What’s the Big Deal? Other U.S. Presidents Have Done It

Commentary Editor

 

   Controversy surrounds President Barack Obama’s speech to the American school children on Tuesday, Sept.8. He encouraged students to stay in school and do their best. After reading several blogs and newspapers concerning the 44th president’s speech, I began to ask the question, “What is the big deal?”

   Did you know former presidents spoke to the youth about this same (education) topic? Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan did the same thing at some point in their presidency. So I ask again, “What is the big deal?”

   Although my daughter did not watch the speech at school, we watched it together at home. I didn’t make her watch the speech because I agree with everything the president does, but because I value my daughter’s education and I want her to value it as well. The Monticello and Drew Central School District watched the speech, however most watched at the high school level. Hamburg Junior High School showed it as well but they gave students and faculty the option to watch the speech.

   If parents had concerns regarding the speech, the transcript was posted on www.whitehouse.gov, as well as the video. To keep your children away from the encouraging speech says what? In my opinion, it sends a message to your children saying, if you don’t agree with a person, you don’t have to respect nor listen to their views or values. Hello people, this is America!

   To me, the reason for his scrutiny falls into at least one of the following categories which include: religion, political party affiliation and race.

   Bloggers stated their views regarding the president's religious values were an issue. They said they were Christians and didn’t want their children listening to the speech in fear of him imposing his religious beliefs upon their children. Again, the transcript is available and his religious values never entered the speech. During the National Prayer Breakfast, held Feb.5, Obama said he became a Christian when he moved to the South Side of Chicago. Sounds like an agreement in religion to me.

   We must realize we can instill the proper values and morals into our children but we can’t shelter them. I teach my inquisitive, 5-year-old daughter about the consequences of premarital sex, drugs and alcohol as well as inform her of values I believe in regarding religion. She still has to live in a world that may not believe what she believes but I have to trust in my parenting ability and our relationship that she will stick with her values and what she believes is true no matter who she is around nor who speaks to her.

   Obama is a democrat. Could the scrutiny come from this? I think this could be a possibility. Your party affiliation is just that, your party affiliation but should that separate all of our beliefs? Is the democratic party the only party that values education? No! So why is he getting criticized for encouraging the future generation to be educated?

   Maybe it is because of his race. Obama, raised by a single mom, is the first black president. If we are honest, we will admit that racism still exists and having a black man in the White House doesn't change it. We still live in a society where minorities are treated different regardless of the Civil Rights Movement which has cause improvement in opportunity but it has not changed the hearts of the people.

   Education is important regardless of race, religion or political party affiliations. If we began to view education or the lack of as the issue and not the speaker being the issue, we can come together as an American family with the results being a generation of motivated and educated children.

   For a biography about the president and former presidents, go to the White House Web site.

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