President Obama to speak again to schoolchildren. No sign yet of any irrational outcry, but the week is young.
President Obama will give his second annual school speech Tuesday at a Philly magnet school.
One thing about the controversy over the burning of the Quran by the Florida minister is that it’s taken the national focus off the news that President Obama will give his second education speech on Tuesday. (By the way, the bonfire is off, so the heat may now be put on the president.)
Last year, Obama’s televised speech about the importance of education became a political flash point. Many schools either did not show the special address or gave students the option of not watching. Some local parents kept their children at home because they did not want them to listen to the president of the United States talk about staying in school and working hard — which was the entire focus of the speech. There were no hidden political messages, no covert efforts to get kids to demand national health care or vote Democratic.
There doesn’t seem to be a similar outcry this year to the news that Obama will deliver a speech Tuesday at the Philadelphia Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
Or folks just haven’t heard the announcement yet.
The hostility last year toward the Obama school address was nuts. As a reporter, I have covered all sorts of speakers at schools, including candidates for office, members of Congress, pop stars and British royalty. No parents pulled their child out of school for fear of wild pro monarchy rhetoric.
We ought to be delighted that the president is making time again to talk about the importance of education in changing lives and expanding opportunities. I don’t think kids can hear that message enough.
Do you?
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136 comments Add your comment
Dr NO
September 10th, 2010
10:57 am
Phil. When I attended school, sometimes public sometime private, we never not once listened or watched any type of Presidential address. This being the case I dotn quite understand why your pot is boiling over.
Dr. John Trotter
September 10th, 2010
11:04 am
About time that you said something to our “friend” (posing as Science Teacher671, Dr NO, Lee, Proud Black Man, Catlady, et al., and having constant conversations with himself on this blog). I only get “nasty” with him when he thinks that with complete impunity that he can be nasty to anyone without them responding. Maureen, you have a mess on your hands. He is like a spoiled, little only child. He is used to getting his way. Yesterday and the night before, he stepped over the line and started blogging under “John Trotter.” I know that I am not the only “John Trotter” in the world, but I am the only true “John Trotter” who posts on your blog. I let him get by posting under “jt” or “Dr T,” but trolling under “John Trotter” and then speaking gibberish is a little much.
I know who this teacher is (and this is not a threat). I looked askance at his outrageous complaints, and now he is mad. I don’t have a glass jaw. I can take any open “hit” in the media, including your editorials against me in the editorial section, but the “hit” and “run” under the cloak of anonymity is beyond the pail. I wish that this blog required signing in and revealing your true identity.
Maureen, I am not mad at the fellow. I don’t hold grudges. People always say this about me, but they also say that “Trotter” will not walk away from a fight. This fellow is talented but he wastes so much of his creativity and energy with negative comments about race. He’s actually quite intelligent and resourceful, and it is a shame that his talents cannot be better used.
V for Vendetta
September 10th, 2010
11:09 am
Lee,
I don’t think so. Read the history books; Hitler started in much the same way.
Dr John
September 10th, 2010
11:14 am
“I been in the right place
But it must have been the wrong time
I’d have said the right thing
But I must have used the wrong line
I’d a took the right road
But I must have took a wrong turn
Would have made the right move
But I made it at the wrong time
I been on the right road
But I must have used the wrong car
My head was in a good place
And I wonder what it’s bad for”
V for Vendetta
September 10th, 2010
11:15 am
Also, in point of fact, he was preaching a similar doctrine about regaining the country’s glory and unifying through “faith.” It is also eerily similar to V For Vendetta’s fictional Norsefire regime whose motto was “Strength through Unity, Unity through Faith.”
Maureen Downey
September 10th, 2010
11:32 am
@Dr. Trotter, I have corresponded with some of the people you have listed outside of the blog and they are NOT the same person. Honestly.
Maureen
Dr. John Trotter
September 10th, 2010
11:39 am
Maureen, You are willingly naive. It is so easy to set up different email addresses. Supremely easy. It takes five minutes. You are being played…and I think willingly. This is one person. Only one, and I, quite frankly, think that you know this.
Warrior Woman
September 10th, 2010
11:39 am
@Maureen – Love the rewriting of history to ignore the change from the original planned content, including the classroom worksheet, to that final content – after changes brought about by the outcry – of last year’s Obama speech.
