Patriotism or Indoctrination – you decide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aqMTD5UF...

jvres77: Many people keep posting about the original speech being changed after citizens started protesting, etc. Can you please tell me where I can find a copy of the "original" speech ... how did you get a chance to read it?

jres777
"The President’s speech was always going to be about talking with students about the importance of working hard, staying in school and taking responsibility for their education."
http://factcheck.org/2009/09/obamas-spee...

Jvress77- and I also heard that every student was going to be made to drink a special potion which would make all our easily influenced children automatically turn against their parents and believe anything Obama said for eternity.

I think most people, including some media, are unaware that the original text that was to be presented contained political ideas and not the speech that was finally given. At the time the superintendent made the decision the information that was to be given to the students was being revised by the Obama administration due to public outrage of using an educational forum to present political views. Thank you Dr. Schulte for looking out for our children!

MARK TWAIN - Ol Sam (great writer) didn't like much of anything the later part of his life....including mob mentality using threats to get their way.
"There are many humorous things in the world, among them is the white man’s notion that he is less savage than the other savages." Mark Twain

I am ashamed of the Janesville School District for not allowing the President of the United States, the leader of the free world, to have his words be heard by the children of Janesville. My disappointment has no bounds.

I don't think it helps to disparage whoanellie's parenting skills, command of history, and first amendment rights. she is doing that well enough on her own. She still has not answered whether she thinks it's okay to make a threat to our schools and in turn, my child.

What worries me is that according to the article the school made a decision based on threats, not someone's right to protest. There is a big difference. I mean he is the President right? President + threat = ?????

So the president speaking to children is akin to recruiting Hitler Youth and Cold War Russia?
Get out. Seriously.
Other presidents have addressed school-age children. Hell, Nancy Reagan pimped the everloving crap out of the "Just Say No" campaign in the 80's! She wasn't the president, but the first lady encouraging kids to do something and getting schools to have "Just Say No" groups is pretty big but you didn't see people protesting that!

So to all you parents out there with all this control over what your children see... do you monitior them daily on the internet or allow them access to it at school? Do you accompany them to every movie they see or watch every tv show they watch so you can cover their eyes when the big, bad president is on? Do you screen their textbooks and reject the ones that offend or don't teach what you believe? Do you still choose their clothes, pack their lunches and tie their shoes? Do you screen the teachers so your children only get the ones that teach what you want to have taught to your kids? I doubt you do.

whoanellie: You as a parent do have the final right on what your child sees, etc. But I wonder how much that right is exercised? What other issues do you take with what your kids are being exposed to in school? Do you siphon through their history books, do you look at what they're being subjected to in art class? What about what literature they're being assigned to read? I'd wager you don't. I'd wager the majority of American parents don't. There was literally zero danger here, and those insane extremists like Michael Patrick Leahy should be ashamed of themselves.
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And are you seriously trying to compare the President's speaking to our kids with Hitler's actions in WW2? Seriously? You do a disservice to that historical information and to our times when you compare two completely different things.
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I wonder how many parents are going to object to their children watching the State of the Union?

I thought the question was about the threat made to the schools and the school deciding to break precedent and not show the President's address to kids.

In order of importance....what's worse?

A) A speech from the President of the United States to our kids
B) Threatening the school (in turn our children)
C) School system backs down

I for one will not sign a release form which says it's okay to hear our President speak. To me that's saying it's okay to threaten the school. To me that says this President will be held by a different standard then previous Presidents.

To all those who defend not wanting the speech shown (which is a tiny minority) why didn't you just keep your kids home and let the rest of us have the moment which would have come and gone without notice. Why did you drag your political views into the classroom in this disrespectful manner?

The bottom line is that I'm the aprent of MY child not you or the school or even the president! I get the last word on what my children watch, see and do. That is my right as a parent and as an american citizen. Also my right as a citizen is to prtoest anything I don't want my children exposed to. Some of you people need to remember world war 2 and see what hitler did to the young kids and no parents protested! Also in Russia!

I didn't care for Bush but I still listened to his speeches and addresses to the nation on TV.
Why couldn't people do the same for President Obama? Personally, I think it was the racists in this town crying and moaning about it.
I bet if it were some good ol' boy with a message for the kids, viewing would be would be compulsory. I remember being unwillingly subjected to "motivational speakers" in school that had unsavory agendas and nobody said a word, yet the president wants to speak to the upcoming generation of voters and it's some kind of scandal. Nice.

