Obama School Brainwash Session: September 8th, 2009

[ronnyreagan]

"President Obama will deliver a national address directly to students on the importance of education. The President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens."

Wow, working hard and taking responsibility - talk about socialist brainwashing!
What's next, telling us to honor veterans on November 11th? (how dare he tell us what to do!?!)

[Fjolnirsson]

Wow, working hard and taking responsibility - talk about socialist brainwashing!
What's next, telling us to honor veterans on November 11th? (how dare he tell us what to do!?!)

I don't care what he's telling them, it isn't his place. He wasn't elected to preach the benefits of socialism to our children, that's not in his job description. I don't care what he is going to talk about, it isn't his place. I don't care if it's Obama, Bush Jr, the ghost of Ronnie Reagan or Thomas Jefferson, they don't belong in the classroom. That's what teachers are supposed to be doing. I don't pay taxes so my kid can watch a talking head speak to them about service. If I want her to watch tv, I can keep her home.

[charby]

I don't care what he's telling them, it isn't his place. He wasn't elected to preach the benefits of socialism to our children, that's not in his job description. I don't care what he is going to talk about, it isn't his place. I don't care if it's Obama, Bush Jr, the ghost of Ronnie Reagan or Thomas Jefferson, they don't belong in the classroom. That's what teachers are supposed to be doing. I don't pay taxes so my kid can watch a talking head speak to them about service. If I want her to watch tv, I can keep her home.

Call in sick for your daughter that day then.

I still don't understand why people are making such a big fuss over this.

[taurusowner]

Call in sick for your daughter that day then.

I still don't understand why people are making such a big fuss over this.

I'm making a big fuss over all the kids who won't be sick that day.  Kids that will be that much closer to thinking that it's perfectly alright for the President to be issuing edicts for citizens to fulfill.

[Gewehr98]

We need more than just sporadic town hall protests, we need a grass-roots tidal wave of protest, a powerful anti-statist movement akin to the civil rights' crusades of five decades ago.

And we need it NOW.

I can haz revolution/civul warz nao?  Kthnks, bye! 

[charby]

I'm making a big fuss over all the kids who won't be sick that day.  Kids that will be that much closer to thinking that it's perfectly alright for the President to be issuing edicts for citizens to fulfill.

So a well known person/celebrity, such as the President of the United States telling school kids to study hard is a bad thing? Honestly, nothing has been said that Obama is going to deliever some socialist agenda speech.

[Balog]

I enjoy teasing longeyes as much as the next guy, but in that particular post he did call for something akin to the civil rights movement ie marches, protests etc. Which I agree with.

[taurusowner]

Charby, apparently you missed the part where teachers are supposed to quize kids about "what Obama is expecting of them" and that they need to come up with goals to follow Obama's message and can even be held accountable to those goals.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

no! they aren't gonna be encouraged to do well in school AND  set goals toward that! what next?!  work hard study?!

[MicroBalrog]

I can haz revolution/civul warz nao?  Kthnks, bye! 

Oh god not actual changes in the political status quo!

OMG, next you're going to be talking about people being FREE or something!

[taurusowner]

no! they aren't gonna be encouraged to do well in school AND  set goals toward that! what next?!  work hard study?!

That cheese in the mouse trap sure does look tasty doesn't it?

[charby]

Charby, apparently you missed the part where teachers are supposed to quize kids about "what Obama is expecting of them" and that they need to come up with goals to follow Obama's message and can even be held accountable to those goals.

Um, to work hard to excell in school? That is what they will be quized on.

Seriously take off your "ZOMG! Obama wants to speak, must be about socialism/communism/nazi turn in your neighbor social welfare paid for by rich people!" red colored glasses.

[taurusowner]

It does not matter if this one particular message is about working hard in school, brushing your teeth, eating vegatables, or any other positive message.

I'll say it again...

It does not matter if this one particular message is about working hard in school, brushing your teeth, eating vegatables, or any other positive message.

The only thing that matters is that this is teaching young impressionable kids, tomorrows voting taxpayers, to take directives from political officials.  This entire nation was founded on the idea that political officials doing and saying other than exactly what we The People tell them to do and say, is an abomination.

The message itself at this point does not matter.

Training tomorrows citizens to accept directives flowing from the government to the people, and not the other way around, is the real issue here.

The message itself does not matter.

The only message children need to hear about the President, is that they NEED to expect the President to do exactly what the voters and taxpayers say, and shut his mouth while doing it.  The President is our servant.  It doesn't matter if the President is telling the children to do the most positive things in the whole world.  It's not his job to tell them anything.  His job is to listen.  That's it.

[Fjolnirsson]

It does not matter if this one particular message is about working hard in school, brushing your teeth, eating vegatables, or any other positive message.

I'll say it again...

It does not matter if this one particular message is about working hard in school, brushing your teeth, eating vegatables, or any other positive message.

The only thing that matters is that this is teaching young impressionable kids, tomorrows voting taxpayers, to take directives from political officials.  This entire nation was founded on the idea that political officials doing and saying other than exactly what we The People tell them to do and say, is an abomination.

The message itself at this point does not matter.

Training tomorrows citizens to accept directives flowing from the government to the people, and not the other way around, is the real issue here.

The message itself does not matter.

