Let the Man Talk
I've made it no secret, particularly here, that I enthusiastically supported McCain for president and apart from Obama's policy on terror strongly disagree with pretty much everything he's done.
But guess what? He's my president. And he's my students' president. When he wants to talk, he has a right to be heard.
So I'm particularly peeved when this directive comes from my acting-superintendent, which I can safely repost because it was quoted in an article in the Tennessean:
A number of parents and some of you have asked how the district is going to address President Obama’s speech to “the nation’s students” on September 8. There will be no district initiative nor should there be a “school initiative”. Teachers should be teaching their classes as they normally would teach. [W]e are under no obligation or expectation to have students “view” the speech.
The full text of the speech is available here. Not exactly some insidious propaganda designed to turn all your little children into socialists.
Here's why this irks me so much. Some of you may remember my Not Moving to Canada Pact. The motivation of that pact was to promote the idea that we are all Americans, that the other side is not evil, stupid, or dead set on destroying the nation. I was convinced at that time that Democrats were guiltier of promoting that disunity than Republicans. Boy, was I wrong. It seems that the loser is going to kick and scream and fuss and pout regardless of what wing they're sitting on. Why? Because that's what children do when they have no power. They get angry.
The problem is the children spouting the anger this time are supposed grown-ups who are passing that attitude of childishness on to their children. Pundits who should know better are fanning this irrational rage with more baseless anti-logic. There used to be universal symbols we could get behind regardless of where we stood politically. The president used to be one of those symbols. Ripping on the president has always been an American tradition, but when it came down to it we all understood that he was OUR president. That attitude is vital because it keeps us all remembering that we are Americans far more than we are conservatives, liberals, "pro-family", or "pro-Earth".
We don't have to like Obama. We don't have to agree. We don't even have to accept. But we ought to listen. Because that's what we do in a marketplace of ideas. That's what we do when we hold to one of the greatest pieces of wisdom ever spoken: "I disagree with everything you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Instead, the message so many American children are receiving today is the opposite: "I disagree with everything you say, and I will silence you if you try to say it." How long can democracy really last when this is the prevailing attitude?
We need a united America, not just because it's warm and fuzzy but because it's critical to our survival. To quote the Oracle from "The Matrix": "I believe in one thing: the future. And believe me, I know -- the only way to get there is together."
Since I teach creative communication, I made a point to design a project around analyzing Obama's Speech. I am crossing my fingers in the hope that at least these 14 sets of parents will see reason over rage.
But guess what? He's my president. And he's my students' president. When he wants to talk, he has a right to be heard.
So I'm particularly peeved when this directive comes from my acting-superintendent, which I can safely repost because it was quoted in an article in the Tennessean:
A number of parents and some of you have asked how the district is going to address President Obama’s speech to “the nation’s students” on September 8. There will be no district initiative nor should there be a “school initiative”. Teachers should be teaching their classes as they normally would teach. [W]e are under no obligation or expectation to have students “view” the speech.
The full text of the speech is available here. Not exactly some insidious propaganda designed to turn all your little children into socialists.
Here's why this irks me so much. Some of you may remember my Not Moving to Canada Pact. The motivation of that pact was to promote the idea that we are all Americans, that the other side is not evil, stupid, or dead set on destroying the nation. I was convinced at that time that Democrats were guiltier of promoting that disunity than Republicans. Boy, was I wrong. It seems that the loser is going to kick and scream and fuss and pout regardless of what wing they're sitting on. Why? Because that's what children do when they have no power. They get angry.
The problem is the children spouting the anger this time are supposed grown-ups who are passing that attitude of childishness on to their children. Pundits who should know better are fanning this irrational rage with more baseless anti-logic. There used to be universal symbols we could get behind regardless of where we stood politically. The president used to be one of those symbols. Ripping on the president has always been an American tradition, but when it came down to it we all understood that he was OUR president. That attitude is vital because it keeps us all remembering that we are Americans far more than we are conservatives, liberals, "pro-family", or "pro-Earth".
We don't have to like Obama. We don't have to agree. We don't even have to accept. But we ought to listen. Because that's what we do in a marketplace of ideas. That's what we do when we hold to one of the greatest pieces of wisdom ever spoken: "I disagree with everything you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Instead, the message so many American children are receiving today is the opposite: "I disagree with everything you say, and I will silence you if you try to say it." How long can democracy really last when this is the prevailing attitude?
We need a united America, not just because it's warm and fuzzy but because it's critical to our survival. To quote the Oracle from "The Matrix": "I believe in one thing: the future. And believe me, I know -- the only way to get there is together."
Since I teach creative communication, I made a point to design a project around analyzing Obama's Speech. I am crossing my fingers in the hope that at least these 14 sets of parents will see reason over rage.