Presidential Address to Students

After taking most of the summer off, and now that I am a couple of weeks into my 5th semester of law school, I decided it might be time to start blogging again. Specifically, I simply cannot stay quiet any longer on this "controversy" regarding the President's upcoming speech before public school children. Seriously, there is the President's failed economic policy, his ill-advised health care plan, and any other number of policy issue for which the President should be criticized. An yet, people are focusing on this speech. Really?

I was drawn into a long discussion yesterday, on Facebook, regarding the President's right to give this address. I must admit, I was a little shocked by the question. In my mind, he is the President, he can talk to whomever he wishes. However, to a certain extent, I can understand some parent's reluctance. However, it becomes an issue of censorship, as far as I am concerned. I completely understand if you do not agree with the President or his policies. I have never made any attempt to disguise my own contempt for this Administration. However, he is the President, and he deserves all the respect the office entitles him to. If a man was able to come from somewhat meager beginnings, succeed academically, and eventually become President, why shouldn't he be able to encourage today's students to proceed with the same focus?

Obviously, the issue is not over him speaking to students, but the content of his speech. So long as he confines his address to encouraging young people to succeed in school, I really do not see the harm. Even if he does put a little bit of policy into his speech, what is the harm? At this point, it becomes an issue of effective parenting. If you don;t want your child to be taken in by the eloquent President, it is YOUR job to discuss the issues with your young one. They are going to spend a lifetime being bombarded with different ideas, perspectives, faiths, beliefs, etc..., so why try to shelter them from a few words from the leader of our nation?

It's nothing but pure laziness and fear. Rather than step up as a parent and discuss real issue with your children, you would rather just keep them from hearing something that one of our elected leaders has to say. I would rather encourage my child to explore all possible ideas then try and keep him locked in a bubble. When did parenting become more about sheltering children rather than teaching them?

Now, on the other hand, I am willing to accept arguments that deal specifically with the U.S. Department of Education's letter to schools, encouraging certain "lesson plans" in conjunction with the speech. Education is a local issue, and the federal government has no Constitutional authority to mandate curriculum. However, encouraging teachers to have student think about how the President "inspires" them is a far, far cry from mandating curriculum. In the end, my biggest concern is that people need to pick their battles. When you waste so much effort opposing something as insignificant as this, it takes away from your credibility on the issues that really matter. Or at least that's my two cents.