Some parents protest President Obama speech to students
The president is planning to address the nation’s students about the importance of studying hard and staying in school. How terribly controversial.
Apparently, some parents find that message — or at least the president delivering the message — so objectionable that they are threatening to keep their children home from school.
According to a wire story in today’s Post-Dispatch, there are parents who have actually said the webcast speech to K-12 students is “political recruiting” and “spreading the liberal agenda.”
The White House officially announced the speech Wednesday morning, and the
Department of Education followed up with a letter to school principals and a
lesson plan for discussing the talk. The White House said the speech will
address the importance of studying and staying in school.But word of the address leaked out early and spread rapidly online and on talk
radio, and some parents reacted strongly to the perceived motive for the
speech.School districts immediately began fielding phone calls and e-mails from
parents. Many wanted more information about Obama’s agenda, but others reacted angrily
and threatened to pull their children out of school that day.“We’ve received about 50 phone calls today, the vast majority of them opposed
to the speech,” said Susan Meek, spokeswoman for Douglas County Schools south
of Denver. “Some parents are worried they won’t be able to be there, or won’t
have been able to view the speech ahead of time.”
The parents who have called principals over this are among the scariest element in America today, the ones who are so blinded by hatred they cannot even stand to hear what a person has to say — even if the message is as benign as staying in school. We heard plenty of MUCH more controversial presidential speeches in school, from presidents including Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
These are the anti-education, anti-critical thinking crowd who will jump when Glenn Beck tells them to. This the element that is threatened by any attempt at civil discourse or compromise. Any parents who keeps their child out of school because they don’t want their kid to hear the PRESIDENT of our country encourage them to make the most of their education, should be ticketed by the local truant officer. Shameful.
Aisha covered education and breaking news for nearly ten years before joining the Lifestyle staff where she writes a "Dirty Laundry" parenting column. She is the home and family editor and wastes too much time on Facebook and political blogs. 
If this many people are upset you can bet it’s for a good reason. Trying to make it sound like the parents are closed-minded because you happen to believe in the Socialist ideas of our president is a dirty tactic. Parents have the right to decide what their children hear and are exposed to, and if they don’t like it, they shouldn’t be forced, in our FREE country, to participate!!!
As a new parent, I think it would be reasonable (and responsible) for concerned parents to request a transcript of the speech, if that would ease their minds.
While I may not agree with the President on several issues, if he is simply encouraging kids to stay in school and study hard, I’m not sure how that harms them. If he is pushing a political agenda in a K-12 environment, my opinion is that should be discouraged because this is not the proper forum for that.
It’s more about the activities involved after the speech that I have an issue with. And, yes, I did email the principal and tell him that I wanted my kids opted out of listening to the speech or any actvities that pertain to it. It is my right as a parent. If my kids need encouragement in their education, then it will come from me. My oldest are both straight A students, so I think they are encouraged just fine.
Really, you’re upset by this? He’s the President of the United States, not a pedophile or a religious zealot. You don’t request transcripts when teachers show G and PG movies or there are school assemblies.
My guess is he’s going to encourage kids to get involved, volunteer and be active in activities. FOR SHAME!
His bills help fund public education and you’re going to throw up a red flag when he wants to say hello. People who are upset by this would not be upset if George Bush were to speak in class.
He’s not a socialist, he’s not Hitler. Turn off Fox News and realize that Hawaii is a State and he’s a natural born citizen.
For all of you parents following this issue today, our education reporters at the Post-Dispatch are curious: are any of you aware of public school districts in the St. Louis region making specific accomodations to parents and students regarding the speech? These might include districts that have decided not to show it. Or perhaps a district that has decided to put the speech on DVD for kids to take home, versus watching in school. Or it may be a district simply telling parents that teachers will not count an absence against a child whose parents choose not to send him or her to school that day. If so, please let me know at nancy.cambria@post-dispatch.com. Thanks, Nancy
Aisha, “Shameful” is what your biased reporting should be called. The parents who have called principals are not ’so blinded by hatred they cannot even stand to hear what a person has to say’. They are concerned parents of children who have listened to a President push a one sided agenda and would like to know what he will say to our young childrern. As a parent I am all for the President talking to children about working hard and staying in school. However, when we have to sign a permission slip for everything from reading certain books, to taking a field trip we have a right to know about what he is going to speak.
Rita, I only suggested the transcript for parents that are worried about a potential political agenda behind the speech. With movies, parents can rent the DVD and watch them ahead of time. In addition, with the proliferation of reviews and comments on websites, parents can at least gain some insight into the content of a movie by using a search engine. Again, if this is simply a message about volunteering, staying in school, or studying to prepare kids for their future, I would imagine that parents would have no issue with this.
Your column is very bias and shameful. If our president would like to address minors then he should make the live stream speech available to parents prior to speaking to our children or promptly at the same time as the children are listening. If he is talking to our children (minors) regarding staying in school, then he should have no issue with making that speech apparent to all concerned parents. It is sad that you would look at parents as people who do not know what is in the best interest of their children. Parents are ultimately responsible for what their children hear, see and do and have every right to do what is best for their children even if it means for them not to allow their children to listen to their president.
“Let me leave you with a simple message: Every time you walk through that classroom door, make it your mission to get a good education. Don’t do it just because your parents, or even the President, tells you. Do it for yourselves. Do it for your future. And while you’re at it, help a little brother or sister to learn, or maybe even Mom or Dad. Let me know how you’re doing. Write me a letter — and I’m serious about this one - write me a letter about ways you can help ups achieve our goals. I think you know the address.”
Pres. George H.W. Bush Oct. 1, 1991 in a nationally televised address to students.
Where were the protests, the calls to the principal then? When former Pres. Bush addressed students? Same message.
This makes me sad….as the parent of three school-age children that have very independent minds whom I have always taught to listen and be open minded. I find it odd that the very people sceaming socialism are the ones snuffing out any open diologe? Isn’t that how socialism works you drowned out any opposing views, only here what what you want to here Or what your allowed. I want my children to make up their own minds how they feel about our President how I feel is irrelivant.
I think it is beyond irrational to belive this President is out to destroy our country.If my children feel differently that there perogative.Give the kids more credit!!