@Lee – Isn’t that stretch a typical left-wing tactic? Pretty much everyone the far left doesn’t like gets compared to Hitler at some point.
V for Vendetta
September 10th, 2010
11:48 am
Warrior Woman,
Surely you’ve been on this blog long enough to know that I am as opposed to the far left as I am to the far right.
Dr. John Trotter
September 10th, 2010
11:50 am
Maureen, Even one of my “cousins,” Rev. Jimmy Jack Bourbon, has his own email address. Write to him @ revjimmyjackbourbon@yahoo.com. He’ll hit you back, and you can then say that you “corresponded” with Rev. Bourbon and that he must be a real person. Yep, he’s real! He’s the Rev. Jimmy Jack Bourbon, Pastor of The Hosea Williams Memorial Church of World Peace & Reconciliation Beginning In Clayco. He’s as real as “V for Vendetta” and all of V’s “cousins” (Catlady being the matriarch of that clan). Now Earl of Ft. Liquordale is a “cousin” of mine too. We have a mutual “cousin” in Rev. Bourbon. Would like for Earl to “correspond” to you via email also? If so, I’ll give him a call down at the Condo and ask the Mrs. to tell him to call you as soon as he and Abe and Eli come back from Snook fishing off the bridge at Las Olas Boulevard and 14th Street. In the old days on the Clayton News/Daily blog, some people were writing in and claiming that “John Trotter is really Earl.” Imagine that! LOL.
MMMMMM
September 10th, 2010
11:54 am
Michelle
September 10th, 2010
2:25 am
@Concerned Henry County Parent…
Dream on. You probably dont even vote.
Michelle…….you’re gonna find out on November 2nd how many of “us” actually vote
oldtimer
September 10th, 2010
11:58 am
To many of you..This is boring….To Maureen…good article. I do believe the speech should be watched by parents and discussed at home. Unfortuately the children who need encouragement will not get family direction at home. And much of the discussion on here will not enlighten anyone….
An Adult
September 10th, 2010
12:38 pm
Most of the responses on this blog is simply adults behaving like school yard kids playing the dozens. For all the noise about what the President’s speech means, it is more troubling the example the adults are setting for our kids in this blog. I disliked President Bush and his policies, yet I would have had no objection to him giving a speech to children about the importance of education.
In the final analysis, such a speech by any President should only be reinforcement of what we as parents of all political persuasions should have instilled in our children. Kudos to the President for reinforcing the importance of education to all our children!
Chief Wiggum
September 10th, 2010
12:40 pm
This article started out with a particular slant, with the comment about “irrational outcry”. How about this, Maureen…just say “No sign of any outcry”, and ditch the word “irrational”. Leave it to the reader to decide the rationality of the outcry, okay?
I think folks were more concerned that last year that Obama was establishing a cult of personality. With his gaffes in the last year, folks are far less worried that he’ll use his bully pulpit for political purposes this time.
I have no idea who Dr Trotter’s enemies, real and imagined, are…but I do find it curious that “Proud Black Man” is allowed to do so many ad hominem attacks on other posters, and Maureen apparently lets them stand. He cries about racism, about bigots, calls people pr1cks, and loves to use the word “cuckold” about people he disagrees with, for reasons I do not know. Why is this allowed to stand, Maureen?
Maureen, there is a difference in a candidate addressing a school assembly, and a president doing a teleconference aimed at most or all of the school kids out there. No doubt, the topic actually presented last year by Obama was tame and acceptable, to stay in school and do their best. It’s hard to fault that. The concern was with the possible hand-outs and post-speech class discussions.
V for Vendetta
September 10th, 2010
12:48 pm
Chief Wiggum,
It IS irrational. And any handouts or discussions would be the teachers’ issue to find fault with, not the president’s. I don’t like Obama, but, at this point, we need to try ANYTHING to motivate students of all backgrounds.
Instruction Time
September 10th, 2010
1:03 pm
I lost about 45 minutes of instruction time on this speech last year. Real hard to catch up to where I was over the speech. Half of my kids slept through it. They could have cared less about Obama speaking than a man on the moon. And I teach at a minority-majority school.
Wait, we are still talking about this speech right?
Dr NO
September 10th, 2010
1:10 pm
Obama would be the last thing to motivate anyone let alone a group of 4th grade students. I wonder if “Phil” had as much difficulty with “the children” being unable to view Bush addressing this or that.
