I was in high school less than 2 years ago. I watched Bush speeches.

[armyowalgreens]

We would often watch random presidential speeches in my government and economics class. We even watched a speech in my statistics class.

There were never any permissions slips. There was never a public outcry over the situation. I wasn't even a fan of Bush and I still wanted to watch the speeches.

Now, these weren't official viewing opportunities and I don't know if the teachers would have gotten in trouble for doing so. But I'm assuming that we have a right to hear from our president.

[oligarhy]

1. My HS history teacher showed us the Today Show news segment

2 times a week.

It wasn't all good news either.

That was when Lauer had hair.

[valerief]

6. That Reich Wing propanga swill? Oh, I forgot. That crap is okay.

:sarcasm:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. The blowback will be

that the kids (at least those older than about 8th grade) who were told they couldn't watch the speech because it was "bad" or "subversive' or whatever will go out of their way to find it on the Internet and watch it -- just because they were told they couldn't. That's what kids do. And then they'll see it was just an innocuous address intended to encourage them to study hard and stay in school, and they'll figure out that their parents and teachers are idiots and tools.

[noiretextatique]

3. bush was a white republicon

:shrug:

[Sebastian Doyle]

4. A Chimp speech in statistics class?

Were you charting the number of times he said "freedumb" "terra" and 9-11?

[noamnety]

5. I don't think the main complaint is about it being shown

in government classes. It's that it was pushed as something that had to be seen LIVE in ALL classes, whether or not they related to government. It's a very different thing.

I would have opposed education being halted whenever bush felt the need to address all students - (not that he did, but if he had), but I would have supported his speeches being played in government/social studies classes.

[redqueen]

7. Why are you singling out government classes?

The OP also mentioned economics and statistics.

If the issue that it's being "pushed" to be shown live that's one thing... but that's been done before, and met no over-the-top, highly-embarrassing national outcry.

[noamnety]

14. At our school, economics I think

falls under social studies. We don't have a statistics course. (There wasn't much to be read into my not mentioning them by name, other than laziness on my part)

[Shell Beau]

8. We had to watch Channel 1. I don't remember there being too much

choice then. I don't get it at all. This man is the President of our country. I wouldn't have had any issue with Bush doing it either, even though it would've made me throw up a little in my mouth.

[noamnety]

12. We don't watch channel one at our school either.

I'm surprised that folks here don't have a problem with that.

[Hansel]

17. The message isn't about government. It's about education.

This so called "main complaint" is the excuse not the reason. The reason they don't want it shown is that they have a basic disrespect for the president because he is not who they voted for and because he is black.

Cut the crap about education being halted for 5 minutes. This is about education and is entirely appropriate.

[noamnety]

21. what was the basic complaint when bush I gave a similar talk? (nt)

[Hansel]

22. I don't remember there being one. His was also about education.

My kids listened respectfully because I taught them to be respectful, especially toward the PotUS or anyone else in a position of authority. I also taught them to analyze and think for themselves. If he had said anything controversial I would have heard about it.

There was no media frenzy and I didn't get anything from the school giving me a choice or implying that he had some nefarious goal. I would have been annoyed had I been given it and would have wonder why the school was politicizing the event.

[noamnety]

24. That's already politicized, though, see.

"I taught them to be respectful, especially toward the PotUS or anyone else in a position of authority"

whether he talks about staying in school, not doing drugs, or the color of his socks, there are two layers of things going on when he addresses the students. One is what he's talking about, and the other layer is all that other stuff which is about indoctrination. You obviously hold that view that people should be respectful of a person simply because he's the president, which is fine, but it's also good to recognize that some people see that in and of itself as political and not necessarily in a good way. I hope that makes sense.

[Hansel]

28. It makes sense but I have a different viewpoint than you might be assuming..

I think that being respectful of the president is an important part of a democracy. After all, the president is in an executive position and is bound to uphold the constitution and the laws of the land. Until the president does something that demonstrates he is working outside of the law and the constitution I believe he deserves the respect that that position represents. This is the only way we can continue to hang on to this democracy. As soon as his credibility and authority as an executor is lost, it threatens our democracy and brings closer the potential for an overthrow of the government. This might be an extreme, but the more these fools get away with their outrageous hyperbole, the closer that reality becomes.

