Well, I have read the text of the speech that BHO will be giving to America’s schoolchildren, and on the face of it, it seems innocent enough- but I still have reservations about it, simply because many of the students will not understand it.
This is because the Resident is still in campaign mode (has he ever stopped?), and the words he uses may or may not be understood by those who are in junior high or high school, but they will not be understood by very many others who are younger, simply because he uses words they might not have encountered yet. This may, at least for an English teacher, be the true lesson here, but otherwise, for many students, it’s time to doodle in their notebooks. Here’s an example. Also note the subtle propaganda- that is to be expected.
“You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.”
Now, I don’t know where he gets his facts, but the sad fact is that very little real history is taught in schools these days- one day on the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, and about one to two days on the Revolutionary or Civil wars.
Instead, all the emphasis is on the civil rights era- which is important, but without the teaching of prior history to lay the foundation, is kind of a “floating”, aimless history with no anchors in the past.
If a person wants to be effective in the future, he or she must know what mistakes were made in the past. That way, they are not repeated. The Resident’s foray into economics should be a good lesson in the mistakes of the past for all economics courses.
“No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.”
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.”
The speech is OK- I believe it is short of inspirational, but then I think he should actually think of the words he is saying- perhaps they could help him also- particularly the last paragraph there. His problem in his life has been the adults he has trusted- I wouldn’t put Rahm Emanuel, John Holdren, Cass Sunstein, or many of the others he has surrounded himself with to be shining examples of good company- you are known by the company you keep, and this company is the kind your parents warned you about- they are like Eddie Haskell- they are bound to get a person in trouble.
And in the end, that may be the lesson these students end up learning from the Resident.
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