Sharp as a Marble - Mr. Sulu, set creepiness factor to 11

<< New training focused gun blog | Home | You say 'disturbing' like it's a bad thing. >>

Politics

I have no problem with the President of the United States speaking to school aged children. I have no fear that a 20 minute spiel is going to undo the hard work I've been aiming for with my children in an attempt to get them to understand what it means to be a free citizen and comprehend the blessings of liberty. I don't even think 20 minutes out of their day is going to be detrimental to their learning process, any more than a fire drill is.

What creeps me right the f#^& out is the 'instruction manual' that is being handed out to the teachers. With activities such as 'writing a letter on how the child can help the president' or 'What is President Obama asking of you?', this goes beyond a simple "stay in school" message. If the goal is to encourage children to study hard and not drop out, why would they be encouraged to "help the president"? Wouldn't it be a better idea to "write a letter to see how you can help yourself"?

The other major malfunction here is the automatic assumption that what Obama is saying is correct. There is nothing in there that indicates critical thinking. If there were questions like "What are the pros and cons of what Obama spoke of?", "Do you agree or disagree with what the president said? Explain in detail why.", then there'd be no questions from me.

However, the laundry list is mostly genuflection to the President – No questioning his ideas or motives, just the built in assumption that he is correct and that the children should do as he asks and that by doing so, they help him.

This is what I have the problem with and why I will pull my daughter out of school if they plan on going through with this. If it's just the speech with no activities planned afterward, I'm cool. But I'll be damned if she's going to be subjected to that kind of borderline indoctrination.

posted @ 9/3/2009 9:38:18 AM

Comments

David says:

on 9/3/2009 9:48:18 AM

Very well said, Robb. I've been accused of automatically assuming that the speech is a terrible thing. Or asked, "What's wrong with the President talking about education?"

Nothing. It's the "How do we do what Obama wants us to do" crap that has my knickers in a twist.

Rustmeister says:

on 9/3/2009 11:04:34 AM

Borderline, hell. Especially at younger ages, this is pure indoctrination.

I do hope they try this at my kids school, because if they don't debate the message there, I will at home.

DirtCrashr says:

on 9/3/2009 2:30:16 PM

Kennedy had his Presidential Physical Fitness program carried on through the Johnson Years - but making fat kids do pull-ups is different than filling their ears with potato-salad. Sycophancy starts with the children, and it takes an Obamatron to raise a toady.
Just wait till Obama writes a poem for the children to sing, oh wait his ghostwriters already did - are they the same ghostwriters who wrote his other work?

Dixie says:

on 9/3/2009 2:35:51 PM

The one that really got me was the question on why we should listen to Congress and our politicians. Um... they listen to us, not the other way 'round.

Matt says:

on 9/3/2009 3:51:28 PM

Speech fine. Indoctrination booklet asking children to write letters to each other supporting our "Dear Leader" not so fine.

Children that young will blindly obey instructions like that and accept statements made about or by any adult as gospel. That is not what schools are for.

I hope some schools try this and the local school boards get roundly taken to task for allowing it.

Why would schools do this anyway? Obama won't be president forever. He'll be out in 3 (hopefully) or 7 years anyway. Will the children then pledge to do what they can to help the next one in the Oval Office? Where was this program under President Bush?

Ahhh, the RIGHT people are in charge now. Just another page out of the Little Red Book. Mao would be proud!

Those of you with kids, kick some ass!

Crucis says:

on 9/3/2009 5:30:02 PM

Around KC, the Lees Summit, MO school district will not participate. The Independence school district is having second thoughts as well.

Local talk radio is urging parents to accompany their children to the session and respond to teachers as appropriate (like writing an essay on "How we can help Obama.)

TexasFred says:

on 9/3/2009 6:14:15 PM

Socialist indoctrination is socialist indoctrination, no matter HOW it happens.

UBU52 says:

on 9/3/2009 7:12:37 PM

Link please? I have not read any stories about this "instruction manual" being passed out to teachers.

Robb Allen says:

on 9/3/2009 7:16:00 PM

http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/84430/
http://thedanashow.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/keep-your-kids-home-september-8th/
http://tractioncontrol.well-regulatedmilitia.org/?p=4528

Shall I continue?

UBU52 says:

on 9/3/2009 7:18:21 PM

In fact, doing a Google search on the words you quoted above: "writing a letter on how the child can help the president" points to your blog ONLY. Where did you quote that text from?

