President Obama on Education
President Barack Obama
Today is Labor Day, and President Barack Obama is scheduled to talk to America’s students when they return to school tomorrow.
[The prepared remarks have now been released]
My first thought when I heard about this was, “What a great opportunity for kids. They get to hear about the importance of their studies and how they can embrace the educational opportunities in this country from a well-educated and well-read president who has also been a college professor of constitutional law, a civil rights attorney, and a three-time U.S. senator.” I don’t think anyone can dispute that Obama is probably the best-educated president this nation as seen in decades.
Apparently, a loud group of parents in this country who don’t share my enthusiasm nor my opinion about the president’s plans. They fear his “socialist agenda” to “indoctrinate the nation’s youth” “just like Hitler did in Germany.” When it comes to matters like this, I often wonder if the number of opponents are really that large or if there are just a few really loud folks. Based on my experience as a journalist, I tend to believe the latter.
Disclaimer: If you can’t tell, I should note that I lean more to the left than the right and was no fan of President Obama’s predecessor. I should also say that I was not opposed to President George W. Bush, or any other president that preceded our current commander in chief, addressing the nation’s students. I believe it shows students and families how much our nation’s leader, whoever that may be, understands the importance of having an educated citizenry.
To put it in capitalist terms, an educated public leads a profitable nation. Without an educated workforce, America can no longer lead the world in industry, science, medicine, engineering, and every other area. In fact, we have already slipped behind in many areas and have been falling behind for years.
This country remains divided, and until we are united we will continue to spiral downward. I don’t have much faith that we can overcome the political divide in this country. I loath partisan politics and the ridiculous arguments it inspires and wish political labels could be stripped away and forgotten. When Republicans have a good idea, the Democrats strike it down as crazy. Then the tables turn and the Democrats present the same basic ideas and the Republicans reverse their opinion and shoot it down.
“So it goes.” —Kurt Vonnegut
I’ve seen politicians who couldn’t get elected one year because they belonged to one party, but after switching parties while espousing the same ideas they were easily elected. Same person, same ideas, different party. What difference does it make?
Why can’t we just call a good idea a good idea and elect the best people possible to take this country forward instead of sitting in a perpetual stalemate because of the capital letter by our politicians’ names.
As for President Obama’s speech? I’m proud of any president who openly emphasizes the importance of public education. It’s a shame some squeaky wheels are getting the grease and turning such a positive thing into a negative. I don’t know if my children will be watching the speech at school, but I plan to watch it with them that night so we can talk about the importance of education. They are our future, our presidents and politicians to be, and I thank our nation’s leaders who know how important they are to America.
