Florida GOP chairman accuses Obama of trying to ‘indoctrinate’ schoolchildren to ‘socialist agenda’ in Sept. 8 speech
by Bob King | September 2nd, 2009Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, already controversial with his rank-and-file for actions including his preemptive endorsement of Gov. Charlie Crist for the U.S. Senate, has now stirred a national ruckus by criticizing President Obama’s plans to speak to the nation’s schoolchildren in a televised address Sept. 8.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the president will:
… speak directly to the nation’s children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school. The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.
Sound like the makings of a Norman Rockwell-meets-Horatio Alger, made-for-the-Hallmark-Channel moment? Not to Greer, who issued a news release accusing Obama of carrying out a much different agenda — one that starts with “social-” and ends with “-ism”:
As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama’s socialist ideology. The idea that school children across our nation will be forced to watch the President justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other President, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power.
… Public schools can’t teach children to speak out in support of the sanctity of human life or traditional marriage. President Obama and the Democrats wouldn’t dream of allowing prayer in school. Christmas Parties are now Holiday Parties. But, the Democrats have no problem going against the majority of American people and usurping the rights of parents by sending Pied Piper Obama into the American classroom.
Mind you, Greer adds that he “support(s) educating our children to respect both the office of the American President and the value of community service.”
According to the liberal news Web site TalkingPointsMemo.com, Florida GOP press secretary Katie Gordon echoed Greer’s comments in a subsequent interview:
Well, I know that a lot of the President’s ideas don’t reflect my values and don’t reflect the values that I would be teaching my children. And to be quite honest, there are a lot of the President’s ideas that I wouldn’t want my children discussing in a public school.
TalkingPointsMemo also mentions “an Internet campaign that has risen up, encouraging students to skip school on Tuesday.” (Gordon’s take: “That decision is up to the parents.”)
Meanwhile, Politico reports that “Texas school districts are discussing whether the president’s speech will be shown.” So what will the policy be in Florida’s schools?
Story update, 12:46 p.m. Thursday: Palm Beach County school officials still deciding whether to air Obama’s address to children
Where's the money? Use The Post's interactive database of who wants and who's getting federal dollars.
Use these interactive graphics to find and contact Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast legislators.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Thank you for reporting this to area parents.
No one tells us anything.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:34 am
Nothing else more correctly labels right-wing extremist hate more than criticizing the speech before he’s even heard it. These are the republicans who have been left behind by a more progressive America, and as long as people like Jim Greer lead it, the republican party is dead.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:45 am
The real Americans, left-right, black-white, republican-democrat, are fed up with his BS. Watch this:
http://la-gun.com/manning/manning_video/
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:35 am
to Baron — How many countries does progressivism have to hollow out from the inside before you and your ilk realize that it is a bankrupt philosophy of ideas that undermine the individualism and freedom that has made America great for 230+ years? In a progressive society, you are meat for the sausage grinder — your value to society is weighed against your cost and productivity. Wake up and learn your own value!
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:10 am
I’m no Greer fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I have to side with him on this one. It’s not about hate, it’s about trust. Washington, under Obama, is trying to centralize power at every turn. I don’t need the president speaking to my children without my consent.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:32 am
I hope September 8th will be a good day to take the kids to the beach, they will not be going to school that day.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:46 am
It starts: Let the brainwashing begin….. My kids will be absent on the 8th. I wonder what the national statistic for attendance in Americas public school systems will be on the 9th.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:48 am
Leave it up to a “journalist” to conveniently omit important material. You took 2 sentences out of 5 pages of Obama’s doctrine. For anyone who wants to see for themselves the “activities” he wants children to do, go to department of education website at http://www.ed.gov
He is not just talking to kids about positive work and responsibility. Read a little further you dishonest “journalist.” Your lips are stained from kool-aid
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:48 am
Am in total agreement with Tom. Am thankful my children are grown and not subject to this. POTUS is unable to get his message across to the adults, so,therefore, attempting to indroctinate our children. BE VERY ALERT PARENTS.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:50 am
Obama should stay at the beach
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:53 am
There is an awful lot wrong with what Jim Greer said and other comments on the board but I would like to address one specifically. Ed Fulop’s comment. He must be oblivous or confused. Progressivism has helped shape this country and made it what is is today. I think back to the turn of the previous century with progressives such as Teddy Roosevelt who helped create national parks we all enjoy today. Without progressives your beloved country would not be what it is today. They helped establish schools for all children to attend and took them out of the sweatshops of the industrial revolution. There is so much more to discuss here but i will leave it at that and encourage all of you to learn what it means to be progressive and how much it has helped out country. Ed, before you cite the “great” past of America please take the time to actually learn about it
Thank You
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:55 am
This article, surprise surprise PBPost doesn’t even talk about the activities promoted by the department of education to coincide with the speech, including having children answer questions like “how can I help the president achieve these goals”, and ” how can I help my parents achieve the president’s goals”. This is what’s terribly frightening. “A communist is someone who reads Marx and Lenin, an anti-communist is someone who understands Marx and Lenin” This goes beyond socialism and enters into the communist arena by implementing an agenda such as this…I for one, am beginning to get worried.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:00 am
Take away guns so citizens can’t stop a dictator taking over. Take away the right of free speech by banning ‘right-wing’ media. Add a fear factor by asking citizens to report friends and family directly to the White House if they criticize anything the President wants to do. Indoctrinate children by having them read books about the President and finding ways to ‘help him’ achieve his agenda. Give the President the power to shut down Internet communications if he perceives a ‘threat’ caused by rumors circulating. What do you get? Venezuela, China, or the USA???
