The Obama school address has become a big story. AP Photo Alex Brandon
In my original coverage of the "Obama school speech" I criticized not so much the speech itself as the accompanying materials that went with it. As I noted I find nothing wrong with the President speaking to the nation's schoolchildren particularly when the message is about hard work and setting educational goals. The problem was that some of the accompanying lessons with the speech included poorly worded questions about how students could "help the President."
It turns out the White House must be listening to conservative critics of the lesson plans as they are now changing the language. No longer will students write letters about helping the President but instead the lessons now ask them to "Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short?term and long?term education goals."
This is much better but in all honesty will do little to calm many conservatives who view the speech itself as Orwellian. The story has provided perfect fodder for conservatives who are depicting the President as a tyrant invaded every aspect of our lives. I still believe the fears are overblown and that more damage will be done to children by keeping them out of school that day than by having them listen to a benign, and dare I say even encouraging message from the President.
The video below demonstrates some of the extreme hysteria being promoted by the conservative media over the Obama school speech.
Comments
Why did the Obama administration change the support materials? And has is the speech I just read the exact same speech Obamaplanned to give? Or perhaps did Obama and his minions alter it based on the 'unreasonable' uproar from regular, freedom loving, constitutional-following Americans?
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Oh! I get it! We should all just be 'sheeple' and follow the Messiah? Don't question anything proposed or done by our Glorius Leader - he knows what's best for us and our children.
Not!
Seems more prudent to listen to the speech before casting aspersions. Did you have similar concerns when Bush read and spoke to school kids?
No one's asking you or anyone esle to follow any Messiah. No one is asking you not to question....but methinks you're making much ado about nothing....
Robert Moon is spamming The Activity Pit again: twi.cc/lAlq
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