Comment

Comment by leilei on September 6, 2009 at 10:34am

Obama is not the first President to speak to school children. President Reagan and President Bush (both) spoke with children. The Obama administration has given us many things to be concerned about, but I do not think this is one of them.

Parents should be more concerned about what their children are being taught day-in and day-out in public/government schools. The insidious 'dumbing-down' process, the transformation of our educational system (an academically superior system at one time) into one with an agenda--to change values and attitudes (brainwash), to "train" (instead of educate) children to become compliant human resources to be used by government and industry instead of providing a well-rounded education. A well educated person will have learned how to think critically - how to solve problems, our current school systems ensure the opposite result/outcome. They do not want students to learn "to think" they want them to be trained/programmed to do certain tasks quickly and efficiently without asking questions or "thinking" about what they are doing.

If children have been taught to think for themselves, to analyze/contemplate the things they are 'taught ' in order to make up their own minds/make decisions about the validity of those things, parents will not have to worry about their children listening to speeches from President Obama or anyone else.

Comment by Heather Brammah Nielsen on September 5, 2009 at 2:36pm

I completely and utterly agree... " common sense" is rare in the younger generation.. you can almost tell which ones were planted in front of the tele getting brainwashed while their parents worked to make ends meet from the children that had outdoor activities, sports and interaction.
I was fortunate to grow up in the days when our parents kicked our asses out to play, we were never in the house except for Sunday night Disney !!! Mind you we were not angels but our minds were fertile and explorative to overcome boredom. Now kids just turn on the TV , XBox, Weii, Guitar hero, cell phones.. well you get the picture !!
Its sad really, if I had one wish it would be to go back to the days of pioneering, they were the strong resilient peoples... my grandparents taught me how to survive without electricity nor running water and that going to the back of the long dark barn to the WC was not so scarey and an adventure in itself.... something I hope to pass on to my grandchildren.. the lost art of having not much !!!!
i think people need to focus on the Big Picture of keeping a nation above water, the Obama speech is only adverting attention.. I mean what is the big deal ? Is there going to be brainwashing gamma rays coming out of his eyes while he speaks ?

Comment by Zensaber on September 5, 2009 at 1:09pm

"Common sense is so rare now it's a god damn super power." I don't exactly remember where I heard that, but it is completely true to what has happened to the ideologies of north america. How can people expect to know how to behave and act though when generations are now raised on television through out their lives. Being told how to act and what being normal is, to fit the mold and it truly makes one question what are we all suppose to act like, think like. Do people really have an underlying want for new things to please them all the time, or are we taught to want that? Just observe how people talk now compared to people 50 years ago. People can't even speak their native tongue as well as their grand parents could.

Although Russel is correct in stating it will become a cult of personality, not from one mere school speech alone though, but Obama has mesmerized generations to his cause and they follow him like he is a god in the flesh, never doubting or questioning anything he does. How can you blame the masses as a whole though when he is every where in the media, and I mean every where. Saying exactly what people want to hear.