The letters to the editor section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been boiling since a couple of school boards decided not to air the president's broadcast to students. One letter writer in particular annoyed me:
"It is mystifying that the Elmbrook School District administration has capitulated to the fears of the ultra-right wing that the president might indoctrinate the students. How terrible to impress upon the youth to work hard, persist and succeed in their studies.
Of course, these forces also want to have creationism (a.k.a. intelligent design) injected into the science curriculum and to limit or censure discussion on human reproduction.
I hope that they leave the social studies curriculum alone, so that students will learn the full meaning of the First Amendment. The president has a right to speak and be heard. If some of the parents object to that, it is good that they pull their students out of school that day. If they attended, they might learn about tolerance and critical thinking."
I shot a response off to the Journal Sentinel, and was surprised they printed it:
"Letter writer Fran Luebke, in lamenting the decision of the Elmbrook School District to not broadcast President Barack Obama's speech to students, said the following about the president's critics:
"I hope that they leave the social studies curriculum alone, so that students will learn the full meaning of the First Amendment. The president has a right to speak and be heard. (Opinions, Sept. 7)."
The president, like all citizens, has a right under the First Amendment to speak. No part of the Constitution or Bill of Rights, however, sets forth a right to be heard should others not want to listen.
Perhaps liberals should avoid citing the Constitution in their arguments, as they've apparently never been really familiar with the document."
The letters to the editor section is about the only place in the Journal Sentinel that conservative voices get heard, so I'm grateful for small favors.
