Our President has had a rough start. The economy has been a disaster and health care is in need of a lifeline. But the most unconsidered problem facing Obama is the parents that won't allow their children hear the President speak because they claim it's an attempt to indoctrinate them with socialist ideas. Two points on way this is uncomprehendable. First of all, Obama cannot brainwash children through a speech. He is expectd to talk about education not the economy or health care and even if he strayed I doubt they will fall for it. Second, proposing a public option for health care doesn't make a person a socialist.
We need to learn from our past. Many people were accused of being communist and their lives were forever damaged because one man disagreed with others ideas. Child Labor Laws and women's suffrage were once considered communist, yet today they are part of our everyday democratic lives. Although we must be cautious about new ideas, we must never discredit them altogether. They might turn out to be good ideas once applied. Plus, some kind of health care is better than nothing at all. The first draft might not always be perfect but again it's a start.
Parents, should rethink their decision. It is always an honor to meet the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES despite his ideological beliefs. It is also important to teach our children to be open to hearing others opinions and ideas even if we don't agree with them. Our society is built on the belief that everyone has a voice regardless of race, class and political belief. Parents should definitely express their concerns, but should give the President a chance to prove himself trustworthy.
4 years ago
Excellent comments. I agree with you wholeheartedly. There's such ideological fear, which blankets ignorance on actual substance, and the great symbolic gesture of the president of the US coming to speak at a high school. I wish our high school had such. an honor.
ReplyDeleteWhat's also interesting is the way individual responsibility was written all throughout the speech, almost taking a page out of 'conservative' politics. At the same time, why should individual responsibility be associated with the right, and social responsibility associated with communists and radicals? We need both. How can we communicate in a way, plainly, that turn fear mongerers' criticisms on their heads?