Mrs. B,
I am writing you as I am one of those conservative whack-jobs that thinks President Obama is over stepping his executive privileges by addressing my child without parental consent. I realize the presentation is at 9:00 A.M., and Lea's class is not until 11:25 A.M., but I would like to be notified if you are planning to rebroadcast the speech before I have had the opportunity to review it later that night. If you are planning on doing so, I will submit a note to the office for her absence. President Obama's speech will most likely be a wonderful and motivating event and will likely set a precedent for future presidents to speak at the beginning of a school year. But, as Lea's parent, I feel a responsibility to oversee my child's political intake, as I do not fully trust President Obama's motivations. Please allow me this parental oversight and let me know your plans in this regard.
Sincerely
Daniel Boyer
Lea's Clear Creek Camp Experience
9 years ago
2 comments:
Don't think you might be over-reacting a bit? I sincerely doubt he is going to push a political agenda to grade school kids I imagine he is well aware of the backlash he would receive if he did anything other than encourage them to work hard and treat each other with respect.
Presidents have spoken to school kids before. Would you be reacting this way if it were Reagan or Bush?
Yeah, I agree that I might be overeating. I stated as much in my letter. My concern has less to do with what he would say to kids, and more to do with a executive branch power grab that started with President Bush and the Patriot Act. It is not within the executive branch's powers to regulate, effect nor change the curriculum of public schooling. If he wanted to speak to kids, he has all of the networks chomping at the bit to broadcast in prime time. I grant you that President Regan addressed kids after a teacher was killed and all of us kids watched it happen, (Shuttle Discovery), Bush I, spoke in a prerecorded message that was offered as an option, Bush II shared a comforting message after 9-11. Obama's use of his speech, was short notice and directly correlates with a drop in his numbers and was originally mandated to public schools, until they figured out that he had no authority to do so. It reeks of political emotional numbers grabbing. Enough individuals complained and enough school union leaders reported the complaints that the White house has since released the script for his speech, which is what should be done any time a political leader is addressing minors without their parents.
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