Well said brwe! I agree!

Call it "nit picking" if you want, but you're wrong to assume we all trust the public school teachers--only because we send our kids there. Mine attended & did very well, but I first taught them the system was skewed left & had a strong bias against Christianity. That's my right & I'm willing to fight for its maintenance.

Isn't it funny we teach our kids to be kind and respectful, but we cannot? He is the PRESIDENT, how could his words hurt our children? I'm sure his message had to be approved by MANY! Our kids are going to hear ALL SORTS of things in their lives that we might not agree with, that would be our job to teach them right from wrong and not to follow the irresponsible. So, to the parents who called, did you think he was going to brainwash your kids? Our is it really about the whole CONTROL thing? "nobody better step on my toes as a parent"?? I FIRMLY believe it takes a village to raise a child, and if we trust the Teachers with our kids EVERYDAY, shouldn't we trust they wouldn't let them watch something if it wasn't appropriate? As for the high schoolers, well geez WHAT IF they have an opinion for themselves?? Following the HATE and NASTINESS of the parents who called is NOT something we need for this country! Enough kids fight over NOTHING, lets maybe start being an EXAMPLE for them!?

My 10 year old came home the other day and said "mom, I treat people how they want to be treated, but they don't, WHY?" I had to explain that some parents DO NOT raise their kids that way and to be nice anyway!!! Pretty sad if you ask me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah: I did homeschool my children but I do have grandchildren in the public school and my kids do what they can to not let the school system indoctrinate them.It is our right and we still pay as much taxes as the next person so we do still have a right to speak. The best would be school choice and that would solve everything. but that will probably never happen.

You do realize (right?) that the GROUPS (as opposed to individuals) representing most of the public school teachers & librarians in this country consider that attitude to be one of the biggest obstacles to their vision of the perfect society?

Kathleen Parker you have once again shown only your bias with this piece. I have the right as a parent to monitor everything that my child is subject to. and as an american citizen I have the right to protest anything I believe is not for my child. PERIOD!! Trying to make us feel stupid because we disagree with you does not fly, I am the aprent not you and not the president. Can you say Adolf Hitler??!!

My comments relate to Greg Peck's opinion piece 9/11/09 regarding this column. I agree with him, and that's quite a statement. Good on him and Kathleen Parker. One correction from her piece that he quoted:
"Overall, Obama's talk amounted to 'a GOP platform for kiddies: Take responsibility, don't blame others for your failures, listen to your parents and your teachers. Work hard'"
These are not a Republican only promotions. They are American promotions, Liberal or Conservative.

Farmer your lack of wit is on par with your lack of intelligence...at least you are consistent.

Looks like somebody stepped in something in the barn this morning & needs to vent.

griz, I never said you were a patriot, just a fringe group moron. When is the next civics lesson anyway? You're a birther, a death paneler, a tea bagger, etc., etc. Yeah your a moron and I'm a farmer get over it.
=How come your dad raf had to come to your rescue right away. Was it because you wanted to play the "who's a bigger patriot game" too early? Most of you righties like to think they're patriots, funny how almost all of your leaders found a way out of serving in the military.
=raf, yep I just pop in now and again, don't have all the free time you internet bullies have to spend on here. By the way how's the "cutt'n and past'n" class going?

The "evidence" you present says part of the lesson plans, a few words, were changed, not the speech itself.

Here is evidence that something was changed from the original speech after the backlash.
http://factcheck.org/2009/09/obamas-spee...
as far as my concern about not wanting my kids to watch Obama on t.v. it's because of this
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/NationalS...
I'm all for encouraging my kids to help out others and help the community, but that should come from my parenting suggestions and not from the President or our Government officials. I also was concerned even after reading the text of the speech up front, if it was going to be delivered exactly as posted or if other things were going to be said during the actual speech. Apparently I wasn't the only one who was concerned with that. I also have to agree with this person http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?... and here's a quote from his article. "And there is more. At least some school districts have shown a video known as "I Pledge" that features Hollywood and pop music celebrities calling for students to make a pledge to do something great. But the celebrities include everything from advancing embryonic stem cell research to refusing to use plastic bags at the supermarket. Near the end, the video makes this appeal: "I pledge to be of service to Barack Obama."
Of service to Barack Obama? This is a strange admixture of the politics of celebrity and the purpose of government. Some of the goals listed on the "I Pledge" video are praiseworthy, such as ending the modern slave trade. Others are right off the platform of the Democratic Party. According to press reports, some school districts intended to show the video with the President's speech.
Thus, it is easy to see how the motives of the president and his administration became suspect. The White House, the president and his administration share the blame here. An earlier release of the president's remarks and the absence of the original lesson plans would have greatly lessened the controversy and might have avoided it completely.
The politics of celebrity is a dangerous business. President Obama is a cult figure and a pop icon. That cuts both ways. The Obama campaign capitalized on it, and the Obama Administration attempts to do the same. But the president's constitutional role is that of the nation's chief executive, not its icon. This is not the Soviet Union or North Korea. We do not need a cult of personality around this White House, and the president is ill-served by those who would present him as a pop icon. The president should call all citizens to serve the nation -- not to serve him and help him meet his goals."
I also want to show people that there really is a National Universal Service Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_S... seems not only Obama was pushing for it but others in our government as well and have been for some time.
Still trust our government?