I think amnesty is irrelevant. If we sanction employers for hiring illegals, then there won't be jobs and they will leave. There has already been a mass exodus of illegals because of the bad economy taking away their jobs. I don't think the number of illegals who would take advantage of amnesty is significant and many of them would probably be the hardest working people who have lived here for years anyway so it wouldn't add to our population and might even raise the work ethic of our citizenry!

garrison: Thank you! I've been thinking the same thing. In fact, the real Twain's book sales have probably plunged because of this guy.

He would also be really, really old.

mark_twain - If the real Mark Twain were still alive, he'd sue you for defaming him.

janesvillemom; And you KNOW amnesty is not coming next? He's already said he is for this and uses contributing taxppayer (which really means voter) as his reasoning.
http://www.numbersusa.com/content/news/a...

http://www.numbersusa.com/content/news/a...

Another FACT.
The speech was NOT changed and only one change was made to the handouts.
http://factcheck.org/2009/09/obamas-spee...
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Use reason, not paranoia! Facts are facts and conspiracy theories are conspiracy theories...learn to tell the difference!

Wilson was WRONG!
You need to consider the FACTS, I know they can be inconvenient when they prove you wrong, but they are still THE FACTS.
http://factcheck.org/2009/09/obamas-heal...
"The president is correct: The House bill contains a section (Sec. 246) titled "NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS," which states: "Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States."

No.
And how do you do a rebuttal to work hard, stay in school and take responsibility for your education because "you don't drop out of school and into a good job"? Um...drop out kids, you don't need no education, be a movie star or a professional athlete! Great idea!

WCLO promotes lies each weeknight at 6:00pm and some of the posters on here eat it up.

The speech should have been shown on MSNBC/CNN/FOX during the evening so the parents could decide if they wanted their kids to see it without involving the schools and placing them between a rock and a hard place. After reading some of these posts and the name calling, intolerance and childish attitudes I do not want my kids around that type of environment. Bush Sucked, Obama sucks and the next president will continue to suck...fact is we have TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT in our lives as is and we do not want or will we allow them to have influence over our kids.If they want to sell their agenda bring it to the Adults! America is waking up.

casey: LOL!!!

Let's do this, let's show them the speech with a rebuttal? Anyone for that?
Sure but what would they say? Drop out of school?

Totellthetruth - I simply asked what you were afraid of. Of course you didn't answer that, you went right back to slinging mud, shocking! I never said you owned guns, just making a statement. I thank our soldier's every day for keeping our country safe, enough said about that. As for how educated I am, do not make assumptions on my behalf. I keep up on most political things and have several degree's to boot. Do you honestly believe that George Bush did nothing wrong? How about you answer the questions in my post instead of dodging every one of them?

common_sense_101; the key word (in my opinion) is High School kids - NOT 5,6,7,8 yr olds. For me that was the issue - if "the president" says anything to these younger kids - regardless of if the message is "good" - which by the way is a subjective term - they take it as gospel.
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totellthetruth; the rebutal is already scheduled: Its next Monday morning, Guest speaker VP Cheney - topic: why torture helps protect Americans.
Do I need permission to show this to all the schoolkids this one!!!!!

tellthetruth, not all of your comments are so responsible either.

Let's do this, let's show them the speech with a rebuttal? Anyone for that?

I don't think that there is any harm in allowing high school students the option of watching the President's speech. Some parents need to stop sheltering their kids, especially from something that is so important to not only their education, but the future of education. I think allowing them to be more involved in politics and pressing issues of the times will only better them for their future as productive and hopefully voting citizens.

No1shouldHate - Bush evil? Respect in other countries eyes? Have you looked at Israel lately? Just because I support bush means I own guns? Are you for real? I have never owned a gun! The only time I carried one was into battle supporting and protecting our country. Uneducated people on the real issues make irresponsible comments like you.

If I may add to the irony - this discussion is taking place on 9-11 the day President Bush was in a classroom with the media talking to kids and getting ready to launch No Child Left Behind. I think the point is that all Presidents are supposed to reach out to our children and have done so on many ways - until Tuesday.

