Vodkapundit: Keep your kid home from school for Obama’s speech
posted at 5:15 pm on September 2, 2009 by Allahpundit
Really? One pap-filled 20-minute speech about working hard and serving others is so lethal a threat to tender minds that they have to be yanked off the premises for the day to shield them from it? Or is this more of a protest in principle at the idea of the president giving a captive audience of schoolkids a pep talk on civics?
Nope, Obama can’t just say hey to the kiddies and encourage them to do their homework. He has to make this a — what does the Left call it? — a teachable moment. A speech-in, if you will. Teachers have even been given handy instructions on how best to integrate The One into the classroom…
If my son were in a public school I’d call him in sick next Tuesday. I’d keep him home. I suggest you do so. I urge you to do so. If pressed, be honest about your reasons — but be reasonable about presenting them. Otherwise, don’t offer an explanation. Make it a silent protest.
And while your kids are home, think up some patriotic games to play…
Spread the word. Pass the link around. And see if the President’s face is still smiling, when he realizes he’s talking to half-empty classrooms. Do make it a teachable moment — one where the would-be teacher does the learning.
I’m with CJ. If this turns out to be some hamfisted attempt by The One to pitch his agenda to kids — which would be politically insane given the outcry it would cause, a sneak preview of which may be found here — there’ll be ample time for outrageous outrage later. For all the media fainting spells over Obama’s oratory, you can count on one hand the number of truly memorable lines he’s uttered; I doubt he’s going to come up with such a corker next week that kids will be planning their lives around it. Remember, this is the same guy who can’t sell universal health care, the virtual raison d’etre of the Democratic Party these days, to the Blue Dogs. Besides, there may be special resonance for black students in watching Obama pitch the value of education. If he inspires a few kids to hit the books harder, more power to him.
Irresistible exit question: If it’s true that “state indoctrination of children is a hallmark of totalitarian government” (never mind that various subtle forms of indoctrination are happening in schools constantly), does that mean atheists were right all along in opposing prayer in public schools?
Blowback
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I’d just like to see the full transcript a few days prior to the speech. That would make the whole thing a non-issue.
BadgerHawk on September 2, 2009 at 5:16 PM
Preemptive strike.
If this one is glossed over he can ramp up the next one.
- The Cat
P.S. Blogging all this time and you still don’t know how this works?
MirCat on September 2, 2009 at 5:17 PM
I intend to.
El Presidente Mistake ought to be apologizing to these poor kids for what he did to their futures.
TexasJew on September 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM
No.
bridgetown on September 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM
There’s 224 comments on this topic already in the headlines thread. AP, please pull them down here.
RushBaby on September 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM
I knew yesterday that this was going to be HUGE. I spoke to a WH corres. on Twitter today and they seemed to be oblivious to the story. I warned him that Obama was about to step into it big time…AGAIN!
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Its not the biggest a deal, of course the white house spin on how he is the First President to reach out to kids directly is stupid and asking for a political counter attack.
rob verdi on September 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Care to elaborate?
Allahpundit on September 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM
I hope there’s an apology for the crippling debt he’s saddled them with.
BadgerHawk on September 2, 2009 at 5:19 PM
No, it means that those opposed to public schools were right all along.
JohnJ on September 2, 2009 at 5:19 PM
What’s he going to say? A message of good luck and study hard would be fine with me.
Ted Torgerson on September 2, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Oh, brother.
faraway on September 2, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Don’t forget the over 500 comments about it on yesterday’s thread. This isn’t over by a long shot.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2009 at 5:20 PM
for the record many school district won’t even have any kids in school on the 8th as the teachers will be in conference.
rob verdi on September 2, 2009 at 5:20 PM
My kids will enjoy a 4 day weekend.
Daggett on September 2, 2009 at 5:20 PM
I want to see the absentee numbers for the day. It’s like the converse of a tea party.
Vashta.Nerada on September 2, 2009 at 5:20 PM
As required by the state? Yes. Opposing allowing it at all on school grounds? Hell no.
MadisonConservative on September 2, 2009 at 5:21 PM
I disagree with AP and LGF… this is grooming plain and simple… the teacher handout gives it away…
ninjapirate on September 2, 2009 at 5:21 PM
It’s not the speech, it’s the instructions sent out by Arne Duncan and the knowledge that thousands of militant NEA teachers WILL use it to indoctrinate kids. My kids are smart enough not to listen to Obama’s BS, but I’ll be damned if I will have them write essays on what they are going to do to help him, or get on their teacher’s bad side for refusing to do it. I’m battling enough liberal BS in their schools already.
