Today Barack Obama gave a speech that was sent to many schools across the nation. Certainly other presidents have spoken and had the speech watched in schools as when George H W Bush spoke at a school and it was carried by the MSM which allowed schools to watch it on broadcast TV. Obama directed his speech to all schools. There is a difference in methodology and intent. As an aside, Democrats launched investigations when H W Bush gave his speech. Now the uproar by parents is described as an Animal House food fight.
The message delivered by Obama was pretty benign though it did have a subtle political subtext. There were items that were disturbing but for the most part it was a rah rah speech. It disturbs me that Obama wants people to do well in school so they will benefit the nation because it smacks of statism. You do well for yourself as an individual and to become a productive member of society. He could have left out all the hot topics but he mixed them in in such a way that they appeared benign though it is not unlikely he was working to make millions of little community organizers..
The real issue is that Obama implored children to do something he does not believe in. Obama told them that the responsibility for success is ultimately on them and that they need to work hard to achieve. He told them that they needed to do well and be responsible for themselves so that they can achieve.
Obama does not believe in personal responsibility and his whole adult life involves having the government take care of people. He does not tell people to be responsible for their own health care management and to cut the luxuries out of their lives or to pay their medical bills over time. He does not tell auto companies (or any other company) that they need to be responsible or suffer failure. No, he bails them out. He uses taxpayer money to assist them instead of letting them fail should they be unable to compete. In everyday life Obama feels that you are not responsible for your actions and that government must be there to ensure that things are fair and the playing field is level.
Perhaps Obama should reflect upon what he told the students and start expecting that same behavior from the people in this country who want a free ride on the people who produce. Maybe instead of working to ensure all people are covered at the expense of those who pay taxes, Obama could require people to be responsible for their own lots in life. Maybe Obama could implore the members of Congress to start taking responsibility for their jobs and stop trying to become the big nanny state where government provides for everyone at the expense of the achievers.
How much different would things have been if candidate Obama had told people that they needed to be responsible for their lives and that ultimately it fell on them? Instead, he spoke about how he would lower the oceans and how people would pay less for their houses and gas. Peggy the moocher summed up the feelings of many when she said that Obama will make sure her house payments and gas are paid for. Too many people expect the government to be there to hand them everything they need.
Where is the speech telling them to be responsible? Where is the speech telling people that if they signed contracts to buy houses they could not afford they deserved to lose them? Where was the speech telling people that if they made bad investments they deserved to lose their money? Where was the speech telling GM that if it could not run a profitable business then it deserved to go belly up? Where was the speech telling bank and Wall Street executives that if they ran their companies into the ground with risky schemes then they deserved to go under? These things would have demonstrated a belief in responsibility.
Since Obama has never been responsible for much of anything it is easy to see why he does not expect other adults to be. Government will be there to do it for you because the Community Organizer in Chief will make it so.
The speech to the school children was nothing like those he gives to the American public and was contrary to his actual beliefs.
If Obama actually lived by what he told the children (and held Congress to the same standard) then we would not be in nearly as much trouble.
[tip]If you enjoy what you read consider signing up to receive email notification of new posts. There are several options in the sidebar and I am sure you can find one that suits you. If you prefer, consider adding this site to your favorite feed reader. If you receive emails and wish to stop them follow the instructions included in the email.[/tip]