Can someone provide ONE SHRED of EVIDENCE that the President changed his speech?
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The handout was never scrapped. The ONLY thing that was changed was part of one question on the handout. The handout (based on the speech) created the uproar and the actual speech fit very well with the handout...so there is very little chance that the uproar changed the speech.
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Those who want to believe that the handout was scrapped and the speech changed are reacting defensively since they can't admit they were wrong.

I wouldn't want any president speaking to my children, no matter if it was Bush, Obama or anyone else for that matter. I don't trust the government and don't understand why they would even feel the need to come into the schools and speak to the children at all. I understand that schools like to discuss politics as it is a current event but think the teachers and the school should leave their own personal opinions out of the curriculum as I wasn't very happy when both of my kids schools held their own presidential election voting day last fall. I don't think schools should be pushing their political agendas on anyone. Or even checking to see who's parents are voting for who. That is a personal choice and a private one which is why voting is confidential.

Regardless of that, back to this topic. The speech was rewritten because originally the president did have another agenda in mind when he initially decided to speak to the children. It was changed when there became an outrage. I don't appreciate someone shoving their agendas down my kids throats, especially a government that I cannot even trust.

A little off topic, but DiGriz's assessment of the Iraq War is good. I don't agree that we had any justification for invasion (the punishment didn't fit the crime), but the rest is acurate.

taxed2much, the lesson plan was never scrapped, just changed slightly. It was/is available on the web for everyone to read.

"The objection was from the initial plan by the white house. Do your research, and you will discover that Obama did a 180* on what the agenda of his speech was about. I was offended"

No, the objection was from one SENTENCE in the suggested lesson plan provided by the Department of Education, and from a general hysteria by a few nut jobs about whatever Obama has to say. This was BEFORE the speach was released, by the way. Please provide PROOF that Obama changed the agenda of his speach. More lies from the right.

I dont care if the President wants to speak to the kids. Good, and it sounded like a good message. What I and many have a problem with was the materials that were going to be used with it, that were eventually scrapped. If they wanted to write about how they would help the COUNTRY that would be fine, but that is different than helping the President.

Yes facts are facts, yours are as twisted and erroneous, yet you believe them and echo comments made from the other side of the radio dial and cable stations, to you that is normal and ok. Your contention of media members as orchestrators in a sheepish game of “follow me” is baseless. People are waking to the fact our government is growing at an unsustainable rate, both in size and reach, from political members of all parties. Your ignorance to that is obvious. So, continue to trumpet your cries of the last president was worse, in reality, that does not make this one any better.

It is vastly clear our country is being turned further from the republic principles it was founded on and forced through incoherent circles of stupidity and demands for more government support. The current power grab of health care is a disaster, yet it will pass, with complaining from both sides of the isle. This will be another stake pushing this country further away from the productive republic it once was.

Many of the larger government advocates on here are attempting to use the right/left paradigm to divide. I, for one, wasn't a Bush fan. Bush shredded the constitution, and Obama is continuing to do so.
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Obama promised to abolish the Patriot Act and then voted to re-authorize it. Obama pledged to end warrantless wire tapping against the American people and then defended it. Obama denounced the practice of rendition and now continues it. He promised over and over again on the campaign trail, that he would end the practice of indefinite detention and instead, he has expanded it to permanent detention of “detainees” without trial.
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Obama has retained Bush's strategy of building a large permanent U.S. presence in Iraq. Obama surged Bush's Afghanistan invasion. Obama has stepped up drone strikes on Pakistan killing suspected terrorists and innocents alike.
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Why not stop the label assumptions and the smearing by association, and instead find common ground ?

Stupid is stupid and facts are facts RAF. How else would you describe a group of individuals who honestly feel our President is conspiring against our country, turning our government from a republic to socialist form of rule and using a speech to students as a means of advancing his "evil" plot? "Helping" the President was meant figuratively, not literally. Although who knows, maybe some of the students would have come up with some good suggestions on ways the President AND Congress could improve our education system.
The ONLY way O'Rielly, Hannity, Beck and Limbaugh stay relevant (and keep earning their millions) is by taking innocuous events or, when that fails, invent their own then, by using fear and hate, spin it into a conspiracy to make it seem as though the President of this country is out to destroy us all. Those commentators don't contribute anything positive to the argument. In fact, they do more to demean this country and its citizens than our current President could ever do. Its all about entertainment (crass at that)and protecting their huge salaries, not news. The new conservative base SHOULD know what indoctrination is, they get it from FOX news every day. If I really wanted to ridicule those whose views I oppose, then I would have used the term "bonehead".

The argument is already won, when in the first sentence, those you opposed require a label of “stupid”. Instead of disagreeing with dignity you disparage with ridicule.

