1876 replies to this topic

[shadow_Uzumaki]

President Obama's speech to students on Tuesday draws controversy.

Forgive me, but I can't honestly see what's so controversial about presidents giving a speech to students.... Is it because no one knows what he's going to say? Is he honestly going to give his opinions about school and education in general? Is that what's so controversial?? Someone help me?

[Whirlpool-Maelstrom]

I don't get it a lot of people said it was inapropriate of the president to talk with students, what's so bad about a president talking with his future generations.

[Sakura Blossoms]

President Obama's speech to students on Tuesday draws controversy.

Forgive me, but I can't honestly see what's so controversial about presidents giving a speech to students.... Is it because no one knows what he's going to say? Is he honestly going to give his opinions about school and education in general? Is that what's so controversial?? Someone help me?

In this I don't understand what the Republicans are making such a big fuss about. Honestly, they're just making noise to make noise at this point.

[Nate River]

President Obama's speech to students on Tuesday draws controversy.

Forgive me, but I can't honestly see what's so controversial about presidents giving a speech to students.... Is it because no one knows what he's going to say? Is he honestly going to give his opinions about school and education in general? Is that what's so controversial?? Someone help me?

Simple.

If people trusted him enough to simply deliver a completely innocent speech about education they wouldn't care, but they don't.

The concern is that by playing it in school (and with the accompanying curriculum, especially the portion about helping Barack (as opposed to the country or something more general), he has a captive audience where he can attempt to indoctrinate children to his personal agenda. It is the "curriculum" portion that is really raising eye brows and has people thinking it may not be as innocent as the administration claims.

Their case isn't helped by what just happened in Utah and the "I pledge" video that kids were forced to watch.

I suspect whether you find this controversial or not, is heavily dependent upon your faith in this administration not to use this an indotracnation attempt on an audience who has, at best, a limited choice to attend.

With a political rally you are free not to attend. With a normal Barack speech you are free to turn off your TV. With school, the children's freedom to not listen or participate is much more limited.

Actually, this is not something President's have typically done, at least in recent history. The last one to do this Bush 41 and I don't recall Democrats being too happy about it.

Think of it this way....for those of you who hated George W. Bush....

If this were George W. Bush, would still have trouble finding the controversy?

I'd bet money that if Bush 43 did that, liberals would be up in arms instead of conservatives. I suspect that people's acceptance/aversion to this kind of thing is directly related to whether its their guy in office. I don't think Obama should be doing this the way he's chosen to do so, but then again, for the reasons noted above, I don't think ANY President should be doing it this way.

[shadow_Uzumaki]

Ah, thanks Shriner-senpai! >.<d

[Nate River]

The only way to know for sure if its what opponents claim it is or what the administration says it is, is to see, but if opponents are right then its too late and the damage is done.

I suspect that it will be pretty tame. If it wasn't before, it probably will now (for example, the helping Barack language was removed in response to the furor over this). If nothing else, the last thing Obama wants to do is prove Republicans right and torpedo his own credibility.

[RyrineaHaruno]

President Obama's speech to students on Tuesday draws controversy.

Forgive me, but I can't honestly see what's so controversial about presidents giving a speech to students.... Is it because no one knows what he's going to say? Is he honestly going to give his opinions about school and education in general? Is that what's so controversial?? Someone help me?

The last one they did made Humble Texas schools not be able to hear Bush's speech. This is just the republicans making a big ass fuss over nothing. It also goes both ways thought.

[Sakura Blossoms]

Think of it this way....for those of you who hated George W. Bush....

If this were George W. Bush, would still have trouble finding the controversy?

I'd bet money that if Bush 43 did that, liberals would be up in arms instead of conservatives. I suspect that people's acceptance/aversion to this kind of thing is directly related to whether its their guy in office. I don't think Obama should be doing this the way he's chosen to do so, but then again, for the reasons noted above, I don't think ANY President should be doing it this way.

I'd have to completely disagree with this, at least from my own personal standpoint. If George Bush had wanted to talk to the nation's kiddies, then I would have said more power to him. It would have been his right/choice as President to do so.

My issue with the Republican's in this instance, is that they are saying that Obama is going to 'brainwash' the children. How exactly is Obama going to pull of this mystical feat? Will he have those black and white swirlies going on in the background as he talks? Subliminal messages? I mean come on now, give me a break.

[RyrineaHaruno]

I agree with Sakura Blossoms, the Republicans are just being annoying as heck. Seriously why in the world would Obama "brain wash" the children and How? The last time these people had their way the Humble school distract didn't even get a chance to hear bush's speech. They're making a big deal over nothing and they want to make noise for the simple fact the speech is going to being in schools.


George Bush did the same thing and he also had read to students. During, the 9/11 attacks, didn't he read to group of kindergartner's and was told during that session.

Edited by RyrineaHaruno, 04 September 2009 - 09:06 PM.

[Sakura Blossoms]

This statement pretty much sums up how I feel on the subject:

The White House on Friday dismissed as pointless the furor over President Barack Obama's plan to deliver a televised back-to-school speech to the nation's students.