“People react to fear, not love; they don't teach that in Sunday School, but it's true.” Richard Nixon
Irony is a beautiful thing....sometimes.
TUESDAY our kids were kept from an historic moment (let me count the ways some other time) because some think the president might tell kids lies and influence them to think about things their parents don't want them to think, so the schools are threatened.
WEDNESDAY South Carolina Rep, Joe Wilson has such distain for President Obama that he can't help to yell "liar" in front of the entire world. It didn't matter that what the president was saying wasn't a lie. What mattered was Obama represents something he and the callers just can't live with....right now. Maybe, God made Wilson blurt out the word, so that we could all get a good look to where the "Liar Express" is taking us.
Well, at least Wilson apologized....
Maybe we can't get that from the callers, but maybe leaders within the school system can now see how they too marginalized the President, and kept us moving right along on the "Liar Express."
“How far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without?” Dwight D. Eisenhower

Totellthetruth - explain to me what exactly is "evil" about Obama? You're the one who's full of it. Obama doesn't even hold a candle to how "evil" either of the Bush's were. What is it you people are so afraid of? Losing your guns, getting taxed, the country looking good again in the world's eye? Like I said before, you people expect us to forget what happened over the last 8 years. Well you have at least 3 years if not 7 more to deal with us, enjoy!

Thank you for the great editorial. It was really sad that Janesville decided not to participate on so many levels. I hope that they do schedule a showing soon. The students really did miss out.
Sad that irrational people were able to have so much influence.

Chipback wrote: "So he told the kids education was important and to stay in school. DUH. I tell that to every kid I see. What, does it make it that so much more important when your President says so?" The DIFFERENCE, Chipback, is that kids will listen to the president.

"The President does not have to earn respect, it is owed to him." - Is a bunch of ****. I have no respect for this very Evil man. I owe him no respect. He is trying to take our country down a very slippery path to destruction. 2 years ago many of you paid no respect to GWB even though the same comment was made.

Backlash about his original speech? Of course there was backlash about his original speech. The man has not been able to anything in his first 8 months as president without being scrutinized by those who want to keep him down. I think there are some people on this board and throughout this country who think we have forgotten about the 8 previous years and the president who did what he wanted, whenever he wanted. If you think that the spending that occurred in Obama's first year wasn't spurred by the previous President, you know very little about politics and the way this country runs. Let's talk about the endless war and the first stimulus. You all have very short memories. I think it's time for all of you to sit back and watch the show for a change.

As a Democrat, I am absolutely fine if a Republican president would give a speech that was shown at my child's school. While I totally disagree with many of GWB's views, I think that it's important to listen and try to understand those who are different from us. If I only expose my child to my own views (which, truthfully, is a form of indoctrination itself), then I'm not allowing him to understand counter-arguments, engage in critical and productive dialogue, and form his own opinions. Honestly, President Obama's speech to America's schoolchildren was not political in the least - he wasn't trying to persuade then to take a particular stance on gay marriage, the death penalty, or health care reform. He was encouraging them to work hard in school and find role models (including himself).
To some posters: Chipback - you have the option to homeschool, private school, or keep your kids home if you didn't want them to see the speech. SEL1985 - I totally agree with you. If McCain was president and Dems were refusing to allow their children to watch him speak, we would be called un-American and unpatriotic. There is much more going on here, and it has to do with power, race, and class.

When President Bush wanted to speak to children at the beginning of the school year, also about doing their best, the Democrats went into a huge uproar -- and Bush didn't include suggestions for assignments including writing about how they could help the president and how the teachers should hold them accountable to do this.

Perhaps the lesson is that presidents are first and foremost politicians and should not be given direct access to address the nation's students. There are plenty of good role models, national and local, that schools could invite in to give their students a non-partisan beginning of the year pep-talk, if desired.

Look if the President were allowed to speak directly to children his ideas could make the children think differently than the parents, music stars, teen idols, and Disney want them to think, we simply cannot allow those dangerous ideas into kid's heads, next thing they will want to start thinking for themselves and evaluating any old idea that came along based on its merit.

The President does not have to earn respect, it is owed to him. He won it in a free and democratic election. I am not particularly fond of all of his ideas and policies, but I am not going to sit and cry like a baby if I don't get my way. There are more than a few people in this country who need to grow up and act like men and women.

I agree with chipback, his original speech was changed after the backlash, so the one he finally gave should have been heard in all schools

If John McCain was the President, there would have been NO problem with him addressing our children. President Obama was the FIRST President in history to be heckled at a joint-session of congress...I believe there is more going on here than people want to talk about.

I think the whole lead up to Obama's address was a farce. Every Chicken Little in the country was up in arms over his supposed brainwashing attempt to be played out upon our children.
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Hogwash!
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There was NOTHING within his address that was anything other than encouraging. Children to work hard at their studies, stay in school, and strive to achieve more. (In other words, "be all that you can be".) I sincerely hope the Chicken Little's of the country and the Stateline area feel better now that all those horrible, brainwashing statements are done and over. I hope their children strive to achieve even though they didn't dare hear the message.