I’m actually worried about this, because I already had plans for my kids to miss school that day due to family travel. I don’t want them being accused by their teachers of being part of a “right-wing boycott.” My son is a junior and will need college recommendations from some of these people.
rockmom on September 2, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Its the Precedent this sets.
I don’t want ANY politician speaking to children in school…
I also don’t want interuptions in the Teaching process… our children are doing poor enough in school, why take this time away from teaching them Reading and such.
Romeo13 on September 2, 2009 at 5:21 PM
A Joker T-Shirt and headphones might work.
faraway on September 2, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Can the author be OT?
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2009 at 5:21 PM
It is not as much what BO says as how the teachers will use this teachable moment now that BO has given them an opportunity to Pledge Allegiance to Barack Obama. Besides, I have banned CJ from my website…or something like that.
d1carter on September 2, 2009 at 5:21 PM
I really have a problem with this. I don’t care what he says in the infomercial. We have an open house tomorrow and I will ask if it will be shown. I really don’t know how to deal with it though.
On one hand, Ii would happily pull my child out for the 20 minutes but it is the first day of school and my child could use the same start as every other kid.
In other words, once again, I’m between a rock and a hard place because of this jerk in the WH and it is going to be a very very long 3.5 years.
ORconservative on September 2, 2009 at 5:22 PM
How about this: Just like how prayer should be in schools, give the kids a choice. They can stay inside and watch Obama’s speech, or go outside for recess.
MadisonConservative on September 2, 2009 at 5:22 PM
ditto
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2009 at 5:23 PM
The problem is that he can’t be trusted. He’s demonstrated repeatedly that he capable of the grossest lies and distortions in service of…himself. Why should I let him even attempt to use my children in that way?
brobin on September 2, 2009 at 5:23 PM
This move, on it’s face, is right out of the Clinton playbook. In order to get the heat off of you, do something, do anything, involving “the chldren”. Billy Jeff played this to perfection. After all, how can anyone be against doing something for our dear little children? Gotta bring up the poll numbers three, maybe four points.
But Obama is no Clinton. He’ll misplay this sure-fire move, and won’t be able to resist giving a Stalin-like performance, stroking his uncontrolled ego and turning it into a political indoctrination of the wee folks.
Obama will blow it, same as every other maneuver he has tried to pull off. There will be huge blow-back on this one.
fogw on September 2, 2009 at 5:23 PM
- Bill Ayers (same guy who recently went to an “education” conference and was greeted like a hero in Caracas Venezuela)
Now, what could he mean by changing the dominant discourse? Oh well, nevermind because I’m sure Obama would not be influenced by Ayers. (could he?)
Its that pesky trust issue again. There is none.
elduende on September 2, 2009 at 5:23 PM
Allahpundit, why would you trust this stunt? It’s a PR move aimed at children…
ninjapirate on September 2, 2009 at 5:23 PM
can’t convince the folks, so try to hypnotize the kiddos…
cheap
weak
Leadership?
ted c on September 2, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Barack Obama is not someone I would trust my kids with. And judging by all of his past self-serving actions I think it’s a safe bet that this will be NEA-backed liberal indoctrination.His speech might not be as bad as all of the teacher’s gushing over him all day and giving worship-the-One homework assignments.
DCJeff on September 2, 2009 at 5:24 PM
The Department of Education is directing schools to have children write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.
This is sinister and wrong. I’ll bet every single one of those childrens’ names also go straight into a central database.
RushBaby on September 2, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Communism, you know? For kids!
daesleeper on September 2, 2009 at 5:24 PM
As a person with a personal history of facing punishment in school for standing up to a NEA teacher (disagreeing with her that the soviet system was superior, disgreeing with unilateral disarmament, and disagreeing with evolution being a proven fact), I am disappointed at your lack of concern.
Vashta.Nerada on September 2, 2009 at 5:25 PM
Did anyone see the History Channel piece “Hitler and the Occult” this week? It had a very pointed segment on how Hitler reached out to school children, toward developing the “Hitler Youth” movement. It made me think of this outreach Obama’s up to this week.