Wow, there sure are a whole lot of stupid people out there in Janesville land and they all seem to be beating that conservative drum. Hear that giant sucking sound? That’s the new conservative base putting their collective heads together in thought led by O'Reilly, Limbaugh and Beck . If the government is our servant raystone, and was created to serve us, then why don’t you want it to serve us Healthcare? What IS the distinction between our country and our government, lovemycountry. If you serve our country aren’t you also serving our government? A government for the people by the people. Even when W. was at his worse our "Republic" was never in real danger of failing. Sure he abused his powers, completely ignored the constitution, violated the Geneva Convention by condoning torture, pardoned a convicted felon, perverted the justice system by firing US Attorney's who didn't tow the Republican party line and generally considered himself and those around him above the law. Bush expected Americans not to question or critically examine the “doctrine” his administration spread through the media. His indoctrination led us to invade a sovereign nation which then led to the deaths of over 3500 American men and women. Conservatives then dared to question the loyalty of those Americans who called it what it was; an illegal war. If you fear indoctrination mark_twain, why allow the military recruiters on school grounds? Our form of government is a Republic (based on constitutional law) but we use a democracy (majority rule) as a way to decide less important issues. You don't need to use fear to make a point DiGriz. By the way, didn’t Bush try to push further his agenda by blurring the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government in an effort to subjugate the system of checks and balances that serve to control and divide power? According to dub190, the conservative agenda does not include staying in school, taking personal responsibility, not blaming others for your failures, listening to your parents and your teachers or working hard. But then, that’s quite obvious by their cowardly claims of “conspiracy” and “indoctrination”. I know it’s hard for you conservatives to follow along when a President conveys a message using complete sentences but keep trying. Maybe we could ask him to speak more slowly.

DiGriz, don't waste your time arguing with the farmer. He pops in every couple of months to spout off, making comments as sensible as darwin's then runs off.

The article was a great summary of the situation. Instead of pointing out that objections to the Presidents speach were from a very small minority, and probably blown out of proportion by the media, the conservative nutcases embraced the concept with all their might...and have been proven wrong. Keep it up. The popularity of your chosen party dwindles with each silly cause you champion.

Leave it to raystone to quote Hugo Chavez to make his/her point.

You guys are seriously paranoid. I wish I had time to waste like you guys do. As I've stated before you say the same lies over and over but they're still lies. The selfish party, the party of "NO" speaks again.
=taxed2much- direct deposit, next payment comes in oct. For the record some of the biggest right wingers I know are farmers and if you want to make them mad try to do away with the farm programs.
=digriz- your a fringe group moron that I doubt is in the military. Just becuase you state it doesn't make it true. If you are in a war zone though maybe you should get your head in that game and not worry about a gazette blog. We aren't shooting at you here.

officerfriendly1; that was awesome. I wish I could see Darwins face when he sees it - assuming he will actually watch it.

"Paranoia is a thought process characterized by excessive anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs concerning a perceived threat towards oneself."
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There's medication for this. Some of you might need to check with your doctor.

DiGriz - thank you. That can't be said enough.

hey rockcofarmer, do you have one of those hats like most farmers do? You know, the one that has curved bill in order for you to look into the mail box for that government check?

You nutcases are silly. Unfortunately for our democracy, you don't realize it.

Bravo!! Well said.

DiGriz--Surely you weren't referring to Sally?

He's also keeping even more of us amused! I agree- keep it up!

The gullible and ignorant are actually the righties or as I like to call them, the selfish americans. Fox news talking points must be that he rewrote a speech. Prove it.
= Keep up the good work Darwin, your keeping a lot of right wing nitwits enraged and that is a good thing.

SarahB1 - there's a large distinction between helping the people of our country and helping our government.

Actually this was the first time I've seen Obama make a smart calculating move since he gained office. The administration knew the right was paranoid about the government taking over and socialism. The administration leaked the idea that Obama was going to ask school children to write him. Then once the fuss started from the right they simply rewrote the speech. Thus, it made the right look like fools. It was pure politics, but in this case Obama came out smelling like roses.

BTW, here's someone that does want to help Obama with his policies. "I think Obama has good intentions and I want to help him." - Avowed socialist leader of Venezuela Hugo Chavez.

Classroom activities for K-6 previously included encouraging students to "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president." Patriots among us reminded our government we do not serve the president, the government is our servant.

The party of NO is at it again. Now it's a rewrite, get a life.

"This started as a go home and tell your parents why Obamacare is great speech." Care to cite your source or are you just "calling it like you see it" because you SAW the first draft?

Correct brwe. This started as a go home and tell your parents why Obamacare is great speech. Anyone thinking that was the first draft of this is delusional. It sounded like one of the scores of graduation speeches we have all over the years.

Clearly, the right wing nut jobs who believe that Obama is the Messiah are so gullible that they think that their children can be mind controlled by one speech. It is a paranoid delusion at its finest. One woman said that because she didn't agree with Obama she didn't want her child to hear what he had to say. Too bad we don't have the same right not to listen to the right wing nut jobs who think they run this country.

Lat's all remember this was the FINAL version--after the protests.