But at this point, I'd probably donate to the campaign of any Republican who repudiated Limbaugh, racism, and Fox News in favor of something substantial. Too bad there's zero chance of that.Actually, lots of Republicans have recently repudiated Limbaugh. Then they come out the next day and say that what they really meant is that Limbaugh is the greatest hero in the history of creation.
"The tingle up my leg" comments from newsmen, the comments to his being "The One." Obama is simply using brainwashing, hypnotic techniques and the linked paper offers the evidence from his speeches. Someone sent this to me months ago...Now he will work to get to the children in speaking to them personally?Found on another board... it goes on like that at some length, with colorful formatting and language. A certain segment of the population thinks that Obama will use secret voodoo masonic lizard hypnosis to socialize the babbys, because these babby cant frigth back?
"AN EXAMINATION OF OBAMA’S USE OF HIDDEN HYPNOSIS TECHNIQUES IN HIS SPEECHES
EXPOSING OBAMA’S DECEPTION MAY BE THE ONLY WAY TO PROTECT DEMOCRACY "
Use_of_Hidden_Hypnosis_techniques_in_His_Speeches.pdf
STOP TRYING TO INDOCTRINATE MY FIVE YEAR OLD, YOU COMMIE FASCISTWhat the holy fucking hell does the president have to say to a 5 year old?!?!!?Stay in school?
LazoHere in Charlotte the school board has decided that kids whose parents do not want thier kids being indoctrinated with Nazi socialist propaganda from the President can all go to a different room.After it's over, the kids who were "protected" will ask the other kids what the big deal was - what was it that made their parents not let them watch it?
If the president spoke out against drug use, these assholes would join an opium den. I love that the GOP's response is that children should "be skeptical of authority." Really? That's your position? Since when?Since a democrat has been an authority figure. DUUHHHHH!!!!!
If Bush had wanted to address the kids...You know, when I was in Washington in the summer of '89, GHW Bush was addressing the Future Farmers of America in an auditorium next to where my group was. We all huddled in the hallway, waited for the president to leave after his speech, and caught a glimpse of him as he turned around to glance at us while he was walking down the hall out of the building. You know, it was pretty cool.
Northern Virginia is the south, believe it (and like it) or not. Yeah, even Fairfax and Arlington Counties.In the event of southern secession, those of us in the DC metro area are all ready to form a militia, hop across the Potomac, and liberate Arlington and Fairfax counties and Alexandria City from the bootheel of the confederacy. Sorry Prince William, Fauquier, and Loudon Counties, we never really liked you, anyway.
"To those of you who received honors, awards and distinctions, I say well done," said the president, dressed in a blue graduation gown with black stripes. "And to the C students, I say: You, too, can be president of the United States."posted by Rhaomi at 8:01 PM on September 4, 2009
I know! Maybe the Republican spokesperson could come on and tell the kids why it's a horrible idea to stay in school, because school is just going to teach them commie values!Heh.
Maybe they could teach the kids it's a horrible idea to set goals and excel academically, because the commies are just going to kick down their doors at 2am and haul them off to FEMA camps anyway!
Yeah. Now there's a school address the GOP can get behind.
Creationist Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is joining the bizarre bandwagon of deluded people who think Barack Obama is going to mesmerize their children into becoming commie robots with a 20-minute speech on the first day of schoolSo that's cool. And most of the comments are pretty reasonable, although most of us will disagree with some of the asides on policy issues. And there's a little running aside about tarragon.
Jim Lindgren at The Volokh Conspiracy did a little digging, and found the following line from George H. W. Bush's 1991 speech to schools (bolding his): ''Let me know how you're doing. Write me a letter. I'm serious about this one. Write me a letter about ways you can help us achieve our goals.''posted by joannemerriam at 8:48 PM on September 4, 2009 [3 favorites]
" I will rely on you to assure that the planned lesson is academically appropriate and related to the course/class in which it is presented. Be sensitive to those with objections, and make sure that you and the teacher can honestly defend any decision to use the speech. The lesson needs to be that – an appropriate lesson – and not simply an opportunity to have the students listen to the President. It will be judicious, of course, to inform parents in advance that part of a planned school day will include a viewing and discussion of the President’s address. That step will be a requirement of its use.'"I wonder if similar memos go out in the run up to the state of the union every year?
