Where is our patriotism?

Let me start off with saying… I am livid! I am ashamed of some of my fellow citizens right now and I am embarrassed of what has become of our educational system! I chose to send my 8 year old son to a Christian school because I thought they were above being politically correct or showing blatant disregard for patriotism. This of course paired with the smaller class sizes and above average education they provide. But, the small classes sizes and good education only go so far if they are unwilling to give students what is valuable in this country and that is the ability to participate in our democracy.

In recent months many political topics have come up surrounding Barack Obama. His approval rating has fallen. However, I chose to look deeper into this. I feel that with the overwhelming vote that elected him, not all those people voted for the right reasons. Some voted for him simply because he would make history by being the first black president. Some voted against him solely because of his skin color. Neither of these reasons are good reasons to vote if the voters don’t stay involved and educated as to what becomes of the man in office. President Obama came out with BIG ideas. He campaigned for the presidency with those BIG ideas. Now that he is trying his hardest to implement these BIG ideas he is being ridiculed and seeing a decline in his rating. Part of me can’t help but feel no matter how great he is, he will always have the fact that he is a black man with these ideas and some people won’t agree with him no matter what because of that fact. Of course the opposition has their legitimate reasons for not liking him that have nothing to do with race... I am just speculating on some factors.

I don’t know of any other president that has been called a liar by a congressman in the middle of a speech. President Obama is a man that can’t be torn down! He knows what he believes in, and believe me… he has been called worse! We aren’t talking about sticks and stones and comments yelled out by some no-body on a street speech… we are talking about another elected individual in our government. Even when we don’t agree with policies in government, to attack the facts and call them lies is outright rude.

Which brings me back to my introduction… my son’s school chose to not air President Obama’s speech the other day. This came after much controversy and parents all across the nation threatening to pull their child out of school that day if the school did air it. My message to those schools is… grow some balls. What about all the parents, like myself that believe that the president wouldn’t spew propaganda or political agenda to children and have enough common sense to recognize that to be true? Maybe my son should have stayed home that day because his school decided to NOT air it. Had there not been controversy on the man giving the speech would it have aired with no questions asked? If he had been a white man would it have aired with no questions asked? If he were a republican would it have been aired with no questions asked? Here is a link to the speech… you and your children should watch it… I promise it won’t bite! :-) http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/President-Obamas-Message-for-Americas-Students/

I am disappointed in our educators for not being able to take a stance above the controversy and agree to show the short message no matter what. In 1991 President Bush address the youth of our country. In a very similar manner as Obama, he entered a school and had live broadcasting so that all schools could tune in. He spent a great deal of money advertising, by sending letters to all public schools urging them to watch that day/time. Some people protested that this was a misuse of government funds, but they weren’t threatening to pull their children from the schools if they aired it. That’s absurd! As a student in the 90’s I can remember watching President Clinton talk to students in schools. It made me feel important, and like I mattered in a world where normally adults have all the say so. In 1988 President Reagan spoke to the schools. His speech did touch on taxes and other political subject. Yet, he was not banned from the airways of schools. He was thought to be so charismatic and since he was famous we just rode along with his ideas, never mind if they didn’t work. President George W. Bush also found his way into schools throughout his presidency. Some during school hours, some were not. The city I live in, Hamilton, Ohio was the place that the “No Child Left Behind Act” was signed and applauded in a Hamilton public school. That very same school would not allow Obama’s speech to be played live. http://www.journal-news.com/news/hamilton-news/presidents-address-to-students-stirs-controversy-279785.html

So, I ask… if these men were given the opportunity to be unsupervised, uncensored, and unleashed to the children of the nation, then why was President Obama not given that same opportunity? His speech barely differed from the text of Bush Senior’s speech! Obama’s and Bush Sr. messages were clearly about kids staying in school and owing themselves the opportunity to achieve their goals and get an education… what propaganda is there to be had in that? And why would anyone think that political agenda was ever going to be included in the message?

Last night I overheard the principal of my son’s school talking to another parent. I can’t be certain what the course of the conversation was, but I did hear his response. It was something along the lines of “If the speech had been published before hand I may have shown it, but NO ONE talks to MY kids without telling me first what they are going to say.” I believe he wanted that statement to be true… but I believe the agenda was more to be found in him NOT showing it than what was believed to be a possible agenda from the President. I am disappointed and hurt by his decision and my son should have stayed home to watch it live instead of finding it on the internet later that night. Oh, FYI, the speech was released before the live viewing… maybe the principal missed that???? http://www.factcheck.org/2009/09/obamas-speech-to-schools/ If you find yourself asking if the speech was rewritten, look at this link.

In my opinion and thus far what President Obama has done with his first 8 months of presidency has far exceed the good done in the 8 years of W’s. Below is an excerpt from an interview with him today responding to Wilson shouting “you lie!” during his address at The Hill. He shows true class and level headedness!

Asked if he accepts Wilson's apology, Obama responded:

Yes, I do. I'm a big believer that we all make mistakes. He apologized quickly and without equivocation, and I'm appreciative of that.

I do think that, as I said last night, we have to get to the point where we can have a conversation about big, important issues that matter to the American people without vitriol, without name-calling, without the assumption of the worst in other people's motives ....

Our goals are generally the same, whether we're Democrats or Republicans, and in fact, most Americans don't even think about those labels all that much. They are turned off when they see people using wild accusations, false claims, name-calling, sharply ideological approaches to solve problems. They want pragmatism; they want people to stay focused on the job. And I hope that some of the fever breaks a little bit.

The media can always be helpful by not giving all the attention to the loudest or shrillest voices, and try to stay a little bit more focused on the issues at hand.

http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/seven-falsehoods-about-health-care/ Info on the bill.

Our democracy must be not only the envy of the world but the engine of our own renewal. There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America. ~ President Bill Clinton