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:02 am
I believe the President is a Socialist and I don’t like the fact he’s addressing our children without an opt out option by the parents at least. I have nothing against general speeches on education but the fact the schools are making exercises out of this makes me feel there is more to it than there should be. My child will be in school and he will be respectful but this household is not for Socialism which many of Obama’s programs are all about.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:05 am
The speech has been labeled as a “stay in school, comumity service message” and all that positive stuff. The lesson plan sent out by the Department of Education has the teachers ask the children to write “What does The President want me to do?” “How can I help him with his agenda?” That is where the indoctrination comes in.
I’ve informed my daughter’s principal that she will be out on Tuesday.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:07 am
It’s funny crazy right wing parents want to keep their kids out of school so they don’t have to hear Obama speak about staying in school. I guess they were ok with Bush reading my pet goat” to school kids as America was attacked and did nothing.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:11 am
Paranoia, plain and simple.
Elections are elections and the Republicans lost.
This is fearmongering.
There are enough Americans that are willing to believe anything that advances a political position they hold.
That’s why many fear “death panels”.
I guess that many haven’t considered the Insurance death panels exist in layers, the first one is the person who answers Doctor’s calls, and has the power to deny that doctor’s request.
That individual, may have at that instant, doomed the patient.
We all have heard the stories.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:11 am
Are these comments serious?? It sounds like a joke to me. You can’t all be this paranoid can you? If anyone really truely believes this is a communist dictator take over you are insane. What about the fascism during the Bush years? He actually lied to the entire country about his reasons for starting a war? What about listening in on our conversations illegally? That was the real threat.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:15 am
PEOPLE WAKE UP!!!!
This is the President of the United States talking to kids about the importance of Education and setting life goals.
In the Sept. 8 speech, Obama will challenge students to work hard, set goals for their education and take responsibility for their learning
He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens
It’s the first time a president has ever given a speech addressed directly to students!
How could anyone other than an uneducated extremist see it any different that a postive speech about education and goal seting?
As for parents pulling their kids out of school that day. Now let’s talk about setting a poor example of the value of an education.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:35 am
The President of our country wants to speak to our children….why is that such a problem???
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:38 am
Enough with the G.O.P rallying up the public fueling hatred and prejudice! The GOP is resorting Jim Crow tactics of intimidation and terror.
I agree with “Baron”..Nothing else more correctly labels right-wing extremist hate more than criticizing of President Obama’s address to our children on September 8th.
Making the ignorant claim that taxpayer dollars are being used to “spread President Obama’s socialist ideology in schools” is a complete fallacy! The President will call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens.
These are the republicans who have been left behind by a more progressive America, and as long as people like Jim Greer lead it, the republican party is dead.
I recommend my tax dollars towards educating persons like the Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer to take a class at the local college in Socialism and the correct definition thereof. Rallying up the lessor minded folk into spewing out chants of hate sounds awfully familiar.
Seriously people, put the pitch forks down and remove your white sheets. No one wants to “indoctrinate” your children. You do that plenty on your own.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:39 am
When I was a kid I remember there was a magazine distributed to kids which had comments from Ronald Reagan. I remember Nancy Reagan going on different strokes and other kids shows. Recently, George Bush liked to speak to kids about his pet goat.
I didn’t like Reagans propaganda and I don’t like Obama’s either.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Good, September 8th, I can count of HAPPILY walking my child to school without inhaling the exhaust of your gas guzzling trucks riddled with worn and faded “Country First” stickers. (LMAOF)
It will be a day of peace as my child continues his education and path towards success while YOURS will be left to be as illiterate as you are. Who is indoctrinating who is the question.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:48 am
Wow, a lot of birthers, Death Panel and Fox News viewers here.
Just another example of crazy parents using their kids as tools for their own personal agenda.
