The big ruckus

This week, both the internet and the school systems across the nation have been 'abuzz' with the announcement that the President of the United States would speak to school children about the importance of education. (sarcasm alert) OMG! How dare he?

Seriously, what is the fuss? The President of the United States wants to speak to school children and re-inforce that staying in school is a good idea, that studying hard and doing well in school is a good idea, that the vast majority of them do not have a solid jump shot and therefore will NOT become NBA superstars, nor will they have solid gold recording careers and, so, maybe getting an education is a good idea .... And parents and politicos across this great nation have been horrified! How dare he? How could my school district want to show this on TV? Why was I, the parent, not informed? How can my child opt out? (Yes, that is sarcasm again).

We here in the individualistic New Hampshire, home of "live free or die", were not given an option - POTUS was not shown in our schools - so much for choice.

I don't understand what all of the fuss is actually about.

When I was a kid, if the President of the United States was going to be on TV, he was on ALL channels and most radio stations. The only opting out was if you chose to go read a book. I mean, whether you voted for him or not, he IS the President of the United States of America - our President, yes even for you Republicans (and quite honestly, if I had to listen to W for 8 years, the least you guys can do is let this guy talk about the importance of staying in school).

My friends who live where their children could actually watch the speech report that the verdict is split: some of the kids thought it was boring; some of the kids thought it was kinda cool for the school where he actually spoke because they got to shake the hand of the President of the United States. But universally it has been reported that none of the children seem to have absorbed any socialist, fascist, communist, closet-Muslim, Black Power-mongering, anti-white ideas (yeah, more sarcasm). Of course, if POTUS's true message is subliminal, I'm not sure if any of the parents would have picked up on its effects yet ;-)

In any event, what I originally found amusing about this fuss has quickly become more than annoying and in fact down-right insulting.

These fuss-budgets are more of the same people who gave us W for 8 years and actually thought Sarah Palin would be a good person to have a "heartbeat from the Presidency". And those that aren't of that ilk are giving them credence by jumping on the band-wagon with 'we're parents and we should have a say in who speaks to our children'.

On the face of it, that last sentiment seems to have merit but where I have a problem with it is that as parents we have very little options about who speaks to our children and I daresay that on the face of it, I don't know that there is a problem with that IF you actual parent your child.

YOU as the parent should be speaking with your kid - about politics, drugs, sex, and yes, staying in school. YOU as the parent should speak with your child about who else is speaking with your child, what they are saying and how your child feels about it AND how YOU as their parent feel about it. It is part of your job, as the PARENT, to help your child listen to what is going on in the world and learn to separate wheat from chaff and develop opinions of their own .... ooh! wait a minute! that would mean that not only would YOU as the parent have to think but you'd actually be teaching your child how to think, too .... and actually that isn't sarcasm, that is called parenting.