What is a guy to say when his own President suggests that children take responsibility for their own lives and future? I mean, REALLY! – take responsibility? Where are we living now – in America? Pluh-leeze!
You can read the entire speech here (thanks Jesse!). A few excerpts:
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
Someone – please, stop him! He is suggesting to the children of America to take responsibility! What?
And we have to stop these left-wing editorialists from making fun of our rights as Americans to stand up for what we believe in.
I mean, could anyone believe that asking for feedback through engaging students would be anything other than socialism? I mean, that would mean students would be focusing on something other than war, fashion, Michael’s funeral or something that would make America weaker.
Oh wait! That’s sarcasm – right?
It seems that they problem is not one of what Obama said, but what he was expected to say. The fact that he was responsible in his handling of children by not addressing hot button issues with children that subvert their parents political teachings. Well, that was not a foregone conclusion. He deserves credit for that and it part it may have been due to the vocal objections of the public regarding the politicization of children.
There is no way to know if Obama choose to not address the health care issues with children because he felt it was wrong to force ideology on other peoples children, or if he did it because he feared a backlash. Either way, it looks like he made the right choice (accept for the green stuff) and we can all move on.
As for the suggestion that it was laughable that people were afraid of what Obama might say. That is ridiculous. Plenty of people feel strongly about issues that Obama is outspoken about and have the right to object to their children being taught by public schools, things that are contrary to their core beliefs. Of which, there are mountains of evidence.