Pretty soon these parents will keep their kids out of school because they think that their teacher is a liberal, or the firefighter how comes to speak about the importance of not playing with matches is on a mission form the county goverment to spy on their parents.
To many loons in here!
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 am
You have got to be kidding me Jim Greer! The President is speaking to children about being responsible and learning and that’s somehow a socialist agenda? Let me remind you of your own stupid agenda to teach creationism in schools or have pseudoscience supplant real science (your party’s intelligent design crap). The fact that the chair of the republican Party of Florida has bought into this fear mongering is appalling. Your party has no philosphers, intellectuals or thinkers-how can you possibly bring our country into a bright future? How are you planning on replacing those “socialist” schools you tried to close with your “No Child Left Behind” garbage? Or is your real goal to leave no common culture and have no public education? It amazes me that you have allowed the least thoughtful, least rational, and least considerate members of your “party” take the reins. You are in a sad state. Whom do you plan on governing with your hostile rhetoric? There isn’t anyone left with whom your party’s members can get along, is there? Most people aren’t paranoid about the president’s commitment to make this country and ALL her people better (as opposed to a few wealthy donors), don’t want to live in survivalist camp, don’t want to argue about whether the sky is blue and want their kids to be able to get an education that they pay for with their taxes. What part does your party offer them except venom?
Communist witch-hunts were idiotic under Torquemada’s auto-de-fey, under Salem’s mass hysteria, under Joe McCarthy’s drunken fear mongering and they are idiotic under Jim Greer’s fatwa. These are ideas that do not improve with age. If you are so concerned about socialism in school, you should home school your children, grow your own food in your backyard, drill your own oil well and refine your own gasoline. All of those processes take the kind of cooperative effort that Jim Greer now calls “socialist”. You right wing-nut Republicans will be islands unto yourselves.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
Oh.. poor Republicans. Do you miss your lying, sleazy, corrupt President? At last we have a President who supports education and wants to address our children to do well in school and aim high.
I suppose Limbaugh, Hannity and that nasty wrench Palin would be better off addressing our youth? NOT.
Is this really about your fear of indoctrination or your own personal prejudices that govern your “rationalization”?
Please, spare us your rants of Socialism. The President is an educated black man and leader of our DEMOCRATIC Country, and that intimidates the bejeezus out of you.
The Old South is still trying to come back. LOL
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:59 am
read “The Road to Serfdom”. A quick illustrated version is linked below.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6421408/The-Illustrated-Road-to-Serfdom
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:00 am
@ “rightwingfringe” That was hilarious! *high-five*
Radical Righties going at it again.. It get’s real old, reeeeal old.
Please, President Obama is awesome, and they just can’t stomach it.
Just motivates me even more in my support.
@ Laughs out Loud – Palin addressing my kids? SCARY!!!! YIKES! LOLOLOL merits another *high-five*
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:02 am
Of course it is positive for the president to encourage children to do well in school. But you blind lefties are missing the point. He wants the children to do assignments and think about “how to help him” and “how to make their parents help him” and “to think what obama REALLY wants us to think.” This goes wayyyy beyond simple encouragement. Is it possible ANY of you lefties can see ANYTHING wrong with this guy?
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:07 am
@ READ FACTS LEFTIES … have you had your juice today?
Please citate your quotes. Justify your accusations with facts. Attach a link where in President Obamas OWN words are the ones you quoted. Since you did put them in “quotations”.
Go, lets see if you can do it. Remember your coo-coo radical websites don’t count, it must issue a valid.
Read the facts my friend.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:13 am
Well Jack, you are “indoctrinating” your daughter to be as stupid as you seem to be. You mean to tell me that you can’t tell her yourself what you believe and that she can’t do any thinking for herself decide on what she should believe based what you said versus what the president said? Who’s all for freedom of speech and freedom of thought here, Jack?
Funny how the people who claim to be most in favor of free speech and “freedom” run far and fast in the opposite direction when they are actually confronted with free speech and free thought. “Free” speech means that people are free to present an opposing point of view.
Jack here is really prejudiced–he has prejudged what he thinks the President will say will be “socialist” because he really wants very badly for the speech to validiate his ridiculous idea that Obama is a socialist. However, Jack is such an extremist that he is willing to boycott the speech he’s never heard in order to prove it contains “socialist” thought.
I presume he is doing this so that when people ask him “What did you think of the speech”, he can say “I ain’t listening to none of that socialist crap” to which the response must be “Well, how can you know if it’s socialist if you didn’t hear it yourself?” to which Jack replies “well Jim Greer told me its “socialist” and that’s all I need to know”. Jack will swear up and down he does his own thinking, but you can’t make an informed opinion about words you voluntarily refuse to expose yourself to because you think they are “bad” or “socialist”.
