Spam of the Week
I got a hilarious email on Friday about the whole “The President of the United States is going to indoctrinate our children with the love of learning” thing. It was one of those snarky ones that used satire to the extreme to illustrate how truly insane 10% of the country really is.
It started off like this:
Law-Breaker-in-Chief:
Obama Violates Federal Law to Indoctrinate Your Children
Washington, DC – In what many analysts believe is both an unprecedented and wildly inappropriate partisan move, President Obama has announced that on Tuesday, September 8, he will do an end run around parents and directly target children in what is widely perceived as an effort to implement his extreme leftist political agenda. As millions of parents across the country learn more about his scheme, they have become justifiably outraged. The backlash has been tremendous.
“Ohhh, this is gonna be really good,” I thought.
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently sent a letter to school principals encouraging them to cease academic instruction and have classes tune in to a live speech Obama will give to children during school hours on Tuesday at noon. The DOE even provided lesson plans, sample activities and questions that teachers can use to promote the event. The letter encourages teachers to “build background knowledge about the president by reading books about Barack Obama.”
Secretary Duncan is a left-wing Chicagoland politician who chose Kevin Jennings as Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. Jennings is founder of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network), an extremist group that promotes forced acceptance of homosexuality and transexuality in schools to children as young as five.
Although, due to the backlash, some of the most offensive language has been softened, students as young as kindergarten will, nonetheless, be asked: “Why is it important that we listen to the president? What is the president asking me to do? What specific job is he asking me to do?” Children’s writings would later be used “to make students accountable to their goals.”
About midway through that second part, it hit me. This was not satire. They were actually, really, serious. I’ll spare you the rest of the email, but suffice it to say that the author, who is the Director of Cultural Affairs for Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance, thinks that the President of the United States speaking to school children about the importance of education is “just plain creepy.”
And just to show how creepy he thinks it is to tell children to stay in school, and understand the importance of regular attendance, he’s keeping his kid out of school for the day. Nice.
Apparently it’s better to keep your kid home from school than to have him realize that all the swill you’ve been spouting in your home about how the President is the Anti-Christ doesn’t seem to fit. Those kids might actually believe their lyin’ eyes.
The only thing worse than this African-American-Communist-Marxist-Socialist-Fascist trying to make sure your kids are educated would be if he tried to get them health care!
Watched his speech in Cincinnati today. He was singing my song.
I think the White House may have outsmarted the Rapture Republicans. Get them pathologically obsessed about nothing – speech to kids about staying in school – then fill the vacuum with a “stability and security” message about health care reform.
He even used Palin’s rhetoric against her, “stop making things up”.
Brilliant.
We are seeing the results of the ideological vacuum on the political right of America, after their defeat in the 2008 elections. Frankly, this is both amusing and tragic to watch.
For everyone’s information who doesn’t already know: “Liberty Alliance” is the former Moral Majority that was established by the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Always check the source, everyone. At a health care town hall held by our Democratic Congressman Harry Teague, some GOPers were handing out copies of the Constitution (don’t you just love their smug self-righteousness!!). I immediately asked who published the booklet and the answer was … wait for it …. The Heritage Foundation! I told the guy “I’ll get my copy straight from the Library of Congress so I’ll know it’s authentic.”
I live in southern New Mexico but have been enjoying Mudflats for almost a year now.
@91 tlgeiger62,
Good for you! My nephew will be home for the same reason! At least your school gave a reason, bogus as it is. My nephew’s superintendent just sent an email saying the public school administration discussed and decided on a “thoughtful and respectful” (his words) plan that started with the speech NOT being televised in the elementary schools at all. The middle school kids have the option, and HS kids can only see it if it is “relevant” to their class at the time. Isn’t the message “take responsibility for your education, set goals, work hard and stay in school” relevant to ALL school kids?! Isn’t it most important to encourage the youngest kids now, BEFORE they get off track?!
Perhaps what people are really afraid of is a president of color encouraging children to become educated, critical thinkers who will grow up to make their own informed decisions & not be ‘indoctrinated’ & led by sheep by bufoons like Glenn, ‘histrionic’, Beck. The same people who are objecting to Obamma’s address to school children, are also the ones who object to sex education being taught in the schools and the teaching of evolution. Our nation really is on a downward spiral when the GOP can actually convince people that the president of the united states is not a citizen, is using health care reform to kill elders & children, is a nazi with a secret agenda to indoctrinate the citizens, and that the art at Rockefeller center is psychologically brainwashing people into becoming communist. Even george orwell couldn’t have come up with this altho I think I saw this episode on the Twilight Zone. i wish I could remember how it turned out.
And just to add for those who might not know … schools receive funding based on each student being in class each day. For every day they miss, the school does not get that child’s funding for that day.
My hope is that there will be a huge shortfall for the month of September here in Cherokee County GA and all over the US.