Keep your children home. Indoctrination via government schools is too easy. Just sayin’.
Fishoutofwater on September 2, 2009 at 5:25 PM
Those of you who are saying this is panic are focusing on the wrong issues. I’m not afraid my kids would become indoctrinated. They’d probably fall asleep or resent the whole exercise.
The issue is that Obama is behaving like he’s already Hugo Chavez. To him, it’s all about HIM and the state, even to the point of making the exercise about what kids can do to help the president.
I’ll tell you what kids can do to help the president. They can stay home and send him the message that it’s NOT all about him. They can stay home and send him the message that HE works for US. I could continue, but I think you get the idea.
Daggett on September 2, 2009 at 5:25 PM
El Presidente Mistake ought to be apologizing to these poor kids for what he did to their futures.
TexasJew on September 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Absolutely!
maverick muse on September 2, 2009 at 5:25 PM
If Obama truly wants to inspire students, he will re-instate the School Voucher Program!
Words alone will fall flat unless Obama is prepared to backup with actual deeds. A great place to start would be california; they have the highest paid teachers and the second lowest scoring students in the country.
Oh, and keeping your students home that day may not work; I expect the teachers to assign homework which may effect the GPA of jr/sr high school students…
TN Mom on September 2, 2009 at 5:25 PM
No, AP. What, you think a religious-free school zone is neutral? Think again. These kids are being taught from one kind of worldview or another. You clearly think that should be secularism. Well, you’ve got your wish.
If parents in this country were smart and responsible, they wouldn’t send their kids off to those indoctrination centers at all.
2Brave2Bscared on September 2, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Daaaaaaamn.
Nice one.
MadisonConservative on September 2, 2009 at 5:26 PM
I discovered the name of the speech:
“Obama Youth: Origins”
faraway on September 2, 2009 at 5:26 PM
He doesn’t have kids. It’s a PR stunt aimed at your kids.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Allahpundit doesn’t mind totalitarianism as long as it’s human.
BigD on September 2, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Brilliant idea, but I can see a lot of the NEA teachers giving them the option to watch or do math.
It shouldn’t be shown to them in the classroom. If he wants to address them, do it after school. I wouldn’t even mind if they announced it during class, but no assignment due the next day to make them watch.
pannw on September 2, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Well, he has set a great example so far. Almost everything he has done since January 20 could be summed up in 3 items:
1. Vote “present”
2. Make propaganda speeches filled with lies and contradictions
3. Go on expensive dates, trips and vacations all on the taxpayer’s dollar
Daggett on September 2, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Good point… why should he care?
ninjapirate on September 2, 2009 at 5:28 PM
FIFY
JohnJ on September 2, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Here’s a link to the headline post on the same topic.
Mary in LA on September 2, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Tell that to these black students in D.C. whose educational values Obama doesn’t give a damn about…
Michelle on September 2, 2009 at 5:29 PM
If I had kids, which I inevitably will in a few years, I wouldn’t be too worried about this whole thing, because my kids would be immune to it. Helps to have been raised conservative and pissed off more than one teacher in your childhood.
MadisonConservative on September 2, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Or how about getting rid of the public school system all together?
2Brave2Bscared on September 2, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Oh yes, and as one former US Marine said at a Town Hall meeting, “LEAVE MY KIDS ALONE!!!!”
Fishoutofwater on September 2, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Does Mr. Johnson have children? I bet if Mr. Obama was going to talk about intelligent design he would change his tune pretty darn quick.
Cindy Munford on September 2, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Obama, hear me, STAY THE F¥€K AWAY FROM MY KIDS!
TXUS on September 2, 2009 at 5:30 PM
It’s not a good idea to keep them home, and it speaks to the cliff Obama is driving a good many on the Right off these days.
He’s still the President of the United States. If somebody makes your kid write a garbage essay on the merits of adoring him, then complain about it. The nation’s children won’t be brainwashed by twenty freaking minutes.
He’s not psychic…he’s not psychic…
Black Yoshi on September 2, 2009 at 5:31 PM
What about allowing the school to mandate it for all students? Or allowing to the school sponsor it officially (for example, calling for a school-wide prayer meeting in the main auditorium that students may opt out of), as opposed to simply letting students form these groups on their own?
tneloms on September 2, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Obama screwed a bunch of poor, mostly black, inner city kids out of a chance at a better education here in DC by removing the voucher program…for the NEA.