Boy, if that ain’t pretzel logic resting on a sugar crystal foundation, then call me Spock.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
OK, smart ass…go to http://www.ed.gov How’s that for coo-coo radical?
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:18 am
Obama is a socialist so what is surprising about that! No country has ever survived or succeeded when in the direction of where we are going.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
FACT–are you tyring to get me to believe that you have so little control over the little people you clothe, feed, and house under your roof that when the President gives them suggestions on how they can “help him” and how they can get their parents to “help him” that you will be powerless to resist? What kind of children do you have–Children of the Corn? Or is it Village of the Damned?
What if the President wants your kids to get you to eat healthier and exercise like Arnold Schwarzenegger–is that socialist too? What about if he tells your kids to turn off the light bulbs when they leave a room and turn off the water while brushing their teeth–Oh no!! a socialist plot to get you to save money on utilities–you can’t have that–pay FPL more money right now, dammit!!
FACT, if everything Obama does is a socialist plot, then why are you still here in America and not in that other haven of freedom in this world–oh right, there isn’t one–SO YOU’RE STUCK WITH US SOCIALISTS BUDDY!!!! We have a nice pod already picked out for you and your family–we’ll be by this weekend to replace you with a better genetically engineered and more intelligent version of you. Your wife and kids will notice, but they certainly wont complain–they’ll wonder what happened to the moron they used to live with and sadly–that moron will be gone—MUHUHUHUHUHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:30 am
The President should stick to promoting the Presidential Fitness challenge. That’s all the youth connecting a President needs to do, aside from maybe suggesting kids to learn their country’s history and how government actually works. Some of you folks on this board are the reason for trouble, left and right. YOU CAN’T EVEN AGREE TO DISAGREE, sheep.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:31 am
Dont’ be affraid. A little more socialism is a good thing.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
.
I don’t want my kids brainwashed to worship God OR Government in school. Let each parent teach morals, be they Marxist(Democrats) or Fascist(Republicans).
.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:34 am
Read Facts Lefties–I see plenty wrong with Obama as is wrong with any human being. I just don’t see any socialist plot you paranoid wing-nuts are raving on about. You had the same rant Kennedy and Johnson and gave us Nixon; you had the same rant about Clinton and gave us Bush II. The problem isn’t whether you’re right–it’s whether you can remedy the problem any better and the fact is YOU CAN’T. In fact, you guys just make it worse each and every time. Each Republican president over the last 50 years has ended in more disgrace and scandal than any Democratic president could dream to have. The last sensible Rebuplican president was Ike, and he was a true conservative, not a radical wing-nut. True conservatives don’t block out ideas because they don’t like them and they definitely don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. True conservatives are willing to invest in our future if the payoff is right–they spend money to make money and stop wasting money when it’s not bringing a dividend. A true conservative would have overhauled our healthcare system without regard for discreet individual business interests–that’s why the current crop of Republicans are not true conservatives–they are radicals who have taken the title of conservative to sell themselves to ignorant people who blindly follow a rich mother duck in hopes that some crumbs will fall from her bill.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:35 am
Besides the fact that all public school education is government indoctrination at some level, reading some of these pro-Greer comments, I’m thinking maybe the president should speak to adults about the importance of being educated and well-informed.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:35 am
This violent and outlandish reaction to the President encouraging kids to work hard and go to school is sad to me. No matter what Obama does, the extreme right wingers will turn it into something horrible and bend the truth in order to scare people. If they had their way then they would want Obama to sit on his hands and do nothing…but then I suppose they would condem him for doing nothing when the country was in crisis. Either way, he can never do anything right in their eyes.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:41 am
Well, I heard that the president is going to encourage kindergartners to share and to be considerate of others and to do unto others as they would want to be done to them. I also heard that he’s going to to tell kids that the US Constitution is the greatest document in the world and that he’s supposed to uphold it and it’s their duty to read it and make it apply to everything in their life. Then I head that the president is going to tell the kids that we have the best system of government in the world and that they should vote and they should tell their parents to vote and they should know where their voting precinct is. Then I heard he’s going to tell kids that a judge gets to read to what the congressman does to pass a law to see if its OK under the constitution but that if its a law and its ok that the president is in charge of enforcing it. Then he’s gonna tell them that if you work hard in America you will do good, but that you have to work hard and learn and get good grades or else you will be bad.
That’s why I don’t want that damn president tellin’ any of my kids that commie BS–he sounds just like Stalin or Hitler.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:42 am
FINALLY. A Florida politician gets something right.