Tuesday will be a wonderful opportunity for many parents to take a stand – I, for one, am keeping my daughter home because they are NOT running the speech. I”ve written a detailed letter of explanation to her teacher, the principal, both vice principals and the superintendent of the district. The superintendent sent a letter saying it was optional but that it was decided “time was too precious” to allow its airing. The teacher said her 4th grade “Leaders” (not sure who THEY are) were voting but that she didn’t see it happening but that a letter would be sent home if it WAS going to be broadcast. We got no letter and all my emails have since been ignored. So I just sent MY email telling THEM that they will need to hold school on Tuesday WITHOUT my daughter in attendance as she will be taking the time, at home, to listen to our elected President. And her father and I will be there to discuss what he said and also why she couldn’t listen in school. I don’t think it will be the easiest conversation I’ve had with her (she’s 9) but I’m going to have it nonetheless.
Let the crazies keep their kids home from school. I hope Obama decides to address the school kids monthly and at the end of the year gives each kid with perfect attendence $500. That will send the wackos into orbit.
Right from the start – where does this “Liar in Chief” come from? How can you teach children respect for authority without demonstrating it yourself? What will become of our country when all its institutions have been torn down?
I just sent this to my daughter. She is 42 years old but you never know what kind of influence “he” might still have on my child…..
Dear Jo,
Being the good parent I am I am writing this to make sure you take off from work on Tuesday and go home. Pull down the shades, bury the TV and radios at least six feet under and get under your bed. Find your old Army earplugs in case any noise can get through your walls. I am so worried that you will listen to Obama tell you to stay in school, study and make a difference in the world. The world is getting to be a scary place when our president spews such filth to our children…………
Jo,
Have you been listening or reading about the nonsense going on about this? And, these are the ones carrying guns everywhere they go!
Love, Mom
don’t go to school kids , someone has to cook fast food for my daughter [PHD in history] in a few years .
Yes, even in Blue Connecticut, we’re not without idjits. But only some school districts in Fairfield County have decided not to tune in Tuesday, saying they want to screen the speech first and decide how and when to integrate it into their curriculum. (Fairfield County ranks #6 out of the 20 highest-income counties by average per capita income, for what THAT’s worth.)
Our capitol’s daily rag, The Hartford Courant, reports that Chris Healy, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, called Obama’s speech ‘perfectly appropriate’ and predicted that children would be excited to hear it.
“I think people have got to relax,” Healy said. “There is plenty to criticize the president on when he’s speaking to adults. But he is a role model and a historic figure, no matter what you think of his policies. He’s a smart person and he’s a product of education himself.”
So there you go.
Take heart, people! Sane Republicans DO exist!
Now scrape your jaws off the floors….
I checked our school districts websight to be sure my grandkids would see the speech.I was going to pick them up and bring them home to watch if not.Luckily,somehow,here in Louisiana,they are showing the speech live!!
I sent an email to the superintendent thanking him for doing the right thing.
For those considering contacting “the media” please check out this forum thread lovingly put together by member HamletsMills. It is a VERY comprehensive list of contact information. https://themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,7931.msg79320.html#msg79320
BigSlick @51 Thanks for sharing the link to the “preppers” in OR. Got ’em up my way, too, across the Columbia. I wondered as I read the article whether or not these people would be disappointed if their worst fears WEREN’T realized. In order to continue to be justified in what they do, they must be ever vigilant. Thankfully, Beck and others are there to meet that need. Sadly, for some of them, their minister will provide the same fear every Sunday.
What is so odd to me, though…
The teaching of Jesus Christ that I most admire involve putting the needs of others before your own. You all know, the “least of my brothers” stuff. I would have a tad more respect if this “gathering of supplies” were going to the elderly or the poor who don’t have food right now. Or, to a place where others may partake in the “end times.”
But, judge not not lest ye be judged, plank in my own eye and all that stuff. I will take from this article a reminder to do something nice for others today.
Gasman @ 69
This is nothing more than thinly veiled racism.
———–
Absolutely correct; it’s as simple as that.
God forbid that their child should learn anything from a black person.
Hopefully some of the kids will actually see thru this nonsense; and question what their parents are doing.
Aussie, that is something someone should look into next. I have always thought the drug companies are the ones to watch, even more than the ins companies.
Wurzelhexli, I even had a patch, the Presidential Physical Fitness patch! Can you imagine if Pres. Obama gave out badge to school kids for achievement, they would all have heart attacks!! And never be ashamed unless you have behaved like them. I would never judge a German based on who Hitler was unless they condoned his behavior. Many countries have less than stellar moments in their histories but it is up to us, the good guys of the World, to keep stamping out the bad and help us to continue to evolve into a more civilized world.
Mag the Mick Says:
September 5th, 2009 at 3:53 PM
I wish President Obama would make a national speech telling Americans not to jump off cliffs, shoot themselves in the head, or swallow ground glass. Then the wingnuts would deliberately not do as he says. Problem solved. Oh well, a girl can dream, can’t she?
