Sunday, September 6, 2009

opinion in passing

As a matter of principle, I think that having government officials address all school children in their classrooms simultaneously is a bad idea for a democracy. The right wing has suddenly awoken and discovered that such a thing could be used for nefarious purposes. Agreed, especially where democracy itself has been put into question by the whacked-out right wing.

These days, they're objecting to Obama using a nationwide network to ask kids to help him. Why didn't they raise these objections when Republican presidents were doing the same thing?

No, I don't think Obama should be doing it, nor should any President in the future do it, but to suddenly suggest as many people have, that this is an effort to propagandize and brainwash our children by a socialist president is ridiculous.

3 comments:

Irene said...

I think instead of a simultaneous address to the children of the land, perhaps they should just publish and distribute a small book or leaflet Hey - why don't they give it a red cover???
I think it's amusing how any opinions that fall anywhere other than far right on the political spectrum is considered socialist. It's also amusing how the right wing labels Obama a fascist.

Bud said...

For anyone who missed the joke, I believe Irene is referring to "The LIttle Red Book" of Chairman Mao's sayings that was required reading in dictatorial China for years.

There is no evidence I know of that Obama is trying to brainwash the children as some maniacs have been claiming, and when you hear these charges, you ought to consider the source. I don't think he's the type at all, and such a thing would contradict what he stands for as a person and a government official. Such a thing is not beyond imagining, though, and could happen in the future.

I admit feeling uncomfortable in the company I'm keeping on this issue - so many of them being so bonkers - but still, I hope this address by Obama is the last one ever delivered to every classroom.

Alice said...

I'm not sure if I agree with you but I understand your point. In order to stop perhaps we have to pull computers from the classroom. As a teacher, there were a number of sites I couldn't access even though they were legitimate educational site. Yet even 3rd graders knew how to circumvent the blocks on pornography sites. Perhaps the cirriculum for no child left behind needs to be closely examined since it is a national program designed by McGraw-Hill and teachers already know how scripted their lessons are. Scantron is a national multiple choice testing program and very expensive which makes adminstrators paranoid if a teacher isn't teaching to it.