Gov. Tim Pawlenty Speaks Out Against Obama’s Sept. 8 Televised School Address, Many Schools Say They “Opt Out”
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on September 4, 2009
I called my son’s high school yesterday morning and left a voice message, wanting information on the September 8 “Obama’s Speech to American School Kids” speech. By late afternoon, I got my answers.
They had no answers.
The school had nothing specific from the White House or the Education Czar or the Propaganda Czar or the Second Army Czar or the Youth Indoctrination Czar or the USSA Parental Replacement Czar… OK, OK, I don’t think a few of the latter czars actually exist (now), but who’s to say they won’t be added to the gigantic list of Obama’s non-vetted czars by next week or the week thereafter?
No materials, no outline, no lesson plans, no DVD to review, no nothing. And, the secretary I was talking with was no happy camper about it, either. The phones had been ringing off the hook all day from concerned, upset parents.
So, school admins were frantically printing out 1,800 fliers to distribute to their students ASAP so that parents could fill them out to “OPT OUT” if they so chose. However, any student, I was told, who did not turn in the OPT OUT form would likely have to watch the Obama broadcast. I’ve talked with my son and he said as long as he doesn’t have to write an essay about it, he’d willingly watch the Obama program and report back to me.
My trustworthy junior spy… who hates to write down ANYTHING. Pencils annoy him.
I asked him to please take notes during POTUS’s address.
He grimaced. He said he could remember it all without having to write it down… geez, Mom. Sigh.
The MSM, in normal dreamy lockstep, think it’s a grand idea, a FIRST! Never before has a president interrupted millions of students’ school day before… historical! Never mind that we are totally clueless about what POTUS will say. When he goes off trusty TOTUS, he usually insults former first ladies, police officers and their departments, and the Special Olympics. Could be another memorable Obama gaffe to add to his list.
Many, many schools and elected officials across the country are also plenty torqued about this non-disclosed, disruptive, potentially partisan speech.
From Star Tribune:
Pawlenty sides with critics
By RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER
September 4, 2009Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty today gave his support to parents and schools wary about showing President Obama’s televised back-to-school address in classrooms next week.
Pawlenty said that showing the address, slated to be telecast at 11 a.m. Central Time on Tuesday, could be disruptive and raises concerns “about the content and the motive,” he said on WCCO radio early this morning. He also said that the speech is “uninvited.”
Some school officials and parents have questioned whether the Obama speech will be appropriately non-political. Minnesota’s two largest school districts are allowing teachers and administrators to decide whether to show the speech in their classrooms.
“At a minimum it’s disruptive, number two, it’s uninvited and number three, if people would like to hear his message they can, on a voluntary basis, go to YouTube or some other source and get it. I don’t think he needs to force it upon the nation’s school children,” Pawlenty said at the State Fair during a brief interview with members of the media.
On the radio, Pawlenty said he understood the address would encourage school children to write to the president.
“There are going to be questions about — well, what are they are going to do with those names and is that for the purpose of a mailing list?” the governor said.
In a lesson plan distributed by the U.S. Department of Education, it encouraged students to send letters to the White House describing how they will help support the president.
In the face of criticism, the department dropped that suggestion earlier this week. The White House’s release about the speech does not say airing it is required.
From Gateway Pundit:
The Columbia, Missouri school district announced yesterday that they will not be sharing the youth speech by Barack Obama in the district next week.
The Tribune reported:Columbia Public Schools will not be sharing with students a scheduled speech Tuesday by President Barack Obama, said Michelle Baumstark, school district spokeswoman.
Obama plans to give a speech broadcast directly to students at 11 a.m. Tuesday, the first day of school for many children nationwide. Some parents across the country have objected to having the president’s talk broadcast to students, according to published reports. Baumstark said today no parents had contacted her about Obama’s speech.
The Obama administration is billing the speech as “the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation’s schoolchildren about persisting and succeeding in school.” The speech will be broadcast live via the White House Web site, www.whitehouse.gov.