————————————–
May all your dreams come true, Maggie. 😉
It’s not satire? I mean, it’s perfect. Tina Fey (or Bill Shatner) could read it verbatim and get several good laugh lines — except, I suppose, from its target audience. It sure looks like satire. Right out of the gate, calling the President’s speech “unprecedented”, when both Reagan and Bush I did the same thing, sure seems like a joke.
Oh, wait, now I get it. The “unprecedented” part is that the President is half Black.
BTW, Gasman (#69): I disagree with your first sentence. There is nothing “thinly veiled” about it.
That piece of tripe was in my e-mail inbox on Thursday. Apparently, I need to fix my spam filter.
I wish President Obama would make a national speech telling Americans not to jump off cliffs, shoot themselves in the head, or swallow ground glass. Then the wingnuts would deliberately not do as he says. Problem solved. Oh well, a girl can dream, can’t she?
Shannyn is on in about 40 minutes…….
http://radiotime.com/ProgramDetails.aspx?ProgramId=125435&StationId=31918
When you write your letters, here are some statistics to support the urgent need for students – WITH their teachers, parents & communities – to commit to academic improvement.
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2009/analysis/index.asp
NO improvement in scores from 2001-06.
Science: Fifteen-year-old students in 16 of the 29 other participating OECD-member countries outperformed their U.S. peers in terms of average scores.
Math: Fifteen-year-old students in 23 of the 29 other participating OECD-member countries outperformed their U.S. peers.
Reading: below that of 4th-graders in 10 of the 45 participating countries.
In fact I’ll make preemptive calls and emails before they get the chance to air bs, we pretty much know before the evening news the new crap coming down the pike. Let’s give it a shot. The nut jobs are feeding them the stories, we can voice our displeasure and disapproval before they air it. And if we hear early morning bs, we should work to stop or minimize the coverage by nightly news so it does not get traction. This stuff has got to stop. It’s not legitimate, it’s hurting the Presidents image, slowing down and complicating the change we voted for, it’s fueling and growing hate groups and confusing a lot of citizens who aren’t paying real close attention.
We can call them Media Action Alerts or something more clever, lol. Let’s face it, we all know the Repubs are going to keep this up indefinitely if they keep getting media power grabs, it’s getting old. Let’s push back.
We should start a list of media stations phone numbers and emails addresses, state by state, or at least each of us keep them handy in our email address books. Those on the east coast who get the first early morning Repub news can let everyone know what may possibly blow up into a hate story. We can monitor the ‘crazies’ blogs, they are very fast and very on big on blowing things up.
So, that’s my action plan. I won’t bother with Fake News, however, I will go after their advertisers and local media advertisers if I don’t get the responsible news coverage that I’m after. Whew, time for an adult beverage. Cheers!
Oh! I just remembered it’s Saturday night, is Shannyn on?
The last sentence above should read:
The right has conceded that the are morons and have no ideas or positions to advance other than high volume banality.
Check out this great fact check on Kevin Jennings:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/03/kevin-jennings/
Sounds like a wonderful human being I should have been aware of already. I try to find one good thing out of these crazy emails. The good in this email was my learning who Kevin Jennings is. Thanks wackos who sent the email out!
Jennifer
This is nothing more than thinly veiled racism. These loons didn’t object when Reagan and Bush I spoke to the nation’s school children. These moronic charges get sillier by the hour. I will personally give a year’s salary to anybody that can point to any indoctrination in the speech.
How much you want to bet that when the speech occurs and it is exactly what it was billed to be, none of these imbeciles will issue an apology or retraction?
This conduct is pitifully anti-American and is dangerous to our democracy. The right has conceded that the are morons and have to ideas or positions to advance other than high volume banality.
Okay folks, those living in states or areas where the schools are ‘not’ airing the speech, you need to let them know you for one are not afraid of it, support the president and if they disallow it as ‘indoctrination’ you may want to check into their other practices. It is a PUBLIC school, at the very least they need to give parents a choice, it’s 20 minutes of ONE day, the kids who can’t watch it can go to the library or do extra homework, lol.
Educators of all people, lol, acting ignorant, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want my child being taught by those buying into this bs, talk about ‘teaching’ how to be unpatriotic.
And another thing, I do think it’s time we put the heat on the media for blowing the nut job stories into big ‘news’. From now on when I hear something I knowo is biased or inflammatory I’m calling and emailing. I let them have it more than once during the campaign, don’t let them sensationalize hate and fear mongering. We have the numbers to put pressure on them. We don’t need fights, rioting and killing to start just because of the stupid news media. And we don’t want another President shot! Tell them to be responsible! GAH.
“A mind is a terrible thing.”
Ye gods…remember when that was a joke?
When you outlaw education.
only outlaws will have education.
I hope the children that are allowed to see our President speak really tells their parents how selfish they were.
What gets me is that this ignorant drivel is treated by the media as if it is worth serious consideration. These delusional, hypocritical people need to be laughed at and sent to the corner to sit and consider their behavior.