That being said, I also think that if the president is doing something that is against the law he should be held to account and he has lost the right to the respect that the position should represent. I think that George H.W. Bush earned the respect of the office. I didn't always agree with him but I did not feel that laws and or the democracy was threatened. I have felt that way with all of the presidents since Carter except for George W. Bush (coup, Iraq, torture, illegal wiring tapping) and Ronald Reagan with the Iran Arms Deal.

Until Obama does something that is against the law or outside of the constitution of the United States, the office he holds deserves respect. He has not crossed that line so he continues to earn the respect that the office should receive. Just because some Republicans are angry that he won the election does not mean that Obama is deserving of any less respect. Just because disgruntled cry babies think he is a socialist and threatens our democracy does not make it so. I think it is a little disconcerting that their so called grievances are getting the attention they are without significant challenge from our media and other political leaders. This is part of a very partisan attempt to destroy the office of the presidency just because it is being held by an opposing political party and largely because he is black. If it was in isolation I wouldn't be as concerned. However, this hysteria is being generated by the Tea Baggers and the extreme right wing as a part of a concerted effort to destroy Obama, his presidency and thus risk destabilization of this country.

We have already had one of their leaders installed into the White House with very little fight from the country. When the Supreme Court installed Bush that was a coup. Now the same people who supported him and all of his violations of law and the constitution are screaming that a legitimately elected president is somehow illegitimate while they are outraged that Bush's illegal actions might be investigated. The more they get away with this kind of hysteria and the public and media plays along and marches in lock step, the more likely we will see another similar coup in the near future

It is extremely important that we do not allow them to continue to chip away at Obama's, the president's legitimacy. Not for the sake of partisanship, but for the sake of our democracy.

[Hansel]

26. Also, I worked at an inner city social service agency in the 1980s

We regularly booked political leaders on both the left and the right to come speak at "at risk" inner city students about staying in school and leadership.

The speakers on both sides were excellent and the kids, mostly black, were respectful and grateful for them giving attention to their needs. Republican Senator David Durenberger, political candidate and later Senator Mark Dayton, future governor Arne Carlson (Republican) and many state reps and mayors were invited to speak. We did not care which party. We weren't doing it for politics, we were doing it to help the kids. We never had one issue with it whatsoever. The organization was overwhelmingly Democratic, but we didn't care. We were looking for leaders to be role models for the kids.

[Initech]

9. I remember that Bush anti-drug propaganda speech very well.

Nobody gave a shit about it then. It's all about racism. The hardcore racists are coming out of the woodwork like fuckin' termites since Obama's election and it's really starting to show. :banghead:

[LuvNewcastle]

10. These people who are against the President's

speech would not be happy if Obama led them in the pledge of allegiance and read a passage from the Bible. They don't really care what his message is, they just have a deep, irrational hatred for him.

[noamnety]

15. I wouldn't be happy if he led me in the Pledge

or read a passage from the bible. :D

[LuvNewcastle]

16. Yeah, me either, LOL!

[BeHereNow]

11. Are you okay?

I'm much older than you, and Bush Speeches had long lasting mental health effects on me.
I can give you the number of my therapist if you need a good one.

I am embarrassed by my generation.
I am sorry for what we have allowed to flourish in this country
that you, and others your age, will inherit.


Forgive us.

BHN

[asdjrocky]

13. Are you done with your homework?

[armyowalgreens]

18. Nope.

[asdjrocky]

19. I'm clicking my teeth.

[struggle4progress]

20. Ah, youth! I stopped watching Bush on TV. He made my blood pressure spike

and ruined my digestion. My immune system wasn't as good as it once was, and I figured maybe these were early symptoms that I was catching whatever made him so stupid. So it was safer not to watch

[noamnety]

23. Same here

I hated that guy in the pit of my stomach - to the point where I had to change the channel. I had about the same reaction I imagine some people would have to watching 20 minutes of a film of maggots.

I am lucky that I never had to sit through 20 minutes of him as part of my job requirements. :D

[Jennicut]

25. I wonder if anyone from Gen X was corrupted by Poppy Bush or Reagan

I turned out okay.

[LWolf]

27. What is appropriate for high school

may not be appropriate for primary classrooms, so that's not really a strong argument.

Although I agree that there should be no issue for secondary students.