Since liberals believe that most people are perfectly capable of making good moral choices without constant oversight from some outside authority, the goal of discipline is to strengthen the child's internal decision-making skills in order to prepare him for adult self-governance. . . . Conservative discipline is all about reinforcing power hierarchies and achieving control through "respect" (that is: fear) . . .posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 12:52 AM on September 5, 2009 [5 favorites]
What the Democrats saw as doling out logical and natural consequences (break the law, go to jail—what's so hard about this?) the conservatives experienced as being on the receiving end of an authoritarian-style punitive smackdown. . . . And the only appropriate response was to show the Democrats how very, very out of line they were—by disciplining them in the conservatives' preferred way, with a show of unrepentant and overweening force. Which, of course, led to the full frontal assault on Bill Clinton. They had to teach that boy who was boss, and get him back in line.
that these decisions to advance her education, while these are good and I am glad the President is supporting them, this is something that needs to be her decision and that we have made that decision together and it shouldn't be based on what the President has told her.
"The Birthers, the Deathers, and now the Schoolers all have one thing in common. They have found ways to undermine the President, creating an alternate universe where Obama is not the Commander in Chief. These anti-Obama groups know that they will not be taken seriously if they discredit President Obama merely because of his race. Instead, they mask their antagonism toward America's first Black President as partisan differences. They have not accepted that President Obama is our President."posted by ericb at 10:03 AM on September 5, 2009 [5 favorites]
"I think we've reached a little bit of the silly season when the President of the United States can't tell kids in school to study hard and stay in school."posted by ericb at 10:07 AM on September 5, 2009 [4 favorites]
-- Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary
"But the opposition, which is anything but loyal, seems to have decided that scaring the socks off its followers is the best way to battle the president's 'socialist' agenda."posted by ericb at 10:10 AM on September 5, 2009
"White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has said that President Obama will release the text of his school address to students.posted by ericb at 10:13 AM on September 5, 2009
The transcript of Obama's school speech will be available [online] on Monday, so parents and teachers can review it. Monday is also Labor Day, and school is not in session on that day."
WEAVER: I've learned that your mom always made sure that you were doing well at school. What should parents do to make sure their child's education is better?Damn, that man gunna likely be
OBAMA: Parents are the most important thing to any child's ability to do well in school, so making sure you're reading to your child, especially when they're young, even before they get to school so they start being used to reading, they know their alphabet, they know the basics, so even when they get to kindergarten they're already a leg up. I think it's important to make sure that kids are doing their homework and that they're not just turning on the TV all day or playing video games. I think talking to teachers and finding out from teachers directly what can be done to improve their child's performance, I think that's important, and setting a high standard, that's important. Saying if you get a B, you can do better, you can get an A. Making sure we have high expectations for all children because I think all children can do well as long as they have the support that they need....
WEAVER: What can kids to do make our country better?
OBAMA: I think the things that kids can do best is just work really hard in school and succeed. If young people like yourself are reading at high levels, doing their homework, doing math and science and ending up going to college, that makes everyone better off, so the most important thing young people can do is just do well at school, but also when they have some spare time, try to help out people, your church or your religious community, or out in the neighborhood, or helping an elderly person carry their grocery bags or being helping out a younger person with their schoolwork, those kind of things that's also really helpful to the country.
many parents are going to bristle at their children being addressed as though they were automatically aligned with the PresidentIf the public schools weren't considered part and parcel of a institution specifically dedicated to teaching children national songs, pledges, and civics instruction, along with things like the "Presidential Physical Fitness Test", then I'd at least consider that what you have to say might be grounded in genuine concern.
Most of the uproar was sparked by the questions in the supplemental materialNo, BigSky. There was a demand for an uproar, and making stuff up about the supplemental material provided a convenient basis from which to justify and uproar. This strikes me as a bunch of excuse making on your part or, at the very least, a very very naive willingness to give credence to claims that are merely right wing attempts to drive public hissy fits and kerfluffles for the purpose of controlling their followers. It seems to me that it is you who currently has a serious problem with respect to being skeptical of authority. The right wing invented a kerfluffle out of whole cloth, and you obediently took them at their word and defended them.
Limbaugh and Beck are college dropouts? No wonder they're morons. They're uneducated rubes.You know, one of the smartest people I know dropped out of college. Sure, ultimately he finished his degree, but until he was well into his 30s, he was technically a college dropout.
I shutter to think how many schools would have prevented a similar address by President Bush. Shouldn’t the same rationale apply? If not then clearly there is an agenda at play. Children are not a pawn in your political games, and certainly not a tool to enhance your political dominance.Hmmm celebrate? Like with a cake and some fireworks? And "Take control of your children" makes them sound like a car. As for "shutter"...I think perhaps this person "celebrated" a bit too much.
