Our future is our children. We have heard that a million times. I’m here to tell you that our future is still in jeopardy.  It may even be in grave danger.

On Tuesday, September 8^th, 2009 President Barak Obama is scheduled to telecast a message to all elementary students in public schools in the U.S.  Many conservative republicans have labeled the speech subversive – aimed at indoctrinating the fragile youth of America.

This telecast has been in the works for some time.  The U.S. Department of Education and the White House have been discussing the key factors involved in school drop outs, low test scores, drug use, etc.  Obama, a social worker in the streets of Chicago, knows all too well the challenges facing parents and teachers in today’s violent and polarized world.

Politically, I have issues with some (not all) of Obama’s views. But I am secure in the knowledge that the President does not make laws, the congress does. He does not levee or remove taxes, the congress does.  Even the Education Secretary had to be approved by congress.  So if I have an issue – I know who to talk to: The people who actually write the laws and build social reforms, enact legislation, levee taxes.. You know – the ones who are always complaining about Obama… Humm.. I think I see a pattern here.

But I digress… Back to this subversive speech…

The speech will have an impact. Two impacts to be precise.

The first will be on black youth in America.  They will listen because Obama is an icon of the equality they so desperately seek.  They will listen and many may very well be saved from a life of ignorance, crime and poverty because of it.

The second impact will be on children of racist white parents.  Those parents that have unleashed their poison racial hatred under the guise of political opposition. They call themselves “conservative republicans” that fear “socialist brainwashing” of their children.  When in reality, they are the brainwashers of children. Their own. They teach them hate with a constant bombardment – daily – of anti-government sentiment and anti-black rhetoric.  I hear it all the time. If they are strangers I usually say something. I’m not one to back down from a fight. But when they are family… I stay quiet.  Too much rests on keeping my mouth shut.

Our children are in danger; not from a one hour long speech from a historic president – but from years of indoctrination, political dogma and racial hatred of the “right wing Christians” with such inane remarks as: “I don’t want our school turned over to some socialist movement.” [Brett Curtis, Pearland Texas]; or “I wouldn’t let my next-door neighbor talk to my kid alone; I’m sure as hell not letting Barack Obama talk to him alone.” [Chris Stigall, Kansas City]; “Indoctrination” say pundits on FoxNews; “Brainwashing” is the word of the day on Rush Limbaugh… and it goes on and on.

I have this to say to these idiots.  First.. Mr. Curtis, most ‘movements’ take longer than an hour; second; Mr. Stigall, where I grew up all the neighbors looked out for each other.  Everyone’s kids were at everyone’s homes ALL THE TIME. We ate with our childhood friends and neighbors, we slept over, went to the drive in – with whichever family was going… it was a “neighborhood”.  Because of people like Mr. Stigall and Mr. Curtis, we have a much less rich and much more ‘brainwashed’ set of children today. Parents control their kid’s thoughts and their aspirations like nothing I can remember in my life.  And I grew up during the Cold War when we had nuclear bomb “hide under your desk” drills every month. Tell me that didn’t freak out a 12 year old.

Yes “conservative republicans” – or whatever you un-American racists are calling yourselves these days – your children are in danger – from the person in the mirror.

JB

Sources & References

McKinley, J. (2009). Some Parents Oppose Obama School Speech, New York Times, retrieved September 5, 2009, from:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/us/04school.html?em

ED.gov. (2009). President Barack Obama to Make Historic Speech to America’s Students, U.S. Department of Education, retrieved September 5, 2009, from http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html

CNN (2009). White House set to release text of controversial Obama school speech, CNN Wire,retrieved September 7, 2009, from: http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/07/white-house-set-to-release-text-of-controversial-obama-school-speech-2/

Downloadable video of the speech will be made available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/ as well as on www.ed.gov . C-SPAN.org  will provide archived and “on-demand” viewing options

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