Obama’s Address to Students

Obama’s Address to Students
I can understand why people are frustrated with President Obama’s administration. They have a legitimate concern that the White House is taking on an agenda that will result in an increased national debt that Americans will end up paying off in more tax hikes. I can understand why parents are afraid that the lesson plan originally attached to the President’s speech, could exploit our nation’s youth as a means to a political end. After reading the text of the President’s address, however, what I cannot understand is why this speech is so controversial that it cannot be shown in our classrooms this Tuesday.
In 1988 and 1991, former Presidents Reagan and Bush, Sr. delivered similar speeches that focused on the value of a good education and the importance of staying in school. Obama’s prepared remarks echo those sentiments. In a climate where the struggles of left vs. right and conservative vs. liberal have overshadowed the needs of the American people, it is refreshing that our President is taking time to speak about something that transcends political affiliations. Have we become such a polarized society that we cannot take time out of our day in a public school to listen to what the President has to say?
While I respect the difficult decision that the Spartanburg County School Districts have made, I feel that it is a decision which will ultimately teach our student’s the wrong lesson: that if you disagree with someone or don’t like his politics, you don’t have to listen to what he has to say. At a time when listening to each other may be the only hope of solving our biggest problems, we will instead be teaching our students the exact opposite. I hope this is a lesson that can be untaught.