Back to School with President Obama
by Tony Perkins
September 6, 2009
In his inaugural speech in 1961 President John F. Kennedy delivered this memorable line
["Ask not..." clip]
Fast forward nearly 50 years and President Barack Obama was poised to ask the nations elementary school students not what they could do for their country but what they could do for their President.
The White House announced that the President would be speaking live to the nations K-6th graders. The Department of Education had prepared a work sheet to accompany the speech in which the children were instructed to engage in several exercises including writing a letter about how they could help the president.
After a fire storm of opposition erupted the White House changed lesson plans and now the youngsters will be asked to consider how they can help themselves achieve their educational goals. Certainly a more appropriate question, but one that is probably more suited for middle and high school students.
However, parents remain concerned. Some are keeping their kids home from school on the day of the speech. Over 95% of parents who responded to an FRC survey said the President should not be speaking to children during classroom hours.
Some in the media have decried the parental opposition as partisan. But it is really?
Consider that this speech is being made during one of the most controversial public policy debates in years in which the president has been steadily losing public support for his health care plan.
But even if the speech does not interject policy into the class room of 6 & 7 year old children, when parents consider the agenda of this administration as represented by the presidents appointments to the education department parents have a right to be concerned.
The Secretary of the department, Arne Duncan, has promoted some pretty controversial ideas, like special schools for homosexual students when he was head of the Chicago school system. Even more concerning is Kevin Jennings who is supposedly in charge of the Safe and Drug Free School Program for the Department of Education.
Jennings is the founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Educational Network, an organization that promotes homosexuality in the public schools, he also wrote the forward to a book entitled Queering Elementary Education.
This Administration has given parents plenty of reason to be concern over what is piped into the classroom. For more visit FRC.org
Family Research Council is a 501c(3) non-profit organization. If this post has been helpful to you, please consider a gift to help us continue to advance Faith, Family, and Freedom.
Comments
Hi, I was wondering when this is supposed to happen and if non-public schools will be forced to participate. thanks!
Your video concerning the president’s address to children is silly. An address follows precedent that goes back to both Bush administrations, and I believe back to the sainted Ronald Reagan as well. It’s tawdry to suggest that the President of the United States should eschew communicating with kids . . . that his message would coincide with controversial issues. When would that not be the case? Thanks for the opportunity to post, but lets have less spin from the right.
Very inspirational speech I loved how he aimed for our kids of today to plan for tomorrow, its not giving them political empowerment or guiding them in the wrong direction as the media portrayed but its giving them hope that through all the struggles and storms you may cross you will come out the hero In the end way to go Mr. President.
American kids need to know their president, whether they support his policy agenda or not
It is unbelievable how our country has become such a cyspool. I believe deeply in my biblical heritage. No matter what liberals and yellow belly republicans say, God is still on the throne. He is in control of all and we are just getting what we deserve. I pray that the Christian community will not be silent, that they will join together and be willing to stand up for the Lord at all cost. May the Lord continue to bless your organization.
Hello Fellow Christians,
What a sad day it is to see the people of God on the same band wagon as many wild and crazy people who don’t know anything about our God. How sad it is. Please pray and ask the Lord to show you what is the real problem about President Obama. Please pray ernestly. Also, with all of the talks of militias and like-minded people who are ready to “take over” the government with assault weapons and God knows what else, we have a Christian organization(s) that seem to be feeding into the same stream. My brothers and sisters it is a sad day. President Obama, just like President Bush did, needs our prayers. I’ll just say it; don’t be afraid of being led by a black man. If he is really a threat to our nation, pray to the God that you say you represent instead of rallying like a bunch of people who are foreign to prayer. I have been watching, and believe me, you guys look no different from the people I see on the news who act, all of a sudden, like they have no sense of reason whatsoever. I repeat it is a sad day we’re in. It’s too bad that Christians of every nationality in our nation can’t pull together and agree in prayer because it cannot be said that a black man will lead. It’s in the church, and it is so sad. So not only am I praying for what I see happening out in the darkness, but what is happening in what is supposed to be light. I supported Mr. Bush through lies and deception and never once acted as I see you all doing now, but I did pray for him consistently. If only all of God’s people would humble ourselves and pray, and seek His face, and turn from OUR wicked ways… My goodness what God could do in our nation!
By: Mike Licht | September 6, 2009 at 12:28 pm
After the President of the United States speaks to school children about the value of education, Republicans will make opposing comments extolling ignorance.
See:
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/obamas-dangerous-message-to-our-children/