Now that we’ve run out of celebrity deaths, arrests, break-ups, and African children adoptions to discuss, all the talk is of President Obama’s address to school children on Tuesday. Initially, I didn’t think much of this announcement except that it was nice that someone in government is taking an interest in our children again. I didn’t think much of it that is, until I heard that people were actually planning to withhold their children from school that day. I am a big supporter of individual rights to personal and political beliefs, but I think maybe we’ve gone a little astray with this one.
I read that one of the criticisms of conservative groups was the belief that the President was using this speech to attempt to indoctrinate the youth into the Democratic party. Really? This argument makes sense to people? Am I to believe that there are actually people out there who think the President – or ANY President, liberal, conservative, green, libertarian, or otherwise -- would blatantly blast his or her politics in a public forum to school children? Let’s take a moment to think about that . . . okay, here’s what I came up with:
President Obama opens his speech with a message of hello and thanks. This quickly transitions to an admonition about how worthless their lives will become without advanced education, a lecture about global warming and the importance of recycling (insert quick shout out to Al Gore here), an easy to follow 379 point overview of his new healthcare plan, and then things really get fun. At this point, the President will begin a caring and empathetic attempt to persuade any currently pregnant or teenage girls who may become pregnant to say yes to abortion. One thing those damn liberals love is murdering babies and I’m sure an attempt will be made to sway the conservative youth over to this anti-life way of thinking. Finally, President Obama will get back to his roots and lecture the kids about the importance of embracing minorities. He will no doubt point to his own success story as an example for children of color. An uprising of the multicolor/multicultural population is within your grasp he will advise. The white man’s reign of terror is coming to close and with your help I can lead the way for the new revolution. The end will be some catchy jingle backed PSA showing minority children from all ethnic groups skipping hand-in-hand on their way to the Whitehouse. Along the way, they will stop to pick up litter and separate the trash from the recyclables, attend a college lecture, make signs for an “Obamacare” rally, stop at a clinic so all the girls can get abortions, and then finally round up all the whiteys and put them to work as day laborers. Lastly, the youth of the nation will stand on the Whitehouse lawn and sing “I’d like to buy the world a Coke.” You know, the classic commercialized kumbaya Coca-cola made popular in the early 70's.
Oh wait, this isn’t some damn liberal conspiracy to take over your children, it’s the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES wanting to take time out from his busy schedule to talk to your damn children, whom you probably don’t even talk to that much. Wow, an adult who is accomplished, respected, and still in-touch enough to remember that the youth of the world are capable of real thought and understanding. How dare he.
We used to respect leadership even if we didn’t agree with the politics behind it. I cannot imagine a President I could dislike more than George Bush Jr., but I would never object to his wanting to speak to our kids. Children and teens need to know that they are not forgotten. They may act cool, but the idea that the President of the free world thinks they matter enough to talk to directly – not to their parents, but to THEM – is huge. Let’s stop forgetting the bigger picture and put to use a little of that faith the Christian Right is so fond of throwing out there.
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