Baumstark said the school district doesn’t have any information about the address to air on its cable channel. The school district’s cable station also can only air previously recorded shows and cannot air satellite-broadcast programming.
Likewise, in Fulton, Missouri the students will not be required to watch Dear Leader’s speech…
Different situation in Florida. Parents in Broward County, from what Michelle Malkin has learned, DO NOT HAVE A VOICE in opting out… read about it: Broward County FL schools: No, you can’t opt out of Obama speech.
Which czar would be in charge of that mandate… ah, yes, the USSA Parental Replacement Czar…
From Examiner.com: Obama school speech controversy, boycott cries over Obama school speech September 8th due to email
Searches for “Obama school, Obama school address, Obama September 8, Obama speech, Obama school video” have been swelling ever since President Obama’s planned speech for September 8, 2009 — to be streamed live from the White House that day to school students — received backlash in an email encouraging a “Keep Your Kid Home from School Day” on the day of Obama’s speech.
That controversy is erupting largely due to fears of exactly what President Obama may say to the students — but reports of the planned speech only display what seems may be a speech encouraging children to get an education and stay in school.
This unexpected backlash at what many assume is a simple school speech has left educators deciding on different activities for school children to perform — the ones whose parents specifically state that they don’t want their offspring watching the Obama school speech.
Parents, do your homework and find out what’s going on at your child’s/children’s school. It’s a potpourri of chaos out there.
Sean Hannity Interview: Michelle Malkin on Obama’s speech to public school students
More related links:
Michelle Malkin: “I pledge to be of service to Barack Obama” and Operation “Hall Pass on That” and Whitewashing the Obama education speech guides and Obama’s classroom campaign: No junior lobbyist left behind and Meet Obama’s newest Census collectors: Your kids!
Asher Embry, The American Spectator: Mmm, Mmm, Mm!
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Obama Peeved, So Escalates Media Attacks vs. “Love Is in the Air” (video): UPDATE – School Propaganda on Sept. 8, “I Pledge to Give Service to Obama”
Are you Freaking Stupid?: Obama gives speech to kids: those who oppose it are insane. Bush gives speech to kids: GAO investigation and a Congressional hearing called
Goodtimepolitics: Barack Obama’s speech to school kids draws fire
Fire Andrea Mitchell!: Obama Youth – Obama to indoctrinate kids on Sep 8
National Review Online: Krauthammer’s Take
Politico: Right blasts Obama speech to students
Washington Post, Post Politics: Obama’s School Address, Politicians and Profanity, More
Watcher of Weasels: September 8th – National Keep Your Kids Home From School Day, Avoid Obama Propaganda School Plan
The Christian Science Monitor: Obama school speech suddenly a prickly topic for educators
Mama Winger’s Kitchen Table: Obama: No Child Propaganda Left Behind
Sister Toldjah: Creeptastic: Elementary school shows Obama “pledge” video to students
Traction Control: Letter to the Principal, My Child’s September 8 Absence
Jim Geraghty, National Review Online: Department of Education Deletes Line About How Schoolkids Can Help Obama
The Salt Lake Tribune: Parents upset over ‘leftist propaganda’ video
Right Soup: Obama Wants Your Kid In His Cult
This Ain’t Hell, But you can see it from here: I pledge?
HillBuzz: KEEP PUSHING BACK, PEOPLE. WHITE HOUSE ON THE ROPES OVER SCHOOL INDOCTRINATION PLAN and HOMICIDE, NOT SWINE FLU, PREVENTING CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM HEARING OBAMA INDOCTRINATION SPEECH
From the Foothills: Obama Wants Us to Leave His Kids Alone
Tarpon’s Swamp: Indoctrination of School Kids
Kurt Schlichter , Big Hollywood: Deconstructing the Speech
Evan Sayet, Big Hollywood: America, Join the Obama Coup or Get Out of the Way
Alvaro Alvillar, Big Hollywood: Ignorance = ‘It Ain’t No More, Okay?’