The only message children need to hear about the President, is that they NEED to expect the President to do exactly what the voters and taxpayers say, and shut his mouth while doing it.  The President is our servant.  It doesn't matter if the President is telling the children to do the most positive things in the whole world.  It's not his job to tell them anything.  His job is to listen.  That's it.

Ragnar, you have distilled my concerns far better than I did. This is exactly my point, and why I am furious about this.

[ronnyreagan]

Training tomorrows citizens to accept directives flowing from the government to the people, and not the other way around, is the real issue here.

Where are you getting the idea that this is anything more than a motivational speech? He's going to tell them to study hard and work diligently so they can grow up to be great Americans. The fact that people are upset by this is mind boggling.

The only message children need to hear about the President, is that they NEED to expect the President to do exactly what the voters and taxpayers say, and shut his mouth while doing it.  The President is our servant.  It doesn't matter if the President is telling the children to do the most positive things in the whole world.  It's not his job to tell them anything.  His job is to listen.  That's it.

Which presidents do you think have acted in the way you are describing? I can't think of one in recent history that even resembles what you're talking about.

[taurusowner]

ronny, have you read the handout the teachers are supposed to complete with their students?

[charby]

ronny, have you read the handout the teachers are supposed to complete with their students?

Have you ever read a lesson plan? Read standards and benchmarks? Read accompaning educational materials for school aged activities, like the space shuttle or Ididarod?

They are worded the same.

I know, I used to teach k-8.

[red headed stranger]

I don't like this either.  It is positively Orwellian.   However, I am skeptical that this event will result in little Jimmy tuning into an Obamabot.   

I was serious about the teachable moment thing.  From a very young age I was told to not blindly accept the words of authority figures.  People  who don't like what the president has to say can tell their kids it's BS. Eventually kids are going to have develop their own BS meter.     

[ronnyreagan]

ronny, have you read the handout the teachers are supposed to complete with their students?

The one linked in the first post? Yes, and in the context of what Obama is supposedly going to say it's really not troubling. It's a lot of basic stuff kids learn about understanding what a person is saying (which I'm assuming will be "Study hard, do well, you can do it!!") and processing that to relate it to the real world and themselves. I'm looking forward to revisiting this thread after he speaks to see what everyone has to say about it then. I really doubt people will be able to justify their outrage.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Where are you getting the idea that this is anything more than a motivational speech? He's going to tell them to study hard and work diligently so they can grow up to be great Americans. The fact that people are upset by this is mind boggling.

I'll bet you a nickel it'll be something more than a motivational speech.

[Perd Hapley]

The one linked in the first post? Yes, and in the context of what Obama is supposedly going to say it's really not troubling. It's a lot of basic stuff kids learn about understanding what a person is saying (which I'm assuming will be "Study hard, do well, you can do it!!") and processing that to relate it to the real world and themselves.

Then why does that handout talk about what students can do to "help the president"?     

[brimic]

So called "brainwashing" does often have negative and unattended affects for the brainwashers.

When I was in school, telling us kids about CFCs depleting the Ozone, we had to do projects relating to conserving CFCs, not using aerosol cans, not using the A/C (which was typical green-zealot misinformation, its not use but destruction of A/C which depletes the ozone).  We also had to do projects on recycling papers to help slow rain forest deforestation and exercises on water conservation. 

They used the fear thing too, 'If you don't stop using aerosol cans now, by 2001 you will need to wear a sun parka outside to avoid getting instantaneous cancer.'  'If you don't recycle paper, there won't be enough trees to make oxygen and we will all suffocate!'.


We watched mandatory videos, we sang mandatory songs, put on mandatory plays and did mandatory 'science' projects.

Consequently, it is 2010, and NONE of their dire predictions even came close to true.  Now when people in my age group ask me about global warming, I remind them of this education we had a children.  It does not disprove global warming, but it sure opens it up the fear mongering of "NEW YORK CITY WILL BE UNDER WATER IN 10 YEARS" to just criticism.

When I was in school in the early 80s, the big fear was that we would run out of oil by the year 2000 (2000 seemed like a lifetime away at the time). Guess where I stand on every single ecological disater du jour issue since?

[ronnyreagan]

Then why does that handout talk about what students can do to "help the president"?     

It's an effective motivational tool.

Have students 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.

"Dear RonnyReagan,
The president needs your'e help making America the goodest country it can be. In his speach he said that education is important and in order to meet the chalenges of the future we need to be smart. You should study hard and get smart so you can help the president meet this gole. You should get all A+ grades and stop eating paste and then some day you can grow up to be president!
Sincerly,
Brainwashed 3rd grade Gipper"

[taurusowner]

The one linked in the first post? Yes, and in the context of what Obama is supposedly going to say it's really not troubling. It's a lot of basic stuff kids learn about understanding what a person is saying (which I'm assuming will be "Study hard, do well, you can do it!!") and processing that to relate it to the real world and themselves. I'm looking forward to revisiting this thread after he speaks to see what everyone has to say about it then. I really doubt people will be able to justify their outrage.

What part of "the message itself doesn't matter" are you not grasping.

I don't care what he's telling them.  I care that he is telling them anything at all.

[MechAg94]

It's an effective motivational tool.

It is?  I was a kid once.  What the President wanted wouldn't have mattered a bit to me.  The Star Wars Missile Defense stuff was pretty cool though.

At a minimum, this is a silly public relations effort that is sort of waste of time.  However, it likely has succeeded in taking health care and town hall meetings off the headlines for a few days as Congress heads back into session.