"I think we've reached a little bit of the silly season when the president of the United States can't tell kids in school to study hard and stay in school," presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters. "I think both political parties agree that the dropout rate is something that threatens our long-term economic success."

[Nate River]

I'd have to completely disagree with this, at least from my own personal standpoint. If George Bush had wanted to talk to the nation's kiddies, then I would have said more power to him. It would have been his right/choice as President to do so.

My issue with the Republican's in this instance, is that they are saying that Obama is going to 'brainwash' the children. How exactly is Obama going to pull of this mystical feat? Will he have those black and white swirlies going on in the background as he talks? Subliminal messages? I mean come on now, give me a break.

I wasn't validating their claims, only explaining WHY they complain. He wanted to know why their is a controversy, and that is why there is one. It's up to you (and him) whether you think their complaints are valid or whether there should be one at all.

Do you honestly believe that as much as they hated him, that Democrats as a whole would (regardless of what you think personally) sit by and say nothing if Bush gave such a speech and requested a corresponding discussion which included a topic on ways they could help him in front of an audience who have a restricted freedom to say no?

At its core, this is really just partisan bickering. I'd expect no less from the other side because neither party trusts the other.

Why I say I don't think any President should do what Obama's doing is because result would be the same no matter who it is. I think they'd complain regardless and that the only real difference is who would be complaining.

My only surprise about this whole thing is that the White House didn't see this coming.

"I think we've reached a little bit of the silly season when the president of the United States can't tell kids in school to study hard and stay in school," presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters. "I think both political parties agree that the dropout rate is something that threatens our long-term economic success."

Gibbs misses the point. They don't object to that per se, they simply don't trust that's all he's intending to say.

[shadow_Uzumaki]

Gibbs misses the point. They don't object to that per se, they simply don't trust that's all he's intending to say.

This pretty much explains the reason for controversy.... I guess people'll have to tune in on Tuesday and see what happens....I won't even be in school, Juniors and Seniors get 1 more day off! XD

[Nate River]

This pretty much explains the reason for controversy.... I guess people'll have to tune in on Tuesday and see what happens....I won't even be in school, Juniors and Seniors get 1 more day off! XD

If I were in school, I'd probably see it the same way.

It'll be tame. Even if Republicans were right about the original intent, the last thing Obama would do now is go out of his way to prove them right.

[Melancholy Vixen]

I'm not going to bother to go on a lengthy explanation of why I think this whole thing's a horrible idea. Instead, I'll just say that if my school folds for some godforsaken reason and we have to watch Obama... I'm just gonna get up, and I am going to leave. Even better if it's after 3rd period. I'm out of class then and I *could* just leave.

But otherwise, no. I don't want to see it and I don't want to hear from this guy, even if it's ONLY "Stay in school kiddies! 8D!!!11" I don't like him too much and I'm not going to take away from my schoolwork/homework/study time just to listen to him potentially telling me things I've been hearing four times a week since I started school.

... wow. I just realized that if my school goes through with it, there are going to be a lot of angry students. |:

[Froot]

President Obama's speech to students on Tuesday draws controversy.

Forgive me, but I can't honestly see what's so controversial about presidents giving a speech to students.... Is it because no one knows what he's going to say? Is he honestly going to give his opinions about school and education in general? Is that what's so controversial?? Someone help me?

The only ones complaining are the people who voted for McCain and the racists. People just hatin' on the B-man.

There really is nothing for people to be worried about. Obama is an educated, eloquent, and provocative speaker. He knows what he's doing. The McCain supporters, however, don't see it that way and only see ''that idiot Obama guy ruining our childrens' minds.''

Lots of adults don't think we can think for ourselves - which is true for a lot of us, but not all. Then there are the parents who want their kids to avoid politics altogether.

I, myself, am pro-Obama, so maybe I can't give you a completely objective answer, but I can say that Obama knows what he's doing when it comes to speeches, and there's no reason for contraversy.

[Sakura Blossoms]

So Obama gave his speech. The earth didn't open up and swallow the little kiddies whole. This whole so-called 'contraversy' over his speech to me was just pointless, unnecessary, and rather stupid.

[Derock]

The only ones complaining are the people who voted for McCain and the racists. People just hatin' on the B-man.

There really is nothing for people to be worried about. Obama is an educated, eloquent, and provocative speaker. He knows what he's doing. The McCain supporters, however, don't see it that way and only see ''that idiot Obama guy ruining our childrens' minds.''

Lots of adults don't think we can think for ourselves - which is true for a lot of us, but not all. Then there are the parents who want their kids to avoid politics altogether.

I, myself, am pro-Obama, so maybe I can't give you a completely objective answer, but I can say that Obama knows what he's doing when it comes to speeches, and there's no reason for contraversy.

QFT!

Though, it won't go away. Many people still considered him as a "monkey".

[shadow_Uzumaki]

Didn't catch the speech, but was there really a cause for worry?

[Sakura Blossoms]

I am highly against this. What right does the government have to try to force me, and everyone else in America to get health insurance, and if I don't I can get fined up to $3800 D8<

http://news.yahoo.co...h_care_overhaul

[Cloud]

And thus, people start to lose faith.