American Spectator: A Long Shot: One-Term Obama
Reformed Chicks Blabbing: Anti-ObamaCare Ad that ABC and NBC Refuse to Air
ChronWatch: The Obama Administration: The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight
Politics Daily: ABC and NBC Refuse to Run Ad Critical of Obama Health Care
HillBuzz: WHAT WOULD THE LEFT DO IF FOX ASKED GLENN BECK TO CO-HOST THEIR NFL SHOW?
About the author
I honestly don’t see what the big deal is, I mean come on people. he is the President of OUR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Where is the respect and honor for this man that we as a nation voted into this position? How can you call yourselves americans and not even be in support of our leader? I am going to allow my child to view this on Tuesday because as an American I have that right. I am choosing to exercise that right. Good luck to all of you that continue to resist what already is in this nation, don’t you think that it’s about time to come together in support of one thing, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. Need I say more!
You bring up a very important point.
The “big deal” is… we don’t trust him. And it pains me to say that. I don’t trust him. In all my years, I have NEVER felt this way before about a president… even Clinton and Carter. And don’t even say “it’s because he’s black,” because if you’ve read any of my posts, you’ll know that’s a bold-faced lie. It’s because he’s never stood by America the way a president is suppose to, stood by Americans in a fashion that says, “I am your president and America is great.” He spent more time apologizing to other countries than he did to Sgt. Crowley for screwing up and saying he acted stupidly. He’s embraced dictators while being dismissive of leaders of our allies. He’s been a lavish spendthrift, ignoring economic advice, with no worries about how his spending has thrown us into a financial hole so deep that our grandchildren will still be paying for it.
He has a socialist agenda, and as Mao and other dictator leaderships have shown time and again (I’m avoiding the “H” word here), one effective means to gain power quickly is that you indoctrinate children for total power. Will he do that? No telling, because, you know what… WE DON’T TRUST HIM.
So what’s the big deal, you ask? Summer hickey, how would you feel if someone brainwashed your kids to rat on you to the government? To turn you, the parent in, because you spoke against the nation’s leader or against government policies? To make that child or family serve the nation in a free and “voluntary” capacity and to complain about it would mean imprisonment or death? That’s what Mao and “the H word” did… and I see uncomfortable parallels beginning here.
Will he do any of this? I don’t know, and I hope not… but I DON’T TRUST HIM.
You’re right about respect and honor. I have not called Barack Obama any of the foul, vicious names that left-winger Democrats called Pres. George W. Bush every day for 8 years. I have NOT called Obama a Nazi, a murderer, Hitler, al Qaeda, a terrorist who should die. These and much worse insults were part of the rhetoric of MANY Democrats and STILL ARE. I have given proper respect (which must be earned) and honor (which must also be earned) to our president. Sadly, he has failed to earn them in my eyes and in the eyes of millions of Americans. He has issues with conservatives and has expressed them. He has been dismissive of Christians while devoting energy to calling us “a Muslim nation” and honoring Muslim ideology. I’m not saying that he must embrace my religion, but it appears that he is disregarding it altogether. And Christians still make up the majority of this nation.
“Resist what already is in this nation” that you wrote makes no sense… it suggests, and I could be wrong, that if Obama wants our country to become socialist, we shouldn’t resist. And that is poppycock. I will “resist” our nation being turned into what appears is a planned totalitarian nation, with the government controlling every aspect of our lives.
Our leader, by the way, has not truly led anything yet… he has been a community organizer and a “talking points” guy, which by track record, is meant to keep people agitated about race and class. And on that, he’s been very successful.
He was elected to the office of the President of the United States, by people that enjoyed the way the he spoke, and the way he looked.
It’s not the outside, it’s the inside.
Don’t ever read Michelle Malkins’ book ” CULTURE OF CORRUPTION”.
You have never been provided with any details, on any policy, or any bill, or any statement that this president has spoken to the American People.