Jimmy Carter- no longer America’s worst President.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:44 am
@ Big Daddy…some valid points made there, kudos. But this quote very accurately describes the clones and sheep who put this person in office. “sell themselves to ignorant people who blindly follow a rich mother duck in hopes that some crumbs will fall from her bill.” This is a graphic depiction of our welfare system, not of right-wing “radicals.”
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:44 am
I am a registered Independent since 1990 My kids will not be there 9-8.
You LEMMINGS out there need to stop following the PARTY’S off the cliff.
THEY ARE BOTH CORRUPT WHEN ARE YOU ALL GOING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
VOTE EVERYONE OUT. Keep voting them out till they start listing to us the people they work for.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:45 am
George Bush may have made mistakes but he didn’t damn our country for the rest of it’s existence. Watch what you will get when Mr. Obama is done. You will only receive more debt and less rights. This is America and all of you enjoy your rights correct… So why allow someone to take them away. The president is not intending a purely educational topic speech. Stop listening to the media and research. Notice the “dumb” republicans posted links and showed proof. They have impacted their arguments and none of you left wing drones have.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
I am a registered Independent since 1990 My kids will not be there 9-8.
You LEMMINGS out there need to stop following the PARTY’S off the cliff.
THEY ARE BOTH CORRUPT WHEN ARE YOU ALL GOING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
VOTE EVERYONE OUT. Keep voting them out till they start listing to us the people they work for.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 am
Hey Wow – Have you read Obama’s speech yet? Maybe you should get your facts straight first…
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:51 am
@ READ FACTS LEFTIES
No no… nice try. CITE it! Did you not got to college?
Cite it correctly, don’t just post a website, you have to show where you pulled your quote from..
Since you took it upon yourself to “quote” the President of the United States in your argument, then give some validity to it and tell us WHERE AND WHEN President Obama said , “how to help him” and “how to make their parents help him” and “to think what obama REALLY wants us to think.”.
Please I challenge you.
I am beginning to see how your ignorance is blinding you. Sorry my friend, I believe I have just proved a point. You know nothing of what you speak. Lemming.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Jim Greer has determined the First Amendment doesn’t apply to the President.
How interesting.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
No, I did not GOT to college, but I did GO to college. I would think someone who is such a stickler for grammar would also take pride in their spelling. As for citing, I do apologize for not putting in the specific sentence number from the pdf files on the website. I am a terrible person. Just read them, OK?
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Van Jones
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
True, we cannot certainly know what Obama will say in this speech. Hopefully he will stick to his word (not that he does that very often). The second he crosses the line and begins using phrases about Policy or God forbid he hints at a sound of demonizing the Republicans, I will sue the school, Palm Beach County and Barak himself. The Dems wouldn’t like Bush doing it. I don’t trust the government at all (makes me a conservative) and I don’t like this one bit.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Republicans are so afraid of Obama that they like to make up stories and create fear!!
Republicans still can’t face that they lost and the Democrats are in power.
Sure keep your kids at home, they will be dumber for it just like their parents.
Oh, lets read them PET GOAT instead.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Please, think for a moment. It’s not the President the one who goes inside your homes every day, telling you and your children how to live. It’s the TV, the paid journalists, the media censures and silences every important problem in teh country, and give to the people stupid gossip to talk about. Obama is in fact a minor problem, because when you listen to him, you know what he thinks, and what he belives in. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS PAYING TO THE MEDIA TO MAKE YOU THINK THIS OR THAT.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:33 pm
This is not even from Fox News. For all the left wingers that are questioning where we are getting our information about Obama’s ORIGINAL PLAN for our Children, you can read them here at the Washington Post http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/02/wh-withdraws-call-students-help-obama/
My children will be staying home that day as well, and so wll many of my neighbor’s children. I will not subject my children to propaganda in school or at home. They are taught to respect everyone (including Obama) even if our opinions, ethical and moral beliefs differ.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:34 pm
LOL – I will sue the school, county and Barack himself…
….what a tool…
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I find it funny that all of the leftist comments were made in the later part of the morning. I am guessing that none of you have jobs and love your government checks and will do anything to support a government that supports you.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Republicans are so afraid of Obama that they like to make up stories and create fear!!
Republicans still can’t face that they lost and the Democrats are in power.
Sure keep your kids at home, they will be dumber for it just like their parents.
Oh, lets read them PET GOAT instead.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Tom – do you not have a computer at work?
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Big Johnson: dumber is not the proper term. Try as dumb as you or more dumb. And what would you read to a group of 5 year olds? I think they would rather enjoy pet goat over blah blah socialism.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Keep your kids home! It will make my commute to work that much shorter and all of the kids who do not have a legitimate excuse should receive an “F” for the day. If you are so concerned about your children’s education and what they are exposed to, home school them!
