Obama Song Controversy and Katrina Song Praising Bush
Not only is the incident itself generating controversy but the accuracy of FOX News' coverage of the outcry against the Obama songs sung at B. Bernice Young School has been challenged by the Raw Story. Raw Story noted that FOX News reported that the the B. Bernice Young School received death threats and went into lockdown, then issued a revised story omitting their mention, and later restored the original version. The Raw Story noted that there is controversy over whether or not death threats were in fact made in connection with the Obama songs' public airing.
New Jersey's Department of Education pledged to investigate the use of the Obama songs to ensure students celebrate African American accomplishments without the introduction of partisan politics in schools.
The Republican National Committee denounced the Obama song video as fanaticism. Chair Michael Steele compared the singing in the Obama video to Stalin's Russia or Sung Jong Il's North Korea in a fundraising appeal. Steele might want to refresh himself on recent history before going any further with his allegations.
The Obama song video controversy is reminiscent of an incident involving school age children and Laura Bush during the White House Easter Egg Roll in 2006. Hurricane Katrina had come and gone, and criticism of the Bush administration's inadequate response was both plentiful and incessant. The Bush White House invited children from the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina to come sing for the First Lady.
What did they sing? To the tune of "Hey Look Me Over," children from states devastated by the hurricane sang:
... Congress, Bush and FEMA
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us
and we join them hand-in-hand!
And those children sang the song praising President Bush in the White House at a national event at the instance of the First Lady, not in a lonely public school auditorium at the instance of an unknown teacher.
The fact that it or something like it has been done before, of course, doesn't make it right that children should be used to promote any political ideology or person. But before the Obama song video controversy gets out of hand, those seeking to use it as political capital might stop and think about the children themselves- if it was wrong to ask them to sing praise to the president, isn't it just as wrong to make them pawns in a public partisan attack on the White House?
Sources: Fox News; Associated Press; Cyberhymnal; Media Matters; Raw Story; Think Progress.
Published by Carol Bengle Gilbert - Featured Contributor in Travel and Lifestyle
2010 Yahoo! Outstanding Contributor of the Year, Carol has consistently been designated a Top 100 Yahoo! Contributor Network writer. She received a 2008 People's Media Award for "Best Article." Web writing... View profile
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34 Comments
Post a CommentInteresting for sure.
I second what Chartlotte said.
Thoughtful and on point. Great!
Another example of a big deal being made over nothing. One addled school teacher went a bit overboard during Black History Month. I don't see the big deal. No one complained about it in February, and all of a sudden, months later, it's news!
I don't think that children should sing praises to anyone in school. Sorry, that's just how I feel. I wouldn't like it if it was another president either.
"I would say in the Bush case that the children were invited guests and thus their parents would be free to decline if they didn't want them singing a song praising the Prez. The school ones bother me more because the kids are graded on these things."~ Carly Hart
^^^That's right, Carly^^^Rationalize the hypocrisy from the Right. And get your facts straight... The teachers gave the children to take home to their parents and there wasn't one complaint.
Is it unhealthy praise of an individual and using kids manipulatively for political gain, or is it just a way to teach small kids a healthy patriotism and to hold their country's leader in high regard? The jury's still out! Great report Carol - First, thanks for telling us of the song to Pres. Bush. I don't think many people know about or remember a song tribute to Bush...it kinda evens the playing field. I think everyone is getting too touchy and reading too much into this stuff. However, if it IS for shady reasons, then it's creepy!
Exploiting children for political purposes may not be proper but its been done by every politican throughout history (the politician kissing the baby cliche). The difference between the two videos is choice of the parents to have the children participate. The Obama song was part of a classroom activity in which partician politics were part of the song. If the teacher got the permission of the parents to take their kids to the White House and sing Obama's praises it would be a different story. Furthermore, for all of you who say Obama deserves praise, you are right. Being the 1st black president is a wonderful achievement and there will be plenty of time throughout history to priase him. We do not praise sitting presidents in this country because they are nothing more than glorified citizens. Honor and respect sure, but never sing their God-like presidents.
NO children should sing praises to any ideology or living person. It's just creepy.
Um, why would I want to read an article with a subject-verb disagreement (the singing . . . continue to generate) in the very first sentence? Please.