Change,…..Change what ?
The idiots that voted this egotistical menace into the office of the POTUS should move to South America.
WE DON’T WANT YOU HERE !
Wasn’t George W in a classroom when 9/11 struck? Actually, as long it’s understood that kids can be kept home when a Republican President broadcasts an address to schools, I’m fine with boycotting Obama’s speech.
Good point. However, that was a visit to ONE classroom that had been prearranged with the school and teacher and coordinated with Bush’s White House staff.
You must admit that differs greatly from a national broadcast that will interrupt millions of children’s school day, and has not been OK’d or reviewed by any school districts or educational leaders. Many have no idea what Obama will be talking on. For many schools, this will be the first day back from summer break… a day of confusion and chaos for everyone. Throwing this broadcast into the school day mix increases the mayhem even more… very disrespectful and thoughtless about what additional actions teachers must take to make this happen at the last minute with very little information to go on.
George W. Bush never said to the country, “Air my message to the children during school hours” and “here are my study guides that you must use”… if he had tried to do so AND without letting the public know the content of his speech, well, Democrats would have screamed bloody murder and attacked him ferociously. He would have been called a dictator, a fascist, etc.
While Obama has not mandated that it be watched, many schools are uncomfortable with not airing it, for fear that there will be repercussions. There is no guarantee that it will be a “stay in school” speech as the White House has said it would be. There is no guarantee that it won’t promote his policies, like government-run health care or the global warming energy tax bill, no guarantee that it will be non-partisan.
No Republican president has ever done what Obama wants to do in this broadcast… no Democrat president has ever either, for that matter. Obama has talked to many schools, one on one, before. I have no issue with that. Saying this September 8 national speech is the same thing is nonsense.
If you had a child and a Republican president was having a national address, it would be well within your parental right to keep your child from watching it (unless you live in certain counties in Florida, where they are making it mandatory). But ask yourself, “Am I keeping my child from this because the president is a Republican?” or “Am I keeping my child from this because I simply don’t trust the motivations and radical agenda of this particular president and I don’t want my child exposed to it?” Making a decision solely on party affiliation is narrow-minded and petty. If it were Reagan or Carter or Clinton or Bush coming to and making the speech in my child’s class, I’d still want to know more about it. It has NOTHING to do with party affiliation, but with that president’s proven ideologies. And Obama’s radical agenda is what millions of parents don’t trust. Nor do I.
Both HW Bush and Reagan made nationally televised speeches to America’s school children. This is not unprecedented. Get your facts straight for once.
Bush didn’t enter a classroom with a prepared curriculum for the teacher’s to use in conjunction with his appearance. He didn’t attend that school on that day in order to make a speech to a nationwide audience of school children.
This is entirely different.
And considering that his Sec of Education has now changed the language of the ‘curriculum” there certainly was something to the suspicions of parents. If these parents were off the reservation about this, why would the administration have changed the language of the prepared classroom assignments?
Before he was ever elected, on Obama’s campaign website he advocated early childhood head start, beginning at age 2. Marxists want our children earlier, younger and for a longer period of time.
Roxy
Excellent, salient points made, Roxy. You’re absolutely correct.
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George H.W. Bush’s speech to schoolchildren: There’s no room for drugs in space
By Michael Roberts in Follow That Story, News, Politics
Thursday, Sep. 3 2009 @ 7:57AM
george hw bush.jpg
George H.W. Bush.