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:50 pm
As a Republican I am not only ashamed but also repulsed as to how some in the GOP is trying to tarnish what majority of us see as good when it comes to the President and educators expressing the need for children to get a good education. My children will be in school on that day and furthermore, we need to stop with the scare tatics.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
So lets see parents…rather than have your kid watch the speech and discuss it with them at home..you will just keep them home from school? A tremendous opportunity to help your child form their own opinions and you go the rank and file of FOX NEWS zealots and just bascially tell your kids what to think. What a shock.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:59 pm
For any of you out there that are confused on what Obama and his Administration, and Czars, are doing, you should really turn to FoxNews. Nothing they report is untrue. They report, YOU decide……that is there slogan. Glenn Beck at 5pm, although I love him, might be a little too scary for some so, I would stick to Hannity the most. And Greta. Even O’Reilly.
And on this issues specifically, I think it’s a way for Obama to get into his future little soldier’s heads.
Just my opinion. Glad our young one goes to a private school where this won’t be aired. My teen already has a mind of her own.
V.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Matt, yes I do and I am using it during lunch.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Alright READ FACTS LEFTIES: I went to the site you keep posting. here’s what it says about the “indoctrination activities” you fear so much:
“On September 8, we will invite students to respond to the president’s challenge by creating videos, up to two minutes in length, describing the steps they will take to improve their education and the role education will play in fulfilling their dreams.”
So, I’m looking for the part where they will be helping Obama fulfill his *evil master plan.* So far, all I see them being instructed to help is themselves. Find ways to help their education. Fulfill their dreams. Tell me how you’re able to twist that into “helping Obama fulfill his agenda?”
I may not agree with everything the president supports. But people like you, who point to invisible boogeymen and twist evidence to suit your need do nothing but make things worse for everyone, especially yourself. Stop ranting about like an ignorant fool and find something useful to do and say.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I think all of you hate-mongering freaks should keep your kids home that day and many other days. That way they can grow up to total idiots like their parents. Just be careful-the black helicopters are coming to get you-you bunch on non-intellectual morons
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Glad my kids are out of school, or they would be on sept.8 this is BS Do some work , and keep your nose out of where it does not belong.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Faux News? Get real!!!! I wonder how much of the mind your teen has was created by you and the fear and hate mongers on Faux!
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Then why would assume we don’t have jobs if we are posting in the afternoon?
I don’t know but I agree with Cindy’s post. The extremists are really killing the Republican party and taking away from any potential for bipartisanship. I have had many educated discussions on policy with friends of mine on the “other side of the aisle” and I find it refreshing when another point of view is brought up that I hadn’t thought of. What I don’t like is when people from either party have to twist and distort the facts in order to sensationalize an issue just to meet their personal agenda. I know people who are spreading false rumors about Obama’s healthcare plans simply because they want to oppose anything he supports. How does that make any sense when you have other Republicans in Congress that truly want to negotiate a plan that everyone can agree on?
As for Obama adressing school kids. Every year of middle school and high school (they were all public), I was asked to watch the State of the Union address and report on it. How come nobody made a stink over it then? I saw both Republican and Democrat State of the Unions. Why should this be an issue now?
As somebody said earlier on these posts…the best thing you can do is let your children watch the address and then discuss it with them at home and allow them to come to their own conclusions.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Hey Frankie, I have said nothing of an “evil master plan.” Did you happen to read the pdf files of “activities” for children? It is just so convenient how people like yourself and the person who wrote this article like to leave things out. It’s ok though, it is typical and I would not expect anything from people such as yourself
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Once again, the Post chooses to omit the controversial facts. The Department of Education put out a lesson plan to accompany the address that included ideas for assignments such as “write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president.”, and “build background knowledge about the president of the United States by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama.” These assignments aren’t just the “stay in school” message that the Post is claiming that the address is about. It IS indoctrination!
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I think that people are so hateful that they can’t believe that Obama’s agenda is to make their kids smarter and better able to prosper in the future. That’s his agenda. And he wants that for EVERY AMERICAN!! That must be the part of it that’s socialist–that the wish for learning and self improvement applies to EVERY AMERICAN and not just SOME AMERICANS or just for children of Democrats. They have been so conditioned to believe that all people think negatively like they do that it’s unfathomable to them that Obama isn’t as petty as they are. Well, he isn’t. He wan’t your kids to succeed, even if you want him to fail.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Why is it that all those who disagree with Obama are automatically condemned as Republicans, right-wing crazies, and uneducated? If you have facts on your side, you don’t need to resort to name-calling and other kindergarten tactics.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:50 pm
And people are saying Obama has a socialist agenda? Those saying the kids should not hear it are now suppressing freedom of speech, and censoring what the kids learn. We teach them to be free by telling them they can’t hear their elected leader’s views and ideas, EVEN BEFORE THEY KNOW FOR SURE WHAT HE’S GOING TO SAY?
