Monday, September 7, 2009

It's a Good Speech

If you haven't heard about all the furor regarding the President's planned remarks for the public school students of America on Tuesday, Sept. 8th, you must have been vacationing at some lovely remote island for the last week! It's been crazy: our local paper is LIT UP with folks sounding off about the radical left and intolerant right and the "propaganda" and other such nonsense. I even jumped in to the conversation, speaking up for a parent's right to preview curriculum and be informed of content in advance. Boy, did that stir up some of the commenters! I can't believe how hateful and heated some members of our community have become.

If you haven't read the text of the speech yet, really, you must go here and read it for yourself. In my opinion, it's a fine speech. Our school district is recording it and giving parents the opportunity to review it for themselves. Some folks (without even previewing the speech, I might add!) are even planning to request that their students be allow alternate activities for the duration of the speech. I'm not bothered by any element of it enough that I'd remove my students from the assembly at school, but I am planning to talk with my kids about it around the dinner table on Wednesday night.

It's a good speech. And it will be an awesome opportunity to talk with my kids about why we work hard in school. And why we strive for excellence in all we do. And what a blessing free education in this great nation of ours really is. . . It's a good speech. You should read it. I'm glad I did.

1 comment:

Aus said...

Morning lady - I have to admit I did a little flip on this one too! My issue was really 2 fold - first off was 'why can't we have the content of the speach? The text wasn't released until the weekend (after schools were closed for the long weekend leaving admin's and parents 4 hours on the morning of the speech to respond!) That's a 'trust' issue that is mine personally with Mr. Obama - and has no place for further discussion here! My other issue was just - it's not the place of the President to be talking in schools! I objected as loudly when George I wanted to do this back in '91 when my older kids were in middle school.

You are correct - it's a good speech and says the right things - and no I don't find the content objectionable - but I couldn't have told you that until last night - and that's and issue for me!

Anyway - well said and spot on!

hugs - aus and co.