As noted in our blog about a Douglas County school allowing parents to opt out of letting their kids watch President Barack Obama’s speech to children on Tuesday, we pointed out that other Commanders-in-Chief have directly addressed younglings — among them President George W. Bush, who asked America’s kids to each donate a dollar to the plight of children in Afghanistan back in 2001. But a closer comparison can be made to a September 1991 teleconference conducted by Dubya’s father, President George Herbert Walker Bush, in conjunction with the National Space Science Symposium. The idea was to get kids excited about education in general and careers in math and science in particular through grandfatherly advice, with occasional attempts at corny humor tossed in. For example, he said at one point, \All of you can turn learning into an adventure. And to do this you have to prepare not just by studying, but by studying hard, especially math and science. And that means doing what I too often fail to do, that means homework.\
This joke’s probably funnier now than it was at the time. But it’s not as hilarious as the following exchange, which came during a question-and-answer session with kids:
Hmmm, lets see. The most polarizing partisan President ever has his Secretary of Education send a letter to school principals across the nation telling them POTUS will address the nation’s “schoochildren” and they should refer to the accompanying lesson plans whilst participating in this unprecedented event. And you have no issue with that because you just love the guy. Fine. That is your prerogative, just as it is mine to protest the participation of my child my private parochial school. (My school is not participating by the way. Responsible parents FTW.) Parents are the decision makers, followed by elected school boards and superintendents. The Secretary and the Prez attempted a complete usurpation of the power of parents across the nation and all the MSM and Libs can whine about is that we don’t want our children indoctrinated. Nice dodge but those of us who are paying attention fully understand that it is that usurpation of power and the ridiculous lesson plans that are the issue here. This is the missing link. No other President who has addressed the nation’s children – voluntarily, I might add – has had the arrogance and stupidity to provide a read about my magnificent but still unverified life story”and/or write about how you can help POTUS instruction.
Obama and his cronies completely overstepped on this one and they are the ones who should be lambasted for their mistake. You know full well that if W had made such a poor move, heads on the Left would have exploded. Anyone with any intellectual honesty would recognize this.
virginiamom, wtf? Do you know how to read? better still are you as naive and brainwashed as you seem? you wrote ‘Both HW Bush and Reagan made nationally televised speeches to America’s school children. This is not unprecedented. Get your facts straight for once.’ pplease point out where in this article is anything about unprecedented and which facts here are wrong. you cant because there arent any.
Next time you decide to cut and paste in blogs you should READ THE BLOG before you make yourself look foolish. hahahaha too funny – btw, great post admin. keep up the good work. the libs are freakin’ out.
More curious stuff from liberal trolls. Another one who selectively reads, but at least she doesn’t use profanities like others did this week (and were systematically deleted).
Sadly (but typical), virginiamom, you’ve not read all the posts I’ve written on this topic, nor the myriad links I reference at the bottom of each and every post, including this one. But that’s how statists like to operate – cherry picking just a bit here or there to attack. So, once again, I’ll explain it for you… slowly.
It WAS unprecedented because of the original lesson materials that Obama’s radical team put together. And neither president (Reagan nor Bush) pushed it like Obama’s administration did (up until the major whitewashing and yanking of the non-reviewed lesson plans). Here’s a thought, buttercup… read the posts first, THEN attack. “Get your facts straight for once” should be “I close my eyes to everything that doesn’t support what I want to malign.”
Like all Obama-bot liberal trolls, you blithely pick and choose where you’ll criticize, deliberately ignoring all other information offered so that you can be snotty and statist. But hey, no worries, virginiamom… we’re kinda amused.
Without a doubt the liberals are getting denser. Virginiamom, I feel sorry for you since you are operating on limited brain cells. There is nothing here about “unprecedented” from the author of the post and even if there were, it has been established in multiple other posts on this topic on other sites that what Obama had originally planned to do was in fact the first time (yes you could call it unprecedented) anything of this magnitude had been attempted by a U.S. president. Lesson plans, interrupting the first day of school for millions of school kids, disrupting the craziest day of the year for teachers. His original speech was going to be nearly an hour but was cut down to about 18 minutes and it was still a huge bore. I’m sure all kinds of “I am your salvation” and “spread the wealth” and “we need Obamacare” crapola was cut out. You need to get your facts straight Virginiamom – but you’re obviously a hit and run troll so no one expects you to make that kind of effort. It would necessitate a BRAIN.
Romney/Palin in 2012!