Hmmm…
Hamster
September 10th, 2010
1:22 pm
Well in San Antonio, Texas parents received a letter stating the fact that the school will be showing the speech in school to the children. The letter goes on to say that if you do not want to have your child view the speech to state that in a written note and he or she will be taken to a location in the school where the speech will not be shown.
WTH! This is the President of the United States of America for goodness sake. What is he going to say “Hey kids smoke crack”. This is wrong on so many levels….why is it even offered as an option? I can’t recall any other issue other than sex ed that something like this has been done.
Also it is very divisive in my opinion. What are the children that stay going to say or think. Why do I have to watch this? Why do they get to leave? He must be saying something bad if people are leaving. You can’t truly learn unless you pull information, thoughts and opinions from all available sources and it’s even better if you hear it for yourself.
This is a prime opportunity to teach a lesson in Civics/Government showing how people living in a Democracy can listen to one another have different views/opinions and still be respectful. This is disrespect most foul. Let the children practice their listening skills. Get their thoughts on what they heard how it applies in their reality. They may surprise you. Don’t play politics with our kids education.
Dr NO
September 10th, 2010
1:39 pm
LOL @ Hamster. Its Obama and his policies that are divisive. If I had school age children I would have them not view this farce…then again perhaps having them view it would be a better idea. A perfect object lesson for incompetence and ineffectives at its zenith.
Disrespectful? Hmmmm, kinda stretching it there eh? I wonder how many of these so-called liberals/democrats would allow their children to view a President Bush speech? I can almost guarantee the left would be shrieking at their loudest but for Obama, the Emporer, the Messiah, the Grand PooBah, all must bow and worship…Laughable at best.
2 more years of Obama and his TomFoolery and he is G O N E…GONE!
Dr NO
September 10th, 2010
1:43 pm
PS…”Don’t play politics with our kids education.” Good point!! You may want to tell that to our current crop of educators as they are the guilty party.
When my son was school aged I had to de-program him nightly. Had to wipe clean the slate from all the hogwash with which the “curriculum” was feeding him. Teach him some reasoning skills, teach him to question these chowderheads to ask WHY?
Lee
September 10th, 2010
1:52 pm
“….our “friend” (posing as Science Teacher671, Dr NO, Lee, Proud Black Man, Catlady, et al., ”
Really Trotter? And all this time, I was thinking you, PBM, Earl of Liquordale, and a few others were one in the same.
Geesh. Get over yourself.
Hamster
September 10th, 2010
1:57 pm
@ Dr. No. My oldest daughter is now in her second year of college and throughout he life I encouraged her to listen to any and all sides of any argument or view and come to your own conclusions. Needless to say see listened to many a Bush speech and without any prodding from me came to the conclusion that 43 was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Like I stated they can surprise you….LOL.
I do not label myself so-called liberal/democrat and time will tell on Obama’s legacy good or bad. I for one am not happy with the job so far and would give him a C maybe C- grade. As far as “a perfect object lesson for incompetence and ineffectives at its zenith” well we don’t have far to look for prime example…the above mentioned 43 as you so appropriately stated…THAT was laughable at best…tragic at its worst.
Hamster
September 10th, 2010
2:00 pm
“When my son was school aged I had to de-program him nightly”
Dr No…That’s called parenting. That’s your job/responsibility and if more people would do it regardless of political view the world would be a better place.
Dr NO
September 10th, 2010
2:06 pm
Hamster
September 10th, 2010
2:00 pm
On that we can agree!
Proud Black Man
September 10th, 2010
2:11 pm
@ Dr John Trotter
“About time that you said something to our “friend” (posing as Science Teacher671, Dr NO, Lee, Proud Black Man, Catlady, et al., and having constant conversations with himself on this blog).”
Can’t speak for everyone else but PBM isn’t a sock puppet or suffering from multiple personality syndrome. But while we are being catty weren’t you asked, fired, to leave a school district before your contract was up?
Booklover
September 10th, 2010
2:19 pm
Back when Booklover was a youngun during the Reagan and Bush I years, I remember watching the president on TV during the school day quite frequently. (’Course I also remember the Challenger explosion, when my first grade teacher quickly turned off the TV set and sent us out for recess.) Nobody pitched a hissy fit about students watching the Gipper or ol’ GHW Bush.