Take control of your children and the values you hold dear. Consider celebrating National Keep Your Child at Home Day on September 8, 2009.
FOX News interviews a woman who will not be allowing her 5 year old daughter to listen to the speech. She is concerned about "the slippery slope" i.e. that by allowing The President to speak to the children we will be setting a precedent to allow all sorts of politicians to address the classrooms of America.I know a guy who is concerned -- no shit -- that the current health care reform will lead to a law against drinking more than one glass of soda per week.
Independents and centrists are likely repulsed by the crazy antics, behavior and rhetoric coming from this lunatic fringe over these past few months.I hope that's true, but I'm not convinced.
Second, I'm not sure that "independent" and "centrist" mean the same thing as they did, say, a decade ago.To expand upon this a little, it really seems as if, in recent years, the meanings of "Republican" versus "Democrat" have been making serious moves towards "insane, stupid, and/or hateful" versus "the alternative".
Independents and centrists are likely repulsed by the crazy antics, behavior and rhetoric coming from this lunatic fringe over these past few months.On one hand, I've heard it's not that difficult to get permanent residence in the UK after you've been there long enough for school and then with a job. On the other hand, the truth is that there's plenty of racism in Europe, as well. The teabag crazies don't represent our America. They might represent some creepy e-mail forwarding relatives of yours, but a well-thought-out move to the right American metro area will ensure that you won't have to put up with the loons. The teabag crazies only seem to have any currency and credibility within their isolated flyover small towns and exurbs, newspaper columnists convinced that this represents the "real America" they themselves are too insecure to believe they are part of, and creepy Republican politicians in Washington, DC. So don't bail out on us yet. You really think you'll feel better in a country that hosts the BNP and wants to ban excessively long kitchen knives?
Somehow the massive metropolitan elite crowd has convinced themselves that it is okay to discount everyone who does not live in the same sort of situation as they doIt is, in fact, perfectly ok for me to discount the crazy right-wingers who are unhinged by the existence of Obama as president. They are in a fucked up environment and part of a fucked up political culture, and people are under no obligation to surround themselves by it and both can and should go in search of of cultural opportunities, of which the USA offers many.
That doesn't address the point. Living outside of "the right American metro area" doesn't make one an idiot, racist reactionary. In fact there is no such thing as "the right American metro area".I think it is naive to think that there aren't certain areas, states, and towns where you are more likely to find a group of peers, coworkers, and a general environment you are comfortable with than others. Most people who have lived in many different areas would agree. I think it is perfectly ok for Mr. Bad Example to ask himself, "where can I live where I would be most culturally comfortable?" It is perfectly rational to decide that you would prefer to live someplace where you are much less likely to have your local schoolboard attempt to ban evolution and start saying crazy things about Obama. I fail to see why this is even a question. We are a free people. This allows us to live wherever we choose in whatever environment will make us most comfortable and it behooves us to seek those places out.
If you think there is just remember that Michael Savage works out of San Francisco and New York is the home of the infamous "Guido".Actually, New Jersey is the home of the infamous Guido. I would hate my home state to be denied its proper credit.
Freedom Timelineposted by jokeefe at 10:41 PM on September 5, 2009 [4 favorites]
Teacher's Guide
Objective
Students will be able to identify stories and vocabulary words on the freedom timeline.
Lesson
The lesson will begin with the students exploring the stories on the freedom timeline.
The class will identify the characteristics associated with each story, such as diplomacy, intelligence, liberty, giving and humanitarian aid.
Extension Activity One
The teacher will lead the class in discussing these characteristics and how they relate to today's efforts to preserve freedom.
Extension Activity Two
Students will create their own freedom timeline and choose other stories from history that show America's quest for freedom.
Parent's Guide
After your child explores the stories on the freedom timeline, use the following questions to extend his/her thinking:
What is the meaning of diplomacy, intelligence, liberty, giving and humanitarian aid?
What are some modern-day examples illustrating these terms?
What is another story or lesson of liberty that could be part of a freedom timeline? Perhaps you and your child could create your own freedom timeline.
Is there someone in your family who went to extraordinary efforts to preserve America's freedom?
Biographies of the President, Mrs. Bush, the Vice President and Mrs. Cheney
Teacher's Guide
Objective
The students will be able to identify the elements of a biography.
Lesson
The lesson will begin with the students exploring the biographies of the President, Mrs. Bush, Vice President, and Mrs. Cheney.
The class will identify examples of elements found in a biography.