And Obama is promoting a socialist agenda? Sheesh…
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:50 pm
dont blame obama he is just trying to fix all the other presidents mistakes
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
KW, I’m still having a hard time understanding why such a lesson plan is harmful for children in the USA. “Writing letters to themselves about how they can help the president” sounds soooooo evil, you’d almost think that Obama was the one to pass the Patriot Act limiting our civil liberties under the constitution and not Bush. “Build background knowledge about the president of the United States by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama” sounds soooooo sinister, as if children learning about the 43 presidents before Obama so they can form their own opinions about his performance in comparison to the others would scar them for life and make them want to abolish the constitution.
Maybe if their parents took up this lesson plan instead of the students, some these posts would sound so utterly insane. At the very least, they would do some of their own scholarship instead of just being parrots for the Faux News crew.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Hmm, write a letter to myself to remind me what I can do to learn more, be a better person, support the President who is leading the country and is asking us to be more informed, more responsible and better educated. Hmmm, this is bad exactly WHY???
I can help the President by turning off lights and driving less to consume less energy. I can study harder so I can help solve how we can reduce greenhouse gases. I can be responsible and learn about finance and not get myself into debt I cannot repay because I irresponsibly took risks or bought too much Louis Vuitton.
This is all bad why????
People; get real. There is no subversive anything in this. It is thinking like this that is the only way we can reverse this sea of crap we as a nation (and have led the world in much of it) got ourselves into. Come on…
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Thanks for pitching in Tanis
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Missy, if you would stop calling the guy a socialist without any facts or documents to support such a claim, then maybe the insults would stop. Maybe if you stopped acting as if he is the only president who ever had an agenda, that would help, too. I understand you don’t like his agenda, but hoping for him to fail and falsifying infromation about his agenda and plan by using loaded rhetoric and hyperbole is really counterproductive to a good discussion of the issues. I can’t take your argument seriously if you are making mistakes about his plan and calling him unfounded names. You may as well just be calling him some racial names for as much merit as your other name calling has to do with Obama. If I were to tell someone things about you and intentionally mislead them by either distorting what you said or who you are or outright lying about it, how would you feel? Would you feel you were being given a fair shake? Would you want to spend any time discussing issues with me if I have proven that I will lie and misspeak to make a point that is irrelevant. I don’t think you would if you are like me and don’t have time to waste on unintelligent garbage.
And don’t make this into an argument about what people did to Bush as far as calling him names and being against his “agenda”. For cripes sake, I don’t think anyone here believes whatever Bush implemented as his “agenda” was ultimately good for our country. It was good for pharmaceutical companies, energy companies, insurance companies, extremely wealthy Americans and banks. Anyone of us who used services or products of those industries got hosed from 2004-2008. Anyone who was extremely wealthy got a big boost until the deregulation and lack of oversight killed the stock and bond market.
All I ask is that you use the facts you claim to have on your side. Obama doesn’t favor any death panels and when Sarah Palin says that she sounds like someone who hasn’t read any healthcare bill and is therefore uneducated about it. When the Republican party chair of Florida, a guy who was on the short list to be appointed US Senator for our state claims that Obama is a socialist WITHOUT POINTING OUT THAT HIS PARTY ENGINEERED THE “SOCIALIST” BAILOUT OF OUR BANKS, he is being intellectually dishonest at best. If this guy is the best the Republican Party can do, they really need to be afraid of the worst.
This isn’t about name calling–it’s about the pot calling the kettle black and then getting mad when the kettle blows off steam at the hypocrisy of it all.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
pot callin da kettle black? why we be bringin da race into it? we be’s ok
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Read Bush and Cheney’s Patriot Act if you want to see Socialism
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Greer doesn’t go fare enough – is there anything more socialistic than public education?
After all the GOP has proved that public fire departments and police departments would cost more and lead directly to Marxism – and so public schools always cost more than private schools, no? And of course they’re taxpayer supported which means that people with big houses can’t create more jobs and the economy will crash. And then there’s the public library — OMG keep your kids away from there? They actually have books by Marx!
It all makes sense if you live in Florida and have an IQ of 94 and listen to demented politicians and crackpot pundits on the TV.
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
[...] called Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer’s remarks about Obama using the speech to indoc… an example of [...]
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Ya know, I just read the ed.gov OFFICIAL US DEPT OF EDUCATION release about this speech, and it firmly cements in at least my mind that there is NO FRIGGING SOCIALIST AGENDA in it. It challenges the kids to take responsibility for their learning, promotes listening skills, asks them what the most important thing was to them in the speech, and encourages discussion, thought and reflection on their beliefs and how they can be better students and people.