DCJeff on September 2, 2009 at 5:31 PM
+100
Daggett on September 2, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Na. Homosexual couples can’t reproduce, fortunately.
2Brave2Bscared on September 2, 2009 at 5:31 PM
VDH addressed this on Hugh Hewitt’s show yesterday.
aquaviva on September 2, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Notice AllahP didn’t bother addressing any of the study questions, such as:
What do you think the president wants me to do?
BigD on September 2, 2009 at 5:31 PM
If I had school-age children going to public schools nowadays, I would definitely keep them out of school on the 8th.
Fuzzlenutter on September 2, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Yes, the vanity issue of the molestation of atheism — that’s what this is about.
Stephen M on September 2, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Like I said above, it’s not about the fear that our kids will be brainwashed.
Daggett on September 2, 2009 at 5:32 PM
This megolamaniac just can’t stop himself from forcing himself on EVERYONE, beyond proper etiquette, beyond what is tolerable.
This Obama Show And Tell is sick. Forcing little kids to “take sides” is what’s in store.
We already know that the school teachers union is devoted to Obama. Any non-compliance or undesirable picture or doodles drawn or unflattering words will mark the child with the school authorities. Obama is providing schools with this opportunity to determine which students to favor and which to intimidate in the future as these children grow.
I would keep my children home.
maverick muse on September 2, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Still discussing with hubby, looks like four day weekend,for me and mine.
TXMomof3 on September 2, 2009 at 5:32 PM
If he is so interested in the importance of grades, etc. then he needs to finally release his own transcripts and let the kids enjoy their schoolday.
I am fully capable of encouraging my daughter’s educational excellence. i don’t need the State or Obama or the bloated ghost of Ted Kennedy to tell her to study. Besides, we know that Obama didn’t get into Colombia for his grades, which even he admits were poor, but as as an Affirmative Action quota candidate. Not much meritocracy there…
I don’t know yet if my daughter’s school is going to participate in this charade, but if they are, it’ll be a wonderful father-daughter geology field trip day to the Guadalupe mountains.
TexasJew on September 2, 2009 at 5:32 PM
I’d teach my kid to respond with:
I’d robotically do whatever the president asked. Isn’t that what we are doing right now?
lorien1973 on September 2, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Have you read the ‘teaching materials’ that go along with this? Teachers are encouraged to get students to think about and write down the answer to the question “How can you help Obama?”. There is also the suggestion of following up with students to see if they fulfilled what they said they would do to help Obama.
This may end up to be nothing but taking it at face value it’s creepy and all the excuse some teachers will need to harangue students about being loyal to Dear Leader.
gwelf on September 2, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Nobody ever lost any money betting that Obama will go farther left or totalitarian. Don’t bet against Obama doing the very worst of our concerns.
jukin on September 2, 2009 at 5:33 PM
“Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.” — Vladmir Ulyanov (Lenin)
Blacklake on September 2, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Why stop at the 8th?
Since every day is Marxist Propaganda Day at public schools, why subject your children to the tender mercies of Obots a day longer?
TMK on September 2, 2009 at 5:33 PM
If there are record-breaking absentees on Sept 8, I wonder if the MSM will even mention it.
Daggett on September 2, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Pledge Allegiance to Obama in one school during the campaign
Urban Community Leadership Academy, a charter school for students in fifth through ninth grades in Kansas City, Mo
This is also a reason to be concerned about vouchers. Leftists are way ahead of us.
faraway on September 2, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Maybe that is right…in either event, assuming he does just give a generic “study hard and you could be as awesome as I am” speech, there are still troubling things about the way he is going about this:
1) He’s being very opaque about what his message will be. He doesn’t have a lot of trust these days for obvious reasons. His past associations (Ayers, Wright) and their approach to indoctrination don’t inspire confidence…even though we are continually told that these don’t matter…they do to a lot of people.
2) Given the strong bias of the NEA and teachers unions, it’s easy to see a very generalized Obama speech becoming a union-wide ‘teachable moment’ in each individual class room that goes well beyond what Obama actually says…by design.
3) Isn’t this kind of unprecedented? Which President has ever addressed all of the nations school children, en-mass, as part of a curricular activity?
Obama is creeping people out and it’s his fault. People do suspect his motives and methods because he lies about everything. So, even if this is really a sweet gesture on his part, more and more, he has to prove it…because of the way he has behaved to this point.