21 amy Says:
September 5th, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Unfortunately, I knew it wasn’t satire. I made myself physically ill the last two days reading comments on our local station about this. It is unamerican and unchristian what they are doing and saying in the name of God.
I have come to the conclusion that my state is no longer a ‘christian’ state but rather populated with ‘fake’ Christians. CINO, if you will. It is very distressing and depressing. I used to take pride in living in the bible belt.
And I no longer wonder why attendance is dropping in churches. It used to bother me that the 20-30 yr olds in this area didn’t attend OR believe in any form of religion. Now I’m not so sure it isn’t a good thing.
Their blind hatred is eventually going to be the death of their religion. Religion cannot be sustained by hate.
I agree, one of several reasons I have not been moved to join a church in the new cities I have moved to for the last few decaed is the lingering distaste of what was comming out of my own Bible Belt church.
And it wasn’t even in the same league with what’s going on today. But the messages of the Gospels, of love, forgiveness, acceptance, hope, generosity, and healing just wasn’t there anymore.
It finally dawned on me that I missed the warm fuzzy of Sunday’s messages that in Christ’s eyes, in God’s eyes I – we were all OK.
I guess other people are comfortable with a message of hate and intolerance from their pastorale leader.
Very Very Sad.
And what did you e-mail in response? My reply would have been this: Ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha aha HA!
BeeJay Says:
September 5th, 2009 at 9:25 AM
In watching KO last night, he found that apparently all other previous presidents have done exactly the same thing: he found examples going back to Reagan. No one cried foul then or since. Reagan apparently even told students to support his tax cuts, a political message if ever there was one, and again, no criticism was found.
_____________________________________
I must be older than KO, as I remember JFK (race to the moon, beat the Russians, study math and science) and Eisenhower, but I’m not sure his speech was during school hours.
In 1991 George H.W. Bush spoke at the high school were I taught/our daughters attended. While many of us didn’t vote for him or support his policies- and the Republican flag-waving was obnoxious- we were respectful and listened, applauding politely at the end.
The extremists have a severe case of selective memory.
Big Slick @51 That is nuts! The article states how these people are afraid of change. Well, they don’t believe in evolution either, so I guess they never evolved.
In a 15-20 minute speech, these parents that are objecting to the speech expect that President Obama would be able to undo their many years of parental input and influence. Ridiculous.
In my state, Gov. Christ just traveled the state visiting several schools and giving “pep talks” to students. Noone objected. And, I know I’ve seen some pics of your ex-gov. in Alaska indoctrinating students during her school visits.
The director’s token punishment of the POTUS is doubly silly since presumabely His child would be presumed to go to a church school, or be home taught.
After all if His child goes to “public” “Tax” (read Big Gov) run education then His child is going to a Socialist educational system!!!
Quelle horror!!
On the other hand that Socialist educational system does no require the parental work of home schooling, and IT’S FREE.
Quelle hypocrit!!!
I read an article recently about a man who, finding that his child’s school was refusing to broadcast the President’s speech, said he was pulling his kid out of school that day so he could be sure to see the speech at home.
Let’s see…refusal to share power; censorship; terrorist tactics (including guns and violence) to break up opposition meetings; no opposing belief systems tolerated; requirement to believe all group doctrine without question; any question of group doctrine, authority, or “facts” taken as an attack on group and immediately punished; must have children exposed only to rigid, controlled education with no outside influences…sounds like North Korea to me. Oh, wait…that was the “religious” right! I think these Rethugs would feel right at home in North Korea.
I really don’t know why we have to be “ensured” it’s non-partisan. What has Obama ever done as President so far to justify having to defend his speech text?
I’m glad the schools will play it, but I’m concerned at how the message has infiltrated. Accusations based on nothing often do that, as the correction is the “middle ground”, when in fact, the correct answer is not in the middle of LIE and TRUTH. The correct answer is that PO has always behaved with integrity and truth, never shown disrespect for any group, and it’s inconceivable to me that anyone would think otherwise.
Dontcha know if Republican educated their masses, they would no longer vote for them? Keep them uniformed, uneducated, barefoot, and pregnanct so they keep breeding more constituents.
Good…keep the whackjobs out of school so our kids can get ahead, get into college, and get higher paying jobs! Thanks Republicans!
My humble interpretation of the same email
Here is a story from the Daily Dish about the School speech.
They use another incident at the school as an example as well and compare the amount of resources and energy used then.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/09/by-patrick-appel–a-reader-writes—-you-say-you-are-ignoring-the-furor-over-obamas-school-talk-because-it-is-a-fake-story.html#more
Yesterday I checked in with my local school district (small, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high school) to ensure that our students would be listening to our president speak. This was the good response:
“Each school will broadcast President Obama’s message to students on the importance of education. We have been ensured that the message is non partisan and only speaks to student’s success in education. The text of the speech will be available on Monday, September 7 at
http://www.whitehouse.gov whitehouse.gov. >> Parents who wish to exercise their “opt out” right to have their student dismissed from the broadcast may do so by contacting their school.”
