Obama’s Speech to Kids
A couple of parents I know in real life have decided not to send their kids to school today, so that they won’t be subjected to the radical, shady content of Obama’s speech to school children.
They were not alone in this decision: many conservative parents were enraged over the idea that the president would use the back to school speech to “press a partisan political agenda on impressionable young minds” and to “spread [his] socialist ideology.”
I’m carefully reading through Obama’s speech to kids right now, looking for the “socialist,” “partisan” content that scared parents so much, and I just don’t see it.
Perhaps I’m naive, or maybe I need to work on my ability to better read between the lines, but all I see are important, encouraging messages about the importance of education, of personal responsibility and hard work; about how you need to learn from your failures and not let them define you; about asking for help when you need it; never giving up on yourself