AUINSC on September 2, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Keep you kids home. Send a message.
Wake up! Look at what’s happening in Venezuela.
http://www.miamiherald.com/579/story/1187084.html
Wake up! Venezuela is our canary in the coalmine
elduende on September 1, 2009 at 4:32 PM
elduende on September 2, 2009 at 5:35 PM
One good Sarah Palin quip ought to torpedo this sucker just like “death panels” sunk Obamacare.
C’mon, Sarah, we’re countin’ on ya!
Bruno Strozek on September 2, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Only if your true goal is an atheist totalitarian government.
;)
malclave on September 2, 2009 at 5:35 PM
BigD on September 2, 2009 at 5:31 PM
AS IF AllahP shares in the “all about me” with Obama.
maverick muse on September 2, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Precisely. The thin edge of the wedge. It should be opposed on principle or else we’ll get more of the same and they’ll get much more topical.
Missy on September 2, 2009 at 5:35 PM
How about a kids’ townhall–with Glenn Beck feeding them the questions?
BuckeyeSam on September 2, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Maybe Obama will tell the kids that he is spending all THEIR money!
TN Mom on September 2, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Government run education was on of the ten planks of the Communist Manifesto.
2Brave2Bscared on September 2, 2009 at 5:35 PM
AP and CJ (no kids) agree.
Well, congrats.
Spirit of 1776 on September 2, 2009 at 5:35 PM
That’s the only one I can remember.
rockhead on September 2, 2009 at 5:36 PM
Also, my understanding is that immediately following the Obama broadcast, an image of Dick Cheney will be broadcast for two minutes, during which time it’s suggested that teachers encourage their students to scream, cry, and hurl non-damaging items at the screen.
Blacklake on September 2, 2009 at 5:36 PM
If you believe that the banning of prayer is somehow not indoctrination of a different kind, sure. You are indoctrinating kids into the philosophical mandate that fact and value are separable.
They are not. To say they are is itself a value, chosen and enforced by those that wish to force their own brand of Secular Humanism on the population.
spmat on September 2, 2009 at 5:36 PM
A Little Red Book will be distributed to each child before Obama’s speech
faraway on September 2, 2009 at 5:36 PM
I think if he is just trying to inspire learning, this is a good thing. Unfortunately, due to his rhetoric on most everything else, I find myself uneasy with this. They can solve this easily by releasing the transcript of the speech so parents can read it prior to broadcast. That way we can speak to our children about it either before or after.
My children attend a catholic high school and I put a call in to see if they are even having this available. Should be interesting to find out.
momof2 on September 2, 2009 at 5:36 PM
Exactly.
2Brave2Bscared on September 2, 2009 at 5:37 PM
I wonder which chapter from Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals the Chicago Jesus will be reading from.
Dire Straits on September 2, 2009 at 5:37 PM
If you ask that your child be excused from this exercise and don’t believe that there will be teachers who retaliate
you are fooling yourself.
Cindy Munford on September 2, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Say, is there anyway Palin can tape a PSA to follow Obama?
I bet she’d be great with the kids.
BuckeyeSam on September 2, 2009 at 5:38 PM
I’d prefer to see a taped segment they are going to actually show to my child so I can determine if there can be any harm done. But this is just another ploy like him plastering his face all over Nickelodeon last fall that my then 5 year old knew who Obama was whenever she saw him on the news.
cadams on September 2, 2009 at 5:38 PM
I’m SOOO glad my sons’ schools do not start until 9/9/9
PastorJon on September 2, 2009 at 5:38 PM
If Bush had tried this, the Dems would try to impeach him.
Del Dolemonte on September 2, 2009 at 5:38 PM
What was the line? One’s mistrust of government diminishes as one acquires the powers of that government.
This seems to be a pretty anodyne address by Obama. But like everything this Administration (in particular) does, I don’t doubt that they’d like to put a little ideology into it.
On this one: trust but verify.
SteveMG on September 2, 2009 at 5:39 PM
10 Planks of The Communist Manifesto
2Brave2Bscared on September 2, 2009 at 5:39 PM
The School Voucher Program was a huge success and costs less per student, and Obama & Dems killed it. I am shocked that minority parents are marching on washington..
TN Mom on September 2, 2009 at 5:39 PM
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