Tomorrow our president is going to address the students of our nation. However, a significant portion of our children will not hear what he has to say. Many parents are pulling their children from their classrooms because they’re afraid that our president is going to indoctrinate our children. Many schools are not even showing the speech because parents have thrown a fit and they are afraid of the backlash. They’re afraid that our president’s views on abortion, health care, marriage and other policies might defile our children.
I’m not really sure I know how I feel about this. The first thoughts that come to my mind are not good ones. I understand that people don’t agree with our president’s policies and stance on moral issues, but is this behavior a little juvenile? The majority of parents and people making a stink about this are conservative families who are still sore about loosing the election last November and here’s a good way to stick it to ’em!
Before you judge me or this post, read on.
Here is what the speech is about.
Here is pre-speech and post-speech activities and discussions for K-6th graders.
Here is pre-speech and post-speech activities and discussions for 7th-12th graders.
So tell me, where is the socialist agenda? Where is the health care agenda? Seriously. It is a freaking speech from the president to the kids. The speech is meant to encourage kids to step up, take ownership of their education and make learning a priority. This is a good thing. Many kids will not forget this moment, where they felt the president was talking to them. So many kids dream of one day being the president, this could be a great motivator educationally. If this was really about the speech or it’s content, then I’d understand… but I don’t think it is. It’s about what we feel about him and it’s an opportunity to speak out.
However, I do feel that it is our right as free people to protest, to speak up and to practice our freedoms. If this is your way of protesting, of showing the president “I don’t approve” then so be it. I can actually respect that. However, I’m not convinced that this is what all the commotion is about. People have turned it into something much more dramatic, saying that they’re afraid of how our president is going to brainwash our children with his socialist agenda. That, in my opinion, is ridiculous. Certainly we has parents have the influence in our children’s lives to teach them right from wrong and how to know when they’re hearing something that doesn’t line up with what we know to be true. Here’s a great post on how a conservative family might approach this situation.
Personally, I feel that this has given conservatives a black eye (if we didn’t have one already). This wasn’t a protest of people communicating to their government that they don’t approve, this seemed much more messy and ugly than that.
These are just opinions that don’t really matter. 🙂
Well, I agree that this speech “may not” contain anything controversial, but the fact is our children are already bombarded by the leftist media in all forms to believe that the dems are good and republicans bad. I remember when I was a kid, Reagan was shot, and I thought to myself “Good, I don’t like him”. Why is that? Because every news show (leftist) talked bad about what he was doing, and I was too young to differentiate truth from propaganda. I think this speech might get kids to buy into the fact that Obama is a great guy and that loading youtube videos is so cool etc etc….the whole idea that the left is engaging our children on the social media level isn’t just because they think it would be “neato”. I personally do not want ANY politician from the left addressing my child because it might make my child think favorably of that person…who in the long run has an agenda that destroys faith (lefts assault on God), destroys life (abortion/euthanasia), destroys God’s concept of marriage (gay marriage), promotes social welfare (depend on Govt not God). All underlying Obama’s intentions are these things, he is in fact a politician.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kenny.
Gutsy to post something that can sound political on your ministry blog… but, it’s something that needed to be said.
My opinion that doesn’t matter – Telling kids that school is important isn’t leftist propaganda and saying that it is just makes you sound uninformed.
.-= Anthony Prince´s last blog ..Katherine “Kate†Elizabeth Prince =-.
Great post Kenny. I didn’t vote for our President…don’t agree with all his policies…but I’m disapointed my kids’ school district isn’t showing the speech.
Good Post Kenny. And great find on Brian Hayne’s post. Thanks.
.-= Andy Darnell´s last blog ..Dad’s of Daughters Public Service Announcement =-.
If I posted this, I’d lose my job. 🙂
Ouch. Well, let me come at this from a different point Anthony, since I seem to be indirectly accused as someone uninformed. We are to “train up your children in the way that they should go….” a directive from God to PARENTS. Kenny being a children’s ministry pastor I’m sure agrees that PARENTS are to decide on which way their children should go, hopefully towards the truth that is God. I wouldn’t want a playboy playmate addressing my children, would you? I don’t care what the literal message is, there is ALWAYS a different message surrounding the person. Would you want Charles Manson addressing your children about education? Joseph Stalin? The head of the planned parenthood? Head of association of abortion minded? Drug Czars? Porn Stars?
The point is Christian parents have a mandate to train up our children, not others, not the schools, not the government, and really, not even CHURCHES…the responsibility lies directly on my head as a parent. Now if you are silly enough to say that you would allow any of the above speak to your children about education, I say you are Naive or just in denial as to the underlying invitation that is present in this world, to LIFE or to DEATH, to GOOD or to EVIL.
So, am I uninformed? Or are you naive? I don’t care what Truth makes me look in the eyes of those who are blind, the left can hold onto their truth, I’ll take Truth instead. I hope if you have children you will be more careful as to who you allow to influence them…if you don’t I pray that He breaks your heart before He gives you children so that you will watch over them as you are mandated to do….by Him.
Mike,
Sorry it sounded like I was talking about your comment – I posted my comment without reading yours first.
My sincerest apologies.
I try to make it a habit to engage the original post with my comments, unless otherwise noted.
-Ap
.-= Anthony Prince´s last blog ..Katherine “Kate†Elizabeth Prince =-.
Good post, Kenny! I agree that parents have the responsibility to teach their kids how to know when what they are hearing doesn’t line up with what we know to be true. If kids never hear the “world” perspective and process through WHY it’s not what we believe, they have no foundation for their beliefs. And one day, they will hear the world’s view, and it is very easy for kids who have never considered another perspective to be thrown into doubt. And most times, when the world’s view is presented, it’s by a friend, or classmate, and parents don’t get a national announcement that it’s coming!! At least, this allows parents to discuss it with their kids. But, again, this speech seems to be more about encouraging kids than brainwashing or pushing issues. Perhaps a good chance to teach 1 Timothy 2,”praying for all those in authority.”
Good observations, Kenny. I have profound disagreements with our president, but we must never lose sight of the fact that he is our president. When President Bush was in office, it deeply troubled me to hear the vicious, disrespectful comments about him and his policies. My feeling then was that even if you disagreed with Mr. Bush, he was still the President of the United States and worthy of our respect.
Now it appears that the proverbial shoe is on the other foot. When Mr. Obama was elected, my desire was for him to be treated with far more dignity by the right than Mr. Bush was by the left. From what I’ve see so far, that isn’t happening. I’m not sure this is the lesson we want to be teaching our children either.
.-= Tim´s last blog ..MINI-REVIEW: G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA =-.
Tim, what you said is exactly what has troubled me the most about this. I really think that at the heart of the matter it is more about politics than it is concern of what he “might” say. I think that what has happened this last week has been a real lack of respect to the office of the President and I don’t like the lesson that was taught to our children before they even had a chance to hear the speech.