Whether it's FDR, Teddy, Reagan, JFK, Nixon or Obama, it's wrong. Furthering the cult of authority (moral or otherwise) of the Presidency (or any government office) is a bad and dangerous thing. Yes, all of the previously mentioned Presidents have hijacked the media to one degree or another, but with this action Obama is just taking the practice to new frontiers. Just because it happened before in limited or different ways doesn't meant that it shouldn't be resisted when new ground is broken.
I don't care if all he wants to do is wish happy birthday, taking the time and effort to speak to students is beyond his purview and he should be limited to spending his time and our tax dollars on Constitutionally-mandated duties, nothing more, nothing less. I don't see anything in any Constitution, State or Federal, that says that any government official's duty is to speak to students as part of their curriculum. Kurt On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 18:54, Jonathan Link<[email protected]> wrote: > Oh. > My. > God. > President speaks to children. At a school. It's never, ever happened > before.http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909030020 > > It's really sad that there is no debate in this country, just I don't accept > your viewpoint, so I'm going to listen to other people who share the same > views (even though they probably don't share all the same views). If my > daughter could participate I would encourage her to be involved no matter > who is president, even if I disagreed with all of his policies. > Sheesh, are you afraid your kids will be brainwashed in one friggin speech? > On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 6:36 PM, Gene Giannamore > <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> WOT = way off topic or wide open throttle? >> >> >> >> Anyway my bro-in-law wrote this J >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Dear Livermore school officials, >> >> >> >> Here are two Internet links: >> >> http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml >> >> & >> >> >> http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10582301/President-Obamaÿÿ™s-Address-to-Students-Across-America-September-8-2009 >> >> >> >> These links describe the President of the United States ÿÿ™ intent to >> address pre-K to sixth graders live via the Internet. >> >> >> >> I am writing to ask for Livermore schools not to accept this broadcast >> live and/or have an opt-in form sent to parents (so that parents would have >> to agree to let their children view the speech). >> >> >> >> I ask this for the reasons below: >> >> >> >> No Constitutional Authority. The Federal government has no authority to >> send curriculum to state schools and no authority to address minors without >> parental permission. >> No politics in school. There has been no national tragedy that the >> president is reacting to. The President is trying to set a precedent >> whereby he may address our youth directly asserting his influence on >> educational policy. This is political in nature and subject to differences >> of opinion to-which adults may debate but should be transparent to our youth >> (especially 4-12 years old). A live broadcast does not allow parents >> sufficient time to counter the influence of the leader of the free worldÿÿ™s >> perspective on education. >> No usurpation of parental rights. Parents have the unequivocal right to >> guide their children in matters of politics, religion, morality, and etc. >> The president may have rights and responsibilities to speak to the public, >> but will violate parental rights by speaking to minors directly without >> supplying a written transcript or preview of the broadcast. >> No captive audience. Without and Opt-in policy by the Livermore Valley >> Joint Unified School District , our children will be a captive audience to >> the influence of a politician. I believe need not make mention of >> historical abuses of this power by other nations. >> >> >> >> No matter how benign the Presidential address may seem, it reduces our >> liberty and our authority over our own children. So if you do not force our >> students to watch either by not broadcasting or having parents Opt-in, then >> you show your dedication to parental rights and authority. >> >> >> >> Thank you, >> >> Livermore parents >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
