Wait, what? I should have been a raving lunatic about imaginary bullshit involving Bush when Bush was in office? My problems with Bush weren’t based on made-up stuff - they were based on very real issues with his honesty, his integrity, and his willingness to involve us in disastrous policies. I didn’t like the actual text of his policies - I didn’t MAKE STUFF UP to be outraged about.
And my point is NOT that I am demanding respect - I’m pointing out how the Republicans responded during Bush’s reign. My point is that the current raving lunatics are the very ones that would have gone apoplectic with rage had a elected Democrat called publicly for a boycott of a Bush speech to children, and demanded respect for the office of the presidency.
That’s too broad a question. It’s a waste of time to usurp time from all the classes. Many government agencies provide educational information on their sites as an extension of what they do and the White House staff is no exception. This is information that kids can access for research as needed for their class work.
But as a general rule, yes I’m saying it’s a waste of everyone’s time.
Only in some bizarro world is a speech by the President of the United States, lasting probably about an hour, a waste of time in a classroom. Such a speech allows students to understand a wider view of their society, allows them an invaluable opportunity to learn about civics and government, and provides many opportunities for incorporation in future lesson plans. I am astonished that such material would be considered a waste of time.
But he got a free pass – from the right, and from some sheep in the middle – because, despite very real issues regarding his integrity and honesty and willingness to involve us in disastrous policies, respect was given to the office of the presidency. It was a stupid thing to do then. It’s a stupid thing to do now. The office of the presidency shouldn’t get that kind of respect; it enables people like Bush.
No, you’re doing both. “The answer, I believe (YMMV, obviously), is to say to the lunatics ‘The President of the United States is giving an address to children, and you will respect the office of the presidency if not the holder.’ You know, the same kind of thing that would have been said had the tables been turned.”
First you say what you believe the answer is: it’s to say that YOU WILL RESPECT THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY, which is horrid. You then go on to say it’s how Republicans responded during Bush’s reign; it was horrid then, too.
Excellent points, and definitely correct. I retract my original “answer.” Although I think it was a better answer than what typically occurred during Bush’s reign, where people who disagreed with Bush’s policies and behavior were regularly labeled traitors.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ on a pogo stick. Yea, that 20 minutes is SUCH a waste of time.
Honestly, at this point I am just beyond flabbergasted that 1) an elected official would call for a boycott of a speech by the president and not be called out on it, 2) parents would pitch hissy-fits about their children listening to a speech by the president and 3) that the speech could possibly be considered a waste of time. The mindset behind those beliefs is so alien to me that I honestly wonder if I’m a different species.
As a science teacher (5th grade), I’m happy to offer my perspective.
Yesterday, when we missed a half hour of class for a Boy Scouts assembly, I inwardly lamented the lesson I was forced to postpone, while simultaneously realizing that the boys were being offered a valuable opportunity to experience things that they lack in our low-income community.
When the Power Team (or whatever they’re called) shows up at our school and spends an hour doing cool gymnastics moves and crushing stuff, I inwardly roll my eyes at the hokiness but simultaneously realize that the motivational message that they are giving the kids is a life lesson that is just as important as my lesson on the states of matter, which I’ll just teach the next day instead.
When the fire department comes to show off their shiny new truck, when we have career day, when kids get pulled for an anti-bully assembly, when we have our patriotic celebration, when we have the Red Ribbon Week anti-drug events…I could go on, but I think you get the point. School is not just about science, math, reading, and social studies. It’s about life lessons and child development and creating better little human beings, also.
I don’t think my students will be scarred for life by missing a science lesson. I think they will recieve a valuable message about staying in school, a lesson which can never be taught enough in the low socioeconomic environment at my school.
It seems like Kolga is channeling most of my thoughts on this matter so there isn’t much else for me to say on that.
I do have an idea for a compromise so that parent’s don’t have to pull their kids out of school for an entire day, tin foil hats should be provided to these children so the President’s evil liberal socialist mind control rays can’t penetrate and damage their precious minds.
Magiver, just to be clear, are you saying an in person presidential speech, with all the potential learning that could go with it, would have no possible benefit to those kids?
Or are you saying Obama’s economic skill is so great that even an hour and a half of not working on the economy is a detriment to us all?
If it’s the second, well I’m sure Obama would be flattered, if took vital time away from the economy to read this.
I think I’m going to cry. Seriously, what the fuck is WRONG with our country? He’s giving a speech about working hard and staying in school – that’s SOCIALISM???
Seriously…I’m depressed. I don’t think I’ve ever been ashamed of my country…but I am right now.
Don’t be ashamed of your country for this. This has nothing to do with the majority of Americans. This isn’t what we’re about.
Which reminds me, for some reason…I find it funny that when liberals are being irrationally pissy about stuff that’s going on, they say they’re leaving and going to Canada. When conservatives are being irrationally pissy, they tell the liberals they should get the fuck out and go to “some Socialist country.” I don’t know, I think it’s amusing.
[ul]
[li]The speech is only 20 minutes long.[/li][li]It’s not actually required viewing: individual schools get to decide whether to show it or not.[/li][li]It is in no way unprecedented for the president of the United States to address schoolchildren in a televised speech.[/li][li]The focus of the speech is on “personal responsibility and staying in school”–partisan goals, surely–and the previous language about “how you can help the President” was in reference to “how you can help the President achieve those goals”.[/li][li]No one is “encouraging students to be inspired by President Obama”; rather, there was a proposed discussion question asking students if they were inspired to do anything by President Obama.[/li][li]Jim Greer is a raving lunatic.[/li][/ul]
BUT!
[ul]
[li]Somehow, we liberals in the thread are the ones being disingenuous.[/li][/ul]
Although I think it was a better answer than what typically occurred during Bush’s reign, where people who disagreed with Bush’s policies and behavior were regularly labeled traitors.