Sorry you fearmongers, get with reality. If you keep your kids home, you do them harm.
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Way back on Post #11 in this strand, Chris took my knowledge of history to task. For your information, Chris, I majored in political science, and did a thesis paper on Teddy Roosevelt. The Progressive movement and TR’s presidency saw the biggest expansion of executive powers that the office has ever known. He all but created the term “big government”. The national park system and the conservation that he championed actually caused environmental destruction, not to mentioned the millions of dollars private citizen land owners surrendered in the process. His movement inspired those that came after him to enact the Federal Income Tax. It was sold to the public as a tax on rich people (sound familiar?) As far as the “thank-you” you say I owe to progressives for our public school system, you might want to check your own facts. In an international study in 2003 of 15 year olds in 38 countries around the world, we ranked 24th in mathematics, 19th in science, 12th in reading, and 26th in problem solving. In 2006, the same study, but with 57 countries, ranked the U.S. 35th in mathematics, 29th in science, and 37th in problem solving. Reading scores could not be reported due to (check this out!!)printing errors in the instructions of the U.S. test booklets!!! Bill Gates has said that the American high school system is “obsolete”. If there’s anything else you require “re-education” on, please let me know.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Big Daddy,
Please show me where I called Obama a socialist? And show me where I supported anything Bush did? And show me where I called anyone a name?
I didn’t mention death panels or any of the other things you claim that I did.
So YOU get YOUR facts straight.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:08 pm
[...] partisan dustup over President Obama’s planned nationwide address to schoolchildren next week has inspired some rounds of speculation about what would happen if the shoe was on the [...]
September 4th, 2009 at 11:19 am
President Reagon spoke to the school children in a televised address in 1986 – sharing his specific economic philosophies and so forth. This is nothing new. Let these foolish, paranoid people keep their kids home from school that day, keep them as ignorant as their parents. Why not? Teach them not to be respectful of people who disagree with their own opinions and that it is okay to tune out if you do not agree with someone. Just like mom and dad – yay for idiocracy!!
September 5th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I think the majority of Americans would agree that it is time to STOP the ranting, find a more bi-partisan way to work together to solve the problems facing our country. Whether you like Obama or not, he was left a miriad of problems by his predecessor and both parties if one wants to be realistic that have all but destroyed the American dream of homeownership, the economy, middle class America, and a war none of us wanted our sons and daughters to participate. We are caretakers of our children and with right example they should stand on their own. They should be shown both sides of the coin and learn to THINK for themselves NOT regurgitate what others expect or want from them. Education must show them how to become individuals, whether Republican or Democrat or Independent, not puppets on a string manipulated by others. Listening to Obama speak one time is not going to have that great effect, though it might be nice if it did! Education has needed to be improved for decades as a retired educator I can well attest to the fact and whole-heartedly agree with Bill Gates on that issue.
September 6th, 2009 at 9:07 am
When are people going to wake up? All of this Republican baloney about Obama is related to poor losers. They are afraidany success by Obama will totally seal any hope of returning to power in 2010 or 2012. Look what they have done with all their power in Florida.If people are happy with their performance in Florida then they live in a hole.
September 6th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Okay, enough is enough! I just read the SKIP OBAMA! Dittihead 101 is in session article this morning. I just want to say to the ignorant person who wrote that letter; It is okay to address your personal opinions and feelings, but those are just yours…I really get offended by your “OPINION” because ignorance have lived in the country for hundreds of years and more to come…But you are a so call parent who is teaching your child (dren) about color… Why did you have to say “BLACK MAN?” Sounds to me you are still living in the K.K.K. days… And you have the nerve to put GOD in you letter…Baby GOD loves all his children white or black; purple or blue. I would allow my child (dren) to even come over your house and play with your child (dren) even if I was a Republican or White…I am going to pray for you and your family that have to be exposed to your sickness and ignorance…God bless to Obama and all the past and future presidents…There are NO PERFECT men on this earth…May God cover our current president in the blood of Jesus…This is why thi country is so messed up, people like this…One man cannot change this country, ALL of us have to get our country back together; first thing we need to do is pray and then help each other from there…God Bless all!
September 6th, 2009 at 11:25 am
I can,t belive that in this day and age we have such short sighted people in RNC that the can tell such lies and that these people belive them.Don’t they want thier children to have a informed education from both sides so they can sort out the truth.
September 6th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
After the President of the United States speaks to school children about the value of education, Republicans will make opposing comments extolling ignorance.
See:
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/obamas-dangerous-message-to-our-children/