Frankly, I think the uproar about Obama, in this particular case, was partisan AND racially motivated…and I say this as a white girl with, unfortunately, lots of Republican relatives. Fair is fair. He’s the president. He has an important message. I had to listen to GHW Bush, even when I was of an age to know how a grocery scanner worked, and I listened respectfully because he was the president, even when I thought he was wrong.
This same lack of respect for authority is evidenced by the way in which our society treats teachers.
Dr NO
September 10th, 2010
2:29 pm
“weren’t you asked, fired, to leave a school district before your contract was up?”
LOL!!
Proud Black Man
September 10th, 2010
2:36 pm
LOL! indeed Dr NO. I will be parked out front of the King Center tomorrow at 6:00PM sharp. I drive a red 2010 Challenger. Looking forward to our conversation…
Dr NO
September 10th, 2010
2:44 pm
Well enjoy your Saturday at the King Center perhaps you might learn something about Anti-Violence or save yourself the trouble and pickup a book on the life of Ghandi.
You do know how to read, correct?
PS…you shouldnt broadcast your whereabouts. The cops maybe looking for that stolen vehicle and I know its your cousins or your mama car but possession is 9/10ths of the law. I look forward to seeing you on COPS.
Warrior Woman
September 10th, 2010
3:38 pm
@V – yes, I know you like poking at the extremists on both ends of the spectrum. And there’s sport in that.
But beyond your comments on this blog earlier, it does seem that everyone the far left dislikes gets labeled as Hitler or a Nazi. I’d like to see a little more creativity if we insist on calling names.
Brian
September 10th, 2010
4:07 pm
He might as well talk to school children, by looking at the polls all us adults quit listening some time ago.
Proud Black Man
September 10th, 2010
4:11 pm
@ Brian
“He might as well talk to school children, by looking at the polls all us adults quit listening some time ago.”
Not everyone. Just you tea (insert the name that cannot be mentioned)
@ Dr NO
Coward
Brian
September 10th, 2010
4:17 pm
PBM,
Just say Bah Bah like the rest of the sheep.
trying hard to be patient
September 10th, 2010
5:35 pm
Our County is on Fall Break next week when the speech is suppose to be televised. That’s okay with me. During the speech last year, which was shown during lunch, our students did not watch it like the Principal wanted them to, they just talked(screamed) louder than they normally do at lunch. The Principal was NOT happy with that outcome, so she made all the classes that had been at lunch at the time of the speech watch it again after lunch in their classrooms. The teachers were NOT happy because it took them away from recess and specials that were scheduled for that time. Kids these days are so rude, disrespectful, and inconsiderate that it is not fun anymore. If my own two kids were in school now there would be a lawsuit from us claiming that they are not learning because of all the disruptions of bad behaving students. When a teacher has to take time out of class to TRY to discipline students constantly it is horrible for the students who actually want to learn.
bank walker
September 10th, 2010
6:14 pm
I would hope nobody will let their children listen to this joke of a community planner, I meant President. He and his cronies have done enough damage to this country, and are trying to make us into an African country, from which he is from, and you know what Africa is like. Schools are already to liberal and need to stray from the failing idiots that run it…..the U.S. government. Private schools are the future!
Proud Black Man
September 10th, 2010
6:24 pm
“I would hope nobody will let their children listen to this joke of a community planner, I meant President.”
Typical tea (insert the name that cannot be mentioned) nonsense.
@ trying hard to be patient
“If my own two kids were in school now there would be a lawsuit from us claiming that they are not learning because of all the disruptions of bad behaving students.”
Well thank goodness that your “precious” spawn isn’t in school! Nitwit.
trying hard to be patient
September 10th, 2010
7:20 pm
@Proud Black Man – My “precious” spawn (isn’t – *aren’t* – because I typed two kids) in school now, but, did attend a GA public school and at the time they did attend, schools were much better than they are now. Quit calling people names!! It is probably your children who I dislike being around.
@Maureen – PLEASE ban Proud Black Man from this blog. He is childish for calling people names.
Proud Black Man
September 10th, 2010
9:01 pm
My such a delicate sister. But of course none of the racial epithets bother you do they bigot?
Fred
September 10th, 2010
11:35 pm
Nice column Maureen. I think you hit the high points very well. I agree with everything you wrote (and as you know I don’t always). I thought the garbage last year with parents pulling their kids out of school because the President spoke to them a sad state of affairs.
