Obama.
Anyone who puts the success of their party (or racial group) above the success of America (and our future success as embodied in our schoolchildren) must not be very patriotic.
Why does the right-wing-nut fringe hate America? Because Obama is our President?
The opposition to Obama's speech is just a symptom. The disease is that of not trusting the president. I voted for Obama but feel he has lied about almost everything he promised. I also feel he continues to lie about the provisions of his healthcare plan. Pushing the stimulus through and then trying to do the same with obamacare sent red flags up for me. Once trust is lost, it takes a long time to regain.
I am so tired of the race card. After Obama was elected I felt we would continue with a somewhat post racial era, but again the complete opposite has happened. People are calling each other a rascist on both sides at the drop of a hat. Of course the Gates incident didn't help at all. I haven't seen such contempt about race since the 60s.
I know for me it is the scariest time in the history of this country that I can remember in my 60 years.
God Help Us
When are people going to come to grips with the sad fact that this country is a hatefilled place? Hate has always been a central figure in our history and unfortunately it probably always will be. It just brings to light the strength and determination that is necessary to bring progress and change. It's not fair to call these people anti-American just anti progress. Personally I can't imagine what ignorance it must take to allow ones self to succumb to the will and thoughts of someone like Glenn Beck but the fact that people listen to him and even worse go out in public and defile themselves and shred all personal dignity by repeating his thoughts just shows the sorry state of affairs our society is in.
bszone! racism is still meaningful but has now become more insidious because it's now commonplace to deny it's existence. obama is the 1st president to be accused of indocrinaton for wanting kids to write "how i can help the president" letters. bush did the SAME in '91...no protest! obama's the 1st president asked to show proof of citizenship. screams of fascism, socialism...etc are hurled at obama with no (or very little) editorial push back from the alledged "obama loving" media. i agree that 'racism' is a word over-worked at times. however, to deny the obvious, is just a slippery way of DISARMING those who are it's true victims.
These are the type of people who'd rather see their house in fire burned down, rather than having a Colored firefighter save it.
These are the same kind of mentality who'd rather have a still born baby, rather than having a Colored mid-wife save their baby.
If you want to go to hell and ignorance you know who to follow
laura! blacks are no longer referred to as 'colored people'. just as we longer refer to asians as 'orientals'!!!
Racism may not be "at the heart" of opposition...but it CERTAINLY is an underlying cause and perfect for fear mongering conservatives to play into...
Robert Moon is spamming The Activity Pit again: twi.cc/lAlq
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