Once students have identified the elements, a classroom chart listing the characteristics will be created.
Extension Activity One
The teacher will lead the class in distinguishing between 'biography' and 'autobiography'. The students will create their autobiography utilizing the elements identified on the classroom chart.
Extension Activity Two
Students will select and read a biography/autobiography of a famous American. Biographies of presidents are available at www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/. Biographies of first ladies are available at www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/.
Parent's Guide
After your child explores the biographies of the President, Mrs. Bush, Vice President, and Mrs. Cheney, use the following example questions to extend his/her thinking:
What are some examples of elements you found in the biographies?
Where did the President (Mrs. Bush, the Vice President or Mrs. Cheney) attend elementary school? Why is completing elementary school important?
Name a children's book mentioned on one of the biographies. Why is it important to read?
The word 'biography' means the story of a person's life. What do you think 'autobiography' means?
If someone wanted to write a biography about you, what would you want them to include?
Yeah, that explains why you (claimed to have) accepted the idea that Sarah Palin would be a great president, and that she was highly qualified, and that she was chosen for McCain's running mate because of her "executive experience" rather than due to any blatantly obvious cynical ploy by the Republican Party, with complete credulity.The inability of nominal conservatives to accept that Obama might be just trying to encourage kids to stay in school is exactly the pointOn the other hand, maybe we are just so cynical that we believe that everythng a politician does pretty much has an ulterior motive.
one sees what one wants to see and believes what one wants to believeWhich is pretty much the opposite of a cynic.
I honestly have no idea what you think this has to do with anything. In fact, I am struggling to find a single level of it that makes any sense.She's here spouting that conservatives are only doing this because conservatives are cynical about politicians in generaland liberals aren't? what did you do, take a time machine back to the 50s?
you shouldn't try to eat alphabet soup and post at the same timeCogent rebuttal.
You're claiming that it's "quite possible" that the reason for this is that conservatives in general think that politicians in general have cynical motives for what they do?Do you think that's why conservatives are disallowing their children from watching this speech?it's quite possible
but of course you're willfully missing the point that there's plenty of cynicism to be found on all points of the political spectrum and it's hardly some kind of rebuttal for anyone to call another faction cynical, or some kind of shocking revelation that some in any faction may be motivated by cynicismWhat? Again, what on earth does that have to do with anything?
so, you're shocked, shocked to find out that there's cynicism in american politicsWhat? When did I say or imply that? Specifically when?
Let's just say when one is desperate one sees what one wants to see and believes what one wants to believe. I believed what I wanted to believe. Truthfully there was not one single Republican candidate that I liked so I had to make myself believe I liked the one we had.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 4:47 PM on September 6 [1 favorite -] Favorite added! [!]
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.posted by mazola at 10:00 AM on September 7, 2009 [2 favorites]
fromeachaccordingtohisabilitytoeachaccordingtohisneed
'K thanks bye!
...Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.Subtext: Suck it, nativists.
"... the message about serving country is hidden deep beneath another one: Each child has an individual responsibility to succeed, to accomplish something, even to make lots of money, by working hard at school. Not quite Vladamir Lenin. More like Glenn Beck, from this 2008 interview with then Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.posted by ericb at 11:13 AM on September 7, 2009BECK: It's time for some personal responsibility. It is time for people to take on the responsibility that they have for themselves. Why don't we talk about personal responsibility anymore? Why don't we reach out to the American people and say, 'Hey, government is not the answer. Nine out of ten times government's the problem.'
GOVERNOR PALIN: I know. Let us preach, reaching people when they know there is a candidate willing to talk about this."
Well it is a much improved speech to the school children of this Nation. The theme of "what you need to do in school" is so much better than the original version "what you can do for me, for the President of the United States".Did I miss a link to the "original text" of this speech someplace? It would be nice to do some comparison between the two versions.
FOX News' Glenn Beck is doing an extraordinary job this week walking America behind the scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and outlining who is actually running the White House.Who IS actually running the White House? Michelle? Satan? The Puppetmaster?
Monday night he asked us to invite one friend to watch; tonight I invite all my friends to watch.
[she] is defending President Obama's decision to address the nation's school children, telling CNN Monday that it is "really important for everyone toposted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:42 PM on September 7, 2009
If parents are opposed to the address, said Bush, "That's their right. You know that certainly is the right of parents to choose what they want their children to hear in school… (But) I think it's also really important for everyone to "</blockquote.
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posted by Never teh Bride at 4:21 PM on September 4, 2009 [5 favorites]