About the other stuff: How sad. As a fat white redneck, I am happy that my President will talk to our children. I’m glad his wife takes such an active role in promoting health so kids won’t grow up to be fat like me. The color of their skin has NOTHING to do with the stances they have taken. I don’t agree with everything my President has done, but then I didn’t agree with everything my last President did…… or the one before him………. or the one before him……… on so on. But they are STILL my President(s) and I support them in every positive action they take.
Why does everything have to go down to race?
Oh, I remember Catlady from Lt. Steve’s blog. I don’t agree with her all the time either, but if I knew her I’d be proud to call her my friend from what she has written. And I don’t agree with HER most of the time either lol.
Fred
September 10th, 2010
11:36 pm
Redundant last sentence. Sorry.
Fred
September 10th, 2010
11:45 pm
V for Vendetta
September 10th, 2010
9:11 am
++++++++++++++
Very well put.
Fred
September 10th, 2010
11:56 pm
Chief Wiggum
September 10th, 2010
12:40 pm
This article started out with a particular slant, with the comment about “irrational outcry”. How about this, Maureen…just say “No sign of any outcry”, and ditch the word “irrational”. Leave it to the reader to decide the rationality of the outcry, okay?
++++++++++++++
Chief Wigham, I stand corrected. Personally I found the outcry to be irrational but that doesn’t mean it was. I am all for objectivity in reporting and am ashamed I didn’t see the blatant slant in the article.
I still agree with everything Maureen said though. Take out the phrase that was slanted and I daresay you do as well.
Fred
September 11th, 2010
12:01 am
Instruction Time
September 10th, 2010
1:03 pm
I lost about 45 minutes of instruction time on this speech last year. Real hard to catch up to where I was over the speech. Half of my kids slept through it. They could have cared less about Obama speaking than a man on the moon. And I teach at a minority-majority school.
++++++++++++++
Thank God I sacrifice and send my child to Woodward. My (then) second grader watched the speech and then had a spirited classroom discussion about it. She related it to us when she got home.
But then she had a TEACHER not a baby sitter like you apparently are Instruction Time. YOU are a waste of my tax money and should be fired if you are for real.
Fred
September 11th, 2010
12:08 am
@Proud Black (racist) Man: You have a few good ideas, but on the whole, you are a racist ass.
Proud Black Man
September 11th, 2010
7:28 am
@ Fred
You have no good ideas and are a cuckolded sycophant.
“Why does everything have to go down to race?”
I don’t know ask Bilbo, Varner, Watson, Wallace, Felton, Russell, Eastland, Helms, Maddox, Wilson, and the list goes on and on. Naive reprobate…
trying hard to be patient
September 11th, 2010
9:18 am
Thank you Fred!! Proud Black Man – how do you know Fred is a cuckolded sycophant? Wow! Your ignorance is showing – you call everyone that. Why do you think I’m white? I’m NOT!! I would call you a name here, but, I won’t sink to your pettiness! I am not a bigot, I just dislike some of the disruptive students I see everyday.
Retired Educator
September 11th, 2010
10:07 am
The absolute dumbest phrase of late is “We will take our country back.” It reeks of ignorance, stupidity, and a bland willingness to hear and repeat with no understanding.
Philosopher
September 11th, 2010
1:13 pm
@Warrior Woman: while I rarely agree with “V”, I feel coompelled to correct your input.”V” did not call anyone Hitler, She compared the the language, behaviors, and tendency of the sheeple to follow same individual in the same manner, to Hitler and the machanisms he used to brainwash the majority. No name-calling occurred…can’t say the same for some of the foul-mouthed ones running rampant in here, though!
Proud Black Man
September 11th, 2010
6:05 pm
@ trying hard to be patient
I could care less who you are.
Concened Henry County Parent
September 11th, 2010
6:52 pm
It seems that the “side” that continuously calls people hateful names is the “side” that can’t make a reasoned argument using facts and logic. The “side” that’s been in charge since Jan. 1, 2008 is the “side” that’s just about brought this country to its knees. Beginning Nov. 2, 2010, our “side” will begin to take this country back – back from the “side” that’s working very hard to “fundamentally transform America.” We’re done listening to Obama and his “side.” And yes, you better believe I vote!