TexasCHLforum.com

Purplehood wrote:Can you tell me who said this?

"Sadly, the arrival of Obama brought with it a lot of hope, but little change"

Edit:

Chavez said he wanted more clarity from the United States on its foreign policy, adding that he was disappointed by recent U.S. dealings in South America, including the installation of military bases in Colombia.

"Sadly, the arrival of Obama brought with it a lot of hope, but little change," he said.

We have a foreign policy?

Chip wrote:

pdubyoo wrote:I don't remember there being any concern with Reagan, Bush or Clinton, from either side of the aisle, that there would be an attempt to use the forum to advance political agendas

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opini ... 94347.html

when President George H.W. Bush delivered a similar speech on October 1, 1991, from Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington DC, the controversy was just beginning. Democrats, then the majority party in Congress, not only denounced Bush's speech -- they also ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate its production and later summoned top Bush administration officials to Capitol Hill for an extensive hearing on the issue.

Unlike the Obama speech, in 1991 most of the controversy came after, not before, the president's school appearance. The day after Bush spoke, the Washington Post published a front-page story suggesting the speech was carefully staged for the president's political benefit. "The White House turned a Northwest Washington junior high classroom into a television studio and its students into props," the Post reported.

As I stated, I don't remember any concern about Reagan, Bush or Clinton, but you have clearly stated your case to the contrary. I think I was probably too young then to really care too much about politics that much.

So, if there was an outcry then from Bush opponents, why is the left crying foul now when the conservatives are questioning Obama's motives? Sounds like another case of rediculous political posturing. Politicians are such hypocrits!

joe817 wrote:The President's high school speech just ended. I listened and watched with great intensity. I digested and dissected every word he said. Where WAS the socialist indoctrination we were expecting? Where WAS the brainwashing we were told to expect?

I tried as hard as I could to shoot holes in his speech...to find something I could object to, even a little bit. But I couldn't. I could find nothing to fault in his speech. Nothing.

Of course, the speech writers had over a week to "change" the speech. Obama would have been an idiot to have allowed any hint of a political agenda in today's speech, with the amount of scrutiny it was under. They had no choice but to rewrite it just to get out of the cross-hairs. Even the director of the DOE admitted that the initial curriculum, that was to be used before and after the speech, was "not worded well" in the initial drafts that were posted last week.

The President had no choice but to stick to education virtues.

Purplehood wrote:Newt Gingrich states that he read the speech and thought it was "good". That came from FOX News.

EDIT: Just watched him again on the news... he stated that both Reagan and Clinton spoke to the students and that they were positive experiences. Gingrich advised anyone that is concerned to go to the White House website and read the speech.

I realize that lots of folks don't like the President. But knee-jerk reactions by folks that don't like him simply teach our kids to be totally intolerant and not listen to other peoples points of view. I too don't trust the guy, but I really really try to avoid jumping to conclusions. Let your kids watch the speech. Discuss the good points of it with your kids. If there are any bad, discuss those too. Be adult. Doesn't mean you have to vote for him.

I agree with Newt, that the current speech is "good". It's a positive and encouraging message to the students. I don't remember there being any concern with Reagan, Bush or Clinton, from either side of the aisle, that there would be an attempt to use the forum to advance political agendas

Like you, I don't trust this President either. When I heard about the planned speech, I seriously questioned his initial intentions, and I stand by that opinion, but I wouldn't call it a knee-jerk reaction. The fact that the speech wasn't posted until late yesterday speaks volumes. This has been a front-burner story since early last week. If the original speech was so innocent and sanitary, they could have posted it last week to squelch the opposition. Also, I downloaded the planned activity curriculum early last week, and the questions that were to be posed to the students were out of line..."what will you do to support the president?". The current activity curriculum has been sanitized as well.

So, the question I have is...why change anything in the speech and curriculum if there wasn't anything to be concerned about in the first place?

Purplehood wrote:When I read the article I noticed that it made mention of activities and curriculum accompanying the speech. That implies to me that it will be a canned-speech. If so, provide the content ahead of time in writing and let the parents decide if it is non-partisan or not. If it fulfills that requirement than I see it as a positive experience for the kids. If it smacks of whatever boogey-man, socialist ideas you may object to, keep your kid away.

There are "activities" papers that you can download (http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/), that prompt the discussion that teachers are to have with students before and after the annointed one's speech. Reading through some of the questions and discussion points is extremely disturbing. This wreaks of brainwashing!

Examples
PreK ~ 6th grade

Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?

What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?

Write an essay on how you can help the president. (I have a major beef with this...what does this have to do with education?????)

Grades 7 ~ 12

Do you remember any other historic moments when the president spoke to the nation? What was the impact? (Is this educational??)

What do you believe are the challenges of your generation? (federal debt, socialism, anyone?, Beuller?)

Hooky day for my kids...extra long weekend!

Purplehood wrote:Of course he has an agenda, but he doesn't have to spend every waking moment pursuing it.

That's what he appointed the czars for!