This seems correct to me – all students will be able to listen in and only those whose parents have grave concerns about the President of the United States of America speaking to their darling offspring can “opt out” and have the students involved in some other activity during this subversive exercise in democracy. I feel sorry for the children who may called out and excluded from this lesson – they will stand out for sure.
I think I may just wander up to my local elementary school and listen in with a clas :). I’ll report back if I do that.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually long for the days when we had a 2-party system. You know, Democratic and Republican; both reasonable and logical, with different viewpoints but discussing differences with courtesy and consideration, based in fact.
It seems the country is now divided into two camps: The vast majority, trying to figure a way out of the morass, and the ignorant mob, waving torches and pitchforks, trying to storm the castle gates because someone saw the devil on a potato chip.
Here’s what I am going to do.
I am going to put a 36″ TV out on my front porch and turn the sound way up during the speech.
I’ll be out there with it, applauding our President and waving the Stars and Stripes.
According to some folks, President Obama is the incarnation of TEOTWAWKI.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/the_new_survivalists_oregon_pr.html
It’s not just Alaska folks.
Thanks akm…sad sad day…I can’t understand this…My heart is breaking. for our Pres.
Any child pulled out should receive an f for the day and there parents told that.In my day if you skipped school for a non legitimate reason that is what happened only your parents were not notified it was automatic.If they claim being sick bring in a doctors excuse stating the illness and that the child is now well enough to be back in school.
mary b sometimes I think the same but free speech and all it is just that the right think only they should have free speech.I am sure that the GOP has lost many due to some of these hate speeches.People will only take so much.
IMO these wing nuts are the part of America that is not patriotic and that is unAmerican.
I am writing the following with apologies to any of you who might happen to be Jehovah Witnesses (they eschew politics, and even though I don’t agree with their concept of what the Bible says, are genuine in their beliefs and do try to live up to them). But many years ago, quite a few were patients of my father’s. They did not encourage their children to go on to higher education. Partly because at that time, they believed that the second coming of Christ would be in 1984 (I said this was many years ago) and there would be no need for further education. Their other reason was that they had learned through experience that if their children became better educated, they usually left the Jehovah Witnesses religion.
Any parent who pulls their kid from school because of this should be required to go in their place. They obviously need more education.
I am sincerely tired of the Right’s racism, spewing hatefulness and fear-mongering. When will the so-called “christians” actually become Christian?
I can’t believe it. Our school district in liberal California just bowed to the pressure and said that we have to have written permission from the parents to show the speech. I never thought I would see the day in America when a speech about education by the President would be censored. I am honestly ashamed of and embarrassed by the actions of my district.
To deny school child a chance to hear Pres Obama is unpatriotic. It’s insane for any gov’t official to deny a child this opportunity to hear a President.
Unreasonable rumors propagate all across the Internet but even moreso it seems up in the great white north. No wonder Sarah Palin engaged me to find a nice home here in Long Island.
Even an Alaska College Hockey Blogger is repeating the unbelievable charges that Glenn Beck raped and murdered a young girl in 1990.
Is it already that dark up there?
“For me, this whole situation is similar to how I felt about SP. You couldn’t’t believe that someone this dumb could ever get where they were, and OMG how you could laugh at her. However, it became pretty sobering when you actually thought she really could be the VP of our country.”
Tweety, on last nights show (Friday) was saying there might be a Cheney/Palin ticket in 2012.
Can you believe this crap? I don’t think even Scarah’s fans like Cheney. Besides, she’d have to be Pres., not Veep. She’d never go along with being the Veep candidate. She thinks that she’s too smart! HAHAHAHA!
Can you imagine if President Obama suggested that children send a dollar to the children of Afganistan, like President Bush did? OMG, they would be claiming that the President was trying to turn our children in terrorists and he was he is an A-Rab who supports the Taliban,etc.
I am so sick to my stomach about this, and I am so tired of this minority churing out hate. They are destroying us. I just have this huge sense of dread about all of this hate we are seeing.
I really really can’t believe that the GOP has gone this far off a cliff and there is no one in the GOP willing to stand up and say, Enough. The crazies have hijacked the GOP and seem more than willing to give over control this these nuts. I keep thinking….any day now….someone will speak up. But, it gets worse every day.
oh and by the way… what day is 4 days after September 8?
That’s right… September 12. Looks like Obama has been keeping our country safer than Mr. Vacation… and why is that? Why, it’s because Obama has been paying attention to the important stuff.
I almost, almost wish that President Obama wer a facsist, commie, whatever, so that he could sweep up all the freakin crazies and send them to the coldest, or hottest, gulag known to man.
I’m really past sick and tired of these right wing loons.
Whatever happened to that saying (from 2001-2008) that if you criticize the President than you hate America and the troops? Did it go out of fashion amongst the crazies that made it up?
