Is the Obama Speech to Students an Indoctrination?

What is wrong with President Obama giving a speech to students? At present, President Obama is scheduled to give a speech to school students on September 8. And some conservatives are up in arms about it. The speech will be broadcast nationwide. Schools have been asked to allow their students to watch the President Obama's speech but doing so is completely voluntary. Still, some (who apparently still do not understand what voluntary means) believe that the president is going to indoctrinate children nationwide with his "socialist" views.

Sounds like someone needs to stop watching "The Manchurian Candidate" and obsessing...

Many other presidents in the past, not just President Barack Obama, have given speeches to students and most thought having the president speak at their local school an honor. Presidents have a long history of visiting schools, talking to students, giving a small speech. George Bush did it (in fact, he was at an elementary school on September 11). Bill Clinton did it. George H. W. Bush did it. And President Barack Obama wants to do it.

Apparently, the tradition is about to change, if some get their way. According to ABC News, conservatives like Jim Greer, Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, are leading the charge, "As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology."

Back in 1991, the New York Times reported that Democrats raised a hue and cry about taxpayer dollars being spent on a speech by President George H. W. Bush. However, the rhetoric stayed on the expenditure of taxpayer dollars and was not flavored with left-wing propaganda against the President.

"The idea that school children across our nation," Greer said, "will be forced to watch the President justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other President, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power."

Notice the use of the word "forced to watch." It is a voluntary program. It is doubtful that many conservative teachers would turn President Obama on during his speech anyway. And it hasn't been so long since much the same words were used to describe how President Obama would speak at Senator Edward M. Kennedy's memorial service.

Politics were left behind then. It is understood that President Obama will leave them behind during his speech to the nation's students as well.

Although partisan bickering is a constant no matter whose administration happens to be in power, it might behoove some politicians to curb their enthusiasm for such buzz words like "socialist" and "forced" and "bypassing American parents" and "invasive abuse of power."

Democrats never said those things about President George H. W. Bush's nationwide speech to students (which was, by the way, a voluntary viewing experience as well). They simply called into question his use of taxpayer dollars from the Education budget.

And to think that President Obama would have such sway over one's own children with one speech says a lot about the fears of Jim Greer. But if Jim Greer believes that his children can be indoctrinated so quickly, one might want to worry about Jim Greer's parenting style. And as ridiculous as that sounds (and, admittedly, it does sound ridiculous), so do the histrionics of Greer and those like him. If Obama's speech to the nation's students worries a parent to the point of distraction, then the parent should send a note to school with their child so they can be dismissed from the classroom when President Obama gives his speech to the students. A worried parent could even keep their children home from school, as Fox News' reactionary talk show host Glenn Beck has suggested.

In the end, listening to President Obama's speech to the students is voluntary, not compulsory.

So what is all the controversy about? What is the speech about. According to Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan "He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens."

Another White House spokesman said, "This isn't a policy speech. This is a speech designed to encourage kids to stay in school."

Teachers and principals across the nation have received a copy of the speech for pre-screening purposes. Jim Greer knows this. He also knows that watching Obama's speech to the students is not compulsory. And yet he said that the President was going to "spread liberal lies" and "indoctrinating America's youngest children before they have a chance to decide for themselves."

It would appear that the indoctrination of Jim Greer's children by Obama may be years too late.

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Sources:

ABCNews.go.com
NYTimes.com