UBU52 says:

on 9/3/2009 7:26:10 PM

Instapundit has the "Instruction Manual" post as a parody -- but you thought it was real?

Okay, so you're Smart As A Marble too.

Robb Allen says:

on 9/3/2009 7:34:09 PM

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/10582301/President-Obama%E2%80%99s-Address-to-Students-Across-America-September-8-2009

Robb Allen says:

on 9/3/2009 7:51:48 PM

Oh, and the Whitehouse is now backpeddling
http://dailypundit.com/?p=35736

The Obama administration is rethinking its course recommendations for students ahead of President Obama’s address to the the nation’s schoolchildren next week, rewriting its suggestions to teachers for student assignments on how to “help the president,

Fiftycal says:

on 9/3/2009 7:55:37 PM

RACIST! You hate our President becuz he's half-black. "I pledge allegiance to Obamma, one Leader, omnipotent and all powerful, with health care and equality for all (except for our dear leaders that are more equal and deserving than the rest of us).

Now where do we get the green armbands with "BHO" on them?

UBU52 says:

on 9/3/2009 8:03:35 PM

That's a lesson plan, shared by someone named Michael Simpson, produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education. If you search the website, they've produced lots of other lesson plans too.

Also, the activity suggestion made in the lesson plan was "Write letters TO THEMSELVES about what they can do to help the President. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals."

Did you create this post hoping your blog hits would go up to 12,000 again? That's the only reason I can see for spreading disinformation. Unfortunately for you, I don't post on any of the Dem websites at this time so I can't link them back to this nuttiness.

deadcenter says:

on 9/3/2009 10:21:12 PM

the speech by the president is the distraction, getting the indoctrination...er...instruction manual into the hands of the teachers is the goal. the kids will forget a 20-minute speech 20 minutes after it's over, but the teachers will Obama's Little Red Book forever.

Robb Allen says:

on 9/3/2009 10:28:41 PM

UBU, so are you claiming that the lesson plan was created without the Administration's knowledge or input?

Because this

The Obama administration is rethinking its course recommendations for students...

clearly indicates to me that Obama owns this.

I've yet to see a single bit of misinformation here that I've provided. Do you have facts that refute my statements? If so, please provide links.

UBU52 says:

on 9/3/2009 11:53:12 PM

You are quoting a blog which is referencing a Washington Times story.

Towards the bottom of the Washington Times story, you will find this paragraph: "The idea of adding a lesson plan to the package of materials being sent to schoolteachers was hatched during meetings between the White House and officials from the Department of Education. The lessons themselves were developed by educators, White House officials said. But some of the assignments, they later conceded, may appear to be inartfully worded without also knowing the context of the speech."

The lessons themselves were developed by educators. It says so right in the Washington Times story.

LissaKay says:

on 9/4/2009 12:11:44 AM

Creepy? You want creepy? Check this bit of nastiness out ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqcPA1ysSbw
Watch it all, to the very end. After you spend a couple days curled in a fetal position on the floor of your closet, you can take a stroll down memory lane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDEAYgm0Dv8
Government indoctrination centers, aka public schools, are no strangers to leftist influences on children.

And ... here are the links to the actual indoctrination documents:
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/prek-6.doc
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/7-12.doc

Dano says:

on 9/4/2009 3:07:18 AM

You need any help when you end up pulling them out of public indoctrination school (I don't see any way that can be stopped... it is downhill from here), let me know... then I'll know I helped keep some children from just learning how to spout the party line.

The pure audacity of this administration is amazing. Whats even scarier is that the majority of folks don't even care or notice. I'll say it now... we have at least 7 years of this, those with their hands out wanting 'free' money outnumber those who actually work. Obama tapped an incredible power base and he'll do/say anything to keep it.

Ok, rant off before I hurt something.

Good luck mano.

Robb Allen says:

on 9/4/2009 7:09:00 AM

What part of The idea of adding a lesson plan to the package of materials being sent to schoolteachers was hatched during meetings between the White House and officials from the Department of Education. is it that you're not comprehending, UBU?

Welcome to the wonderful world of governing. If Obama doesn't want to take responsibility for what his administration does, I'm more than willing to let him step down.

Comments have been closed on this topic.

Comments

Archives

Categories

Comments

Archives

Categories

Second Amendment

Sharpest Marbles

Blogroll

Funny, as in Ha-ha

Good Reads

Extended Blogroll

Industry Links