I do not feel that this President has earned any respect from me. His policies are bankrupting this country at record speed. Also, since my taxes go to pay for schools, teachers, administrators...I should be able to have a say in what is taught in that system. Unfortunately, I do not.
I have read the transcript of this speech. It is my understanding that it was altered from the speech that he initially wanted to give. The first message was more about "What can you do for the President." the second speech was more toned down from that narcissist rhetoric. So he told the kids education was important and to stay in school. DUH. I tell that to every kid I see. What, does it make it that so much more important when your President says so?

Obviously chipback is still having a hard time growing up. Did you actually watch the speech? Would you be making these comments about G.W. Bush? Come on, give me a break. Obama is President whether you like it or not. He deserves respect whether you voted for him or not. If McCain was making this speech you wouldn't have said a word, am I right? This speech was not political, but encouragement for kids during a tough time in our history. The Janesville School District made a mistake by not showing this speech.

That's funny. I remember watching a speech by George W. Bush in high school. Double standards, people?

Whether you 'disagree with the way [the President] is doing his job' is irrelevant to this issue; and, since when do parents directly get to decide what the daily curriculum is? Regarding Supt. Schulte's concern about 'veiled threats' (in the form of "you'd better not [show it]"--come on!! Using that to claim a 'safety' issue is merely taking the easy way out of making an actual decision on the issue. Who is she kidding?

I did not like George W Bush but he was my President. I think our current President deserves the same respect even if you don't like him.
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Your kidding right? Do you remember the way GW was treated?

Even though I disagree with his policies I did not have an objection to the speech - just the handouts (which were eliminated - I know).

I know that he's the President of the United States. Let me fill you in on a little-known fact: Many People in America DON'T LIKE THE WAY HE'S DOING HIS JOB!!
That does not make us Un-American, stupid, childish nor anything else 'the other side' can think of. America, being a free (for the time being) country via the Constitution, allows us the FREEDOM to disagree. We also have the FREEDOM to discern what information we want our children to hear.
His initial speech and lesson plans centered around "What can you as a student do to help the President?" This is a narcissist talking. ME ME ME, Nothing about how to help America. This is patently wrong.

Casey - you hit it on the head. I am not an Obama fan, but he is the President of the greatest nation in the world. We still need to show him respect. What lesson do we teach our children about respecting the commander in chief? You don't have to agree with him, but you still have to respect him....

I'm very disappointed in our school district's decision and the parent's of all students who turned this into a three circus. It's OK to send our high school children to Washington DC to learn about political issues (with parental approval). It's OK to have mock presidential races in our schools during a presidential race (without parental approval- did any parent sign permission slips during the last mock presidential race?). But it's not OK to show our president the respect of that office to listen to what he has to say? I agree this should have been a perfect opportunity to be used as a civic's lesson and what a great opportunity to discuss at the dinner table. You say the British wouldn't have any trouble taking this country back. Maybe or maybe not but it seems the young and old of the European countries not only know their own history but America's as well. How many of your children know anything about American history or for that matter what's going on in America now. Thanks for sharing the above website. Let's hope the next generation of voters will be informed of both sides of aisle and can make informed decisions. I'm wondering when President Bush made his speech to school children did the school's need parental consent then also?

How weak and afraid are those people who thought that one speech (on the importance of a solid education and the necessity of devotion to one's own goals, no less!) could brainwash anyone? The outcry was just one more valley on a journey to nadir for the modern Republican party.

What ever happened to "respect the President during wartime"??? Tragically partisan hypocrites exist on both sides of the aisle but I am embarassed by the words and deeds of those who currently claim the mantle and voice of the modern Republican party. William Buckley, Jr is sorely missed; someone to take on his role would be heartily welcomed to the debate.

It's all political.... parents/districts choosing what the kids want. High schoolers should be able to make that decision on their own, especially the seniors are about to be adults!

I did not like George W Bush but he was my President. I think our current President deserves the same respect even if you don't like him.

I would suggest that everyone read this fabulous commentary from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/08/r...

I'm really saddened (but not surprised) that Janesville chose to not show President Obama's speech. So what if someone pickets the school? This is our President, giving a nonpartisan speech to the nation's children. Parents could opt their child out, or hold them home from the day.

Why do we let fear run our lives, and dictate our administrative and instructional choices? Isn't part of civic engagement learning how to listen to others and how to engage in critical dialogue?

The British would have no trouble taking this country back now. Wouldn't want to create waves, you know.