Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 8, 2009, President Obama is scheduled to address the school-children of America encouraging them to stay in school and get a good education. A debate has arisen based on distrust of politicians in general and President Obama in particular. (More - click on title) The President of the United States, the chosen leader of our country, a man revered around the world is not trusted to deliver a message on the value of education to our school children? How can this even be a point worthy of debate? Despite our political beliefs, every American should stop and LISTEN to every word he says. Then make up your own minds.
This is a clear symptom of the paranoia sweeping the country in recent years. It is a virus spread by a segment of the population that has been brain-washed to "Trust No Politician on the opposite side of US and OUR beliefs" In the minds of some, NO politician at all can be trusted.
What is really scary is that people are not stopping to listen and think for themselves, they are buying into whatever ideology they settle on based on half-truths and blatant lies spread by misinformed and self-serving despots. Some refuse to LISTEN to the other side for themselves and determine if what they have been told is the truth.
Sorry, this is not what MY America is about. In my America, everyone is free to speak his truth without interruption. Our leaders are even more closely listened to because they have been chosen by us and a body of learned, respected people. It is no wonder that public service is a rarely chosen path for young people. Who wants to put themselves through this?
If a speaker says something that parents disagree with, this is their opportunity to discuss their beliefs with their children and debate the statements he makes. This is what the democratic family does when it wants to foster well-educated children. I remember my step-father's opinion of Harry Truman. He stated his points in no uncertain terms and with a lot of salt and pepper to boot. My mother softened his words when she disagreed, but their political debates taught me about the democratic process better than putting a blindfold on me and a gag on President Truman.
This post was inspired by Connie's View Family News, Clues & Reviews.
6 comments:
I couldn't agree more. Why can't we have a civil debate.
I too remember and long for a way to disagree without being disagreeable.
This has got to stop, it's tearing our country apart.
Thanks for an important article, great job!
Very well said! America should show some respect, he's the President for God's sake!
This is where bipartisanship in our country has gotten us. It's terrible! Instead of us being closer together now, especially since we are in an economic crisis and our troops are in Iraq and Afghanastan, we are being driven farther apart. If we don't teach our children to respect our President, we are in deep trouble.
Reading this from the other side of 'the pond' it all sounds too familiar.
It's become fashionable to show little or no respect, generally. Politicians haven't helped themselves in this, but we have to start rebuilding somewhere. Nothing is likely to change until people stop buying into a shallow, quick-fix, insistence over aspiration society.
Unfortunately it's not too difficult to find someone with a strong opinion that has been developed without the benefit of rational thinking or debate.
A great post. Well said!
I think President Obama's spokesperson said it best when he called this a "silly season." The sad part is that we have real work to do in this country, and those who seize on every opportunity to sow seeds of discord are seriously hampering our efforts.
completely agree - as you said
"...stop and LISTEN to every word he says. Then make up your own minds."
I tried to make the same point in a recent post about this.
http://changegovluv.blogspot.com/2009/09/inspiring-speech-to-start-school-year.html
I believe it shows the difference between being open vs close minded.
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