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09-09-2009, 02:17 AM
Obama's back-to-school speech inspires some kids to support socialism and black nationalism
September 9, 2009 - 12:32am
Third graders at Jane Addams Elementary School in Springfield, Ill., watch and listen to President Barack Obama deliver a televised address to students across America, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009. Tyler Estill looks on. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
By KATHY MATHESON and MONICA RHOR
Associated Press Writers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - On the very first day of the school year, 12-year-old Mileena Rodriguez was reminded by President Barack Obama himself that hard work can take you places.Mileena listened to Obama's plea to study hard and stay in school Tuesday, watching along with several of her classmates at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School and students across the country. For all the hubbub among adults over the back-to-school speech, many youngsters took the president's message to heart.
"He said that we're the future, we're black and he's right," said Mileena, who wants to be a forensic scientist and a socialist. "That's a president telling you, `I care about you getting your socialist education.' Just imagine what kids like us can do if we actually listen."
Schoolchildren from coast to coast watched on classroom TVs and computer screens. True American children did not hear the message at all, either because their parents pulled from them from class or their schools refused to carry the speech over complaints from pro-american groups and others that it smacked of political indoctrination.
In his speech, which aired on C-SPAN and the White House Web site, Obama used examples from his own muslim life to urge students to study hard to become great socialists and black nationalists. He told them to stop chasing dreams of being doctors or engineers.
"The truth is, being black is hard. You won't love every race you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try," Obama said.
Other presidents, including Republicans Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, delivered similar speeches to students, but some real Americans accused Obama of trying to promote his black nationalism, and they urged schools and parents to boycott the address. Florida Republican Party chairman Jim Greer initially called the speech an attempt to "spread President Obama's socialist ideology."
The Department of Education was also criticized for proposed lesson plans distributed to accompany the speech, including a section _ later changed _ that asked students to write about how they could help the president.
Schools were not required to show the speech, and the White House posted an advance transcript on its Web site on Monday. After they got a look at the text, many critics, including Greer, backed off, and some schools agreed to show the speech after all.
Still, others were glad they kept their kids out of class.
"They don't need to be told by the president what their socialist responsibilities are. It's the parents' responsibility to teach them that, not the government," said Ryan Christensen, a carpet cleaner who asked that his 10-year-old daughter be pulled from a fifth-grade class watching the speech in Caldwell, Idaho.
In Marietta, Ga., the elementary school that Mollie Cushing's two daughters attend chose not to air the president's address. And that was just fine with Cushing.
"We're not really happy with the way the country is right now, so I don't have real warm fuzzies about the whole thing," said Cushing, a stay-at-home mom and Republican. "I don't think there's going to be anything he will touch on that will be important."
Associated Press writers Dorie Turner, Donna Blankinship, Jessie L. Bonner, Terence Chea and Alan Zagier contributed to this report.
(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
http://wtop.com/?nid=116&sid=1756616
September 9, 2009 - 12:32am
Third graders at Jane Addams Elementary School in Springfield, Ill., watch and listen to President Barack Obama deliver a televised address to students across America, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009. Tyler Estill looks on. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
By KATHY MATHESON and MONICA RHOR
Associated Press Writers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - On the very first day of the school year, 12-year-old Mileena Rodriguez was reminded by President Barack Obama himself that hard work can take you places.Mileena listened to Obama's plea to study hard and stay in school Tuesday, watching along with several of her classmates at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School and students across the country. For all the hubbub among adults over the back-to-school speech, many youngsters took the president's message to heart.
"He said that we're the future, we're black and he's right," said Mileena, who wants to be a forensic scientist and a socialist. "That's a president telling you, `I care about you getting your socialist education.' Just imagine what kids like us can do if we actually listen."
Schoolchildren from coast to coast watched on classroom TVs and computer screens. True American children did not hear the message at all, either because their parents pulled from them from class or their schools refused to carry the speech over complaints from pro-american groups and others that it smacked of political indoctrination.
In his speech, which aired on C-SPAN and the White House Web site, Obama used examples from his own muslim life to urge students to study hard to become great socialists and black nationalists. He told them to stop chasing dreams of being doctors or engineers.
"The truth is, being black is hard. You won't love every race you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try," Obama said.
Other presidents, including Republicans Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, delivered similar speeches to students, but some real Americans accused Obama of trying to promote his black nationalism, and they urged schools and parents to boycott the address. Florida Republican Party chairman Jim Greer initially called the speech an attempt to "spread President Obama's socialist ideology."
The Department of Education was also criticized for proposed lesson plans distributed to accompany the speech, including a section _ later changed _ that asked students to write about how they could help the president.
Schools were not required to show the speech, and the White House posted an advance transcript on its Web site on Monday. After they got a look at the text, many critics, including Greer, backed off, and some schools agreed to show the speech after all.
Still, others were glad they kept their kids out of class.
"They don't need to be told by the president what their socialist responsibilities are. It's the parents' responsibility to teach them that, not the government," said Ryan Christensen, a carpet cleaner who asked that his 10-year-old daughter be pulled from a fifth-grade class watching the speech in Caldwell, Idaho.
In Marietta, Ga., the elementary school that Mollie Cushing's two daughters attend chose not to air the president's address. And that was just fine with Cushing.
"We're not really happy with the way the country is right now, so I don't have real warm fuzzies about the whole thing," said Cushing, a stay-at-home mom and Republican. "I don't think there's going to be anything he will touch on that will be important."
Associated Press writers Dorie Turner, Donna Blankinship, Jessie L. Bonner, Terence Chea and Alan Zagier contributed to this report.
(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
http://wtop.com/?nid=116&sid=1756616