This is now an issue in pennsyltucky and Maine. School superintendents are refusing to air the speech because Obama’s message is indoctrination.
Beg pardon but are the 3 central messages in Obama’s speech rumored to include work hard and don’t drop out – issues which school districts also try to hammer home inside the school house on a daily basis? What a bunch of hypocrits.
At least there’s one school district in Maine which is honest: it will not be shown because it might interfere with student’s lunch time. Glad they got their priorities in order!
And, despite all the rancor, none of the school superintendents disallowing the speech have seen the transcript of Obama’s intended speech (not scheduled to come out until Monday). Making a decision without having any of the facts in front of them… who in their right mind would expect our school districts to not engage in such stupidity??
All that reassures me is thinking that they must be so desperate as they are attacking the President’s September 8th speech to school children rather than trying to coming up with reasonable responses or counterpoints to his September 9th speech to Congress.
you know what they say……
“If your children get too much education, by the time they get to college they’ll be socialists!”
Bystander Says:
September 5th, 2009 at 9:32 AM
It is ironic that the people who listen to the Limbaugh/Fox News hate propaganda machine for hours each day think that Obama will “indoctrinate” their kids in 20 minutes. It is time to relentlessly ridicule these idiots.
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Maybe it only took 20 minutes for them to be indoctrinated, and that’s why they’re scared!
For me, this whole situation is similar to how I felt about SP. You couldn’t believe that someone this dumb could ever get where they were, and OMG how you could laugh at her. However, it became pretty sobering when you actually thought she really could be the VP of our country.
The same goes for these RRRRRRwingers. At first I couldn’t believe how dumb they were & I laughed at them. Now they have just become downright scary as heck.
By the way, our health care reform meeting was mentioned on our local media with two shots of the group (I was actually in one of the shots). It was, and I kid you not, about a 5 second segment.
I really think our media ought to be ashamed of themselves. They have spent so much time on the rightwingers & hardly anything on the rest of us.
I am also disgusted that newscasters are still calling President Obama Mr. Obama. Last night I turned on CNN and there was Erica Hill talking about the school speech. She called him Mr. Obama and later referred to him as the president. When did it become okay to not use his title. It ticks me off!
This brouhaha reminds me of the late 40’s early 50’s when there was a movement to fluoridate public water. The country was recovering from the disruption of WWII and into the Cold War. Technology was now available to the civilian population, and it was very unsettling.
There was a hew and cry to blame fluoridation on the Communists although no one was concerned about chlorine in the water or pollution in the air. (Heck, we didn’t even have seat belts in cars then.)
We are dealing with an unsettled populace right now. Anything is a point for contention. We didn’t have tv in those days, but for a half hour a week we would have a radio broadcast piped into our classrooms. Guess what the broadcast was: The Standard Oil broadcast for the schools.
This is definately a teaching moment. For us, seeing how many IDIOTS are out there. And second, what the parents are teaching their KIDS. Lie & call in sick or walk away if you dont like something.
Real smart foks we gots har!
First let me say that, I no longer find any of this funny anymore…in the beginning all the garbage that was spouted from those who thought things were true, was just that, garbage in garbage out.
But it has gone way beyond that now and has dipped into the realm of the absurd.
I think that before parents start yelling foul as to what the President might be speaking on, and act like they are that involved in their children’s education, they had better find out what is being taught in school.
No one cared when in the ’60s and I was in school, we had teachers speaking their minds as to what they thought about VietNam, what they thought about Hippies, Drugs, Rock and Roll. And not one parent complained because they knew that the child they molded could think for themselves.
I still say this, it all comes down to him being a Black man in the Whitehouse, and there are those who just can not deal with him being in charge.
They need to get over it, support the man, respect the position, even if you do not support his politics.
I for one support him.
I spent way too much time yesterday reading the comments of the ignorant & hateful, depressing. Time to take a break, It’s 2:30 in Ia. & The bud lite limes are sliding down. (Has to be 5:00 somewhere)
I re-posted (http://www.professionaladventurer.com/2009/09/why-we-need-healthcare-reform.html and checkout the new look!) the youtube video Mudflats had up with my own commentary and got immediate and nasty comments (which I declined to “approve”).
This whole (if we yell lies loud enough people will believe) thing is absurd! I sent a email to the Anchorage School Superintendent saying “please don’t listen to people that think a message of “stay in school” from or president is a bad thing.”
Where ever you live, some school board members (and sadly some teachers) believe this stuff too. It is important that we ALL make our voices heard in our local communities. Let them know that there are sane constituents in their towns or counties. I’ve written mine, and I’m encouraging my friends to do the same. If we are silent, the other side gains ground it does not deserve.
Also notice Texas is in that bunch
I had written to my Governor about the schools in Wi not beling allowed to show the speech and later that night Mmy daughter told me she got a letter saying they were So now I don’t know what to think.I did get an awnser back from my Governor ,a generic form e-mail advising me to go to his web site to read his views.I will share part of his views and what he and some governors have done on healtcare thru the states makes sure you notice that the Minnisota Governor Pawently also asked for and got a fe3deral grant and this after he has been attacking the healt insurance reform plan.
MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded the state a total of $50 million to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to build on the success of BadgerCare Plus.
“Each day in Wisconsin, one of our friends, loved ones or neighbors is gambling with their health,” Governor Doyle said. “They may be sick or injured, but don’t go to a doctor because they do not have insurance. We’ve taken this issue head-on in Wisconsin to help make us a national leader on health care reform. This grant will help us continue our efforts and do what’s right for the people in our state.”
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services will receive a new State Health Access Program (SHAP) grant in $10 million increments over a five-year period to assist in providing additional members the benefits available to them within the BadgerCare Plus Core Plan for Adults with No Dependent Children. SHAP grants were awarded to 13 states, including Wisconsin, to help provide affordable insurance or implement new initiatives to reach the uninsured.
All of the states awarded a grant must show that they are able to sustain the program after federal funding has expired. The impact and results of state projects will be reported to Congress at the end of the grant period.
The other 12 states receiving the grant include Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
As I posted on another site, this has had me very upset and deeply worried about our country. Then I realized how naive I was being, to think that because we had elected a black man as our President the crazy right wingers would suddenly see the light. Of course I should have realized that their defeat would only enbolden them. But how should we respond? I wish someone more intelligent and clear thinking than I could propose an appropriate response. I think many of us would like to act, but how do you respond to such lunacy???
Sept. 11, 2001…President shrub is in a CLASSROOM, with CHILDREN no less, indoctrinating them with potentially conservative musings of some sort…
So we teach our kids to lie and say they weren’t in school because they were sick? Or do we teach our kids if their parents don’t like something they just walk away and don’t listen?
Even in blue CT, my sister has had to write a letter to her superintendent b/c they are refusing to show it in the elementary school.
From Jason Linkins at the Huffington Post:
“If President Obama reminded people tomorrow to brush between meals, thousands of people would allow their teeth to rot right out of their heads, because OMGZ TEH SOCIALISM! The upside to all of this is that after Tuesday, every teacher in the world will know precisely what students are going to need remedial help.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/03/obama-schoolchildren-spee_n_276544.html
AKM, thanks for your post. This kind of stuff just makes me feel ill. It is so hard to believe that fellow humans are acting in this fashion. These are people who seem to be most in need of education (not to mention healthcare) and do things to their own detriment. I feel sorry for their children. We have a very well-educated, intelligent President, who deserves everyone’s respect. I firmly believe he is being treated so disrespectfully primarily because he is half black. They yell and scream many ugly things, but their real problem is something else. Even if he had been elected with 75% of the vote, they would still act the same way, particularly with the Faux News people egging them on. We can’t let them get their way. I live in a red state and unfortunately know some of these people and it seems some live in Alaska too. If you try to have a reasonable debate with them, the first thing they’ll say is, “I’m not a racist,” when no one has mentioned race. I’ve given up trying to have a conversation with any of them.
Hearing you refer to 10% of our population is the only thing that gives me hope here, since it feels like 98% of the people in my community would agree with this email.
And as far as ‘fake’ Christians go, Amy, I couldn’t agree with you more. My husband and I were talking last night about the incredibly awful way these so-called followers of Christ treat those who are different, (less fortunate, more fortunate, dumber, smarter, less pretty, more pretty, whatever – just different) and it truly is appalling. I just want to smack them upside the head, and say ‘take one step back and LOOK AT YOURSELF, LISTEN TO YOURSELF! WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!’
What a heartbreaking commentary on our country.
Unfortunately, I knew it wasn’t satire. I made myself physically ill the last two days reading comments on our local station about this. It is unamerican and unchristian what they are doing and saying in the name of God.
I have come to the conclusion that my state is no longer a ‘christian’ state but rather populated with ‘fake’ Christians. CINO, if you will. It is very distressing and depressing. I used to take pride in living in the bible belt.
And I no longer wonder why attendance is dropping in churches. It used to bother me that the 20-30 yr olds in this area didn’t attend OR believe in any form of religion. Now I’m not so sure it isn’t a good thing.
Their blind hatred is eventually going to be the death of their religion. Religion cannot be sustained by hate.
I think there are two main reasons these people don’t want their children to see the speech:
1. The less educated they are, the more likely they are to blindly follow the dictates of the right wing (and that of their parents). Many of the polls done in the past couple of years have shown that the more educated a person is, the more they tend to lean left. We obviously can’t have that.
2. They are scared to death that their children will see that the man they have demonized is actually a nice guy with a great smile (and cute kids just like them) who wants them to work hard and do well in school. Children, especially those in the lower grades, are naturally open-minded and accepting, and this exposure to the President would contradict everything their parents have been telling them. We certainly can’t encourage these children to think for themselves and form their own opinions, particularly if that opinion disagrees with that of the all-knowing Glen Beck or Rush Linbaugh!
It’s so very, very sad that a wonderful, innocent gesture on the part of our President has been twisted into something ugly.
I too am amazed that these so-called “Christians” are given so much press. Why do we continue to pander to the lunatic fringe? I am a Christian and this is what the Bible says about bearing false witness:
http://www.topical-bible-studies.org/21-0024.htm
I’m hoping our lawmakers begin to listen to the majority in the United States, rather than those who are trying to take over any way they can — screaming, hollering, threatening, lying, gun-toting, manipulating, yelling “fire” in a crowded place, scheming to take away our chance to make a better world.
Will the rest of us end up cowering with “OK — I guess we can’t make our country a better country because of your fear and stupidity. We will just give up our power meekly. The audacity of scare tactics wins once again.”
I want my America back, along with the American dream for a better, richer, and happier life for all, not just the “chosen few.”
I voted for: Yes we can!
mde, I was the same.
…didn’t know tht it was so bad, guess I got caught-up thinking America, (the real one & the fake one) was finally coming together….
sad…sad
Wow. It took me until halfway through to realize it wasn’t satire, too.
@Bob in Ca: In Vermont there is an actual cost to the local school, since state aid to the schools (and maybe federal aid?) is based on the number of student days. So a missed school day costs the school district.
It does seem that these people are going to any lengths to see that their followers don’t actually ever see the president, just in case they might realize he’s not a crazy lefty socialist commie plant.
The first couple of days of the Ted Kennedy coverage I noticed Fox wasn’t going along, and then they decided to carry the funeral. They must have been losing viewers to the other cable channels, and decided they were better off talking about Chappaquidick and covering the funeral.
The crazies have finally gone off the cliff. When they hit bottom, I hope it knocks some common sense into them.
While we keep hearing that there are some states like Pawlenty’s, who even have their own Gov’s suggesting that the parents can keep kids out of would not be willing to show the speech to the children I hope they are just getting most of the noise and media coverage.
Late yesterday on the open thread I documented my experience ( you can read it there) as I wanted to know how my state and the Governor were handling it and so I called them on the phone.
In the end , at the School District level, they said they had not had angry calls and it was a non-issue. Cooler heads prevail… in some parts of the Country. Not everywhere though.
I sent an email to the ASD School Board at Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 10:45 PM
2 replied:
Carol Comeau replied on Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 10:51 PM with a personal Thank you – impressive that she was reading, processing and replying to work email at that time of night!
Jeff Friedman replied on Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 7:50 AM with a nice reply.
The others have not replied.
I will next send an email to the remaining school board members asking their opinion on the matter.
I will also state that a no reply will indicate to me that they are against Obama speaking to the schools.
This is important information to guide my vote in the next school board election.
It is ironic that the people who listen to the Limbaugh/Fox News hate propaganda machine for hours each day think that Obama will “indoctrinate” their kids in 20 minutes. It is time to relentlessly ridicule these idiots.
“. . .cease academic instruction” I laughed at that too, eagerly awaiting for the snark to reveal itself further – sadly, like AKM, I too also realized it was a glaring wingnut meme.
At least it didn’t have all CAPS words, misspellings and exlamation points.
It’s still pathetic, unpatriotic, hostile, creepy and divisive. I know it is said every decade with every generation, but what the hell is going on with Americans?
The great irony in all this is that they are keeping their kids home from PUBLIC, GOVERNMENT-RUN (socialist!!) schools.
Like trisha, I am furious that a small bunch of screeching idiots are being treated as if their ravings were anything but pure bigoted nonsense.
Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance = pants on fire
in the name of God they tell lies
“Thou shalt not bear false witness”, evidently they believe, doesn’t apply to them. Boy, are they in for a surprize.
In watching KO last night, he found that apparently all other previous presidents have done exactly the same thing: he found examples going back to Reagan. No one cried foul then or since. Reagan apparently even told students to support his tax cuts, a political message if ever there was one, and again, no criticism was found.
I find it terribly sad that people are having such conniption fits over this quite trivial occurrence, and unfortunately it just shows how desperate the various ‘anti’ groups have become. So sad.
I’m still speechless
My suggested “alternate activity” for the kids who choose not to view the President’s speech (or are forced to opt out by their parents): diversity training. They’re going to need it.
They have gone start raving mad.
Why is the minority being given the attention–as if they are the majority?
I am sick of it.
and what is the cost to the nation when there is not ‘liberty and justice for all’…..? When narrow minded parents make all the decisions for their kids, we end up with clones and future adults unable to think and feel. Enough already.
What is the cost to the schools when a child is kept home?
While “you can’t make this stuff up” is usually the punch line to a joke- this is tragic. That extreme groups in our country would rather destroy our nation than accept people/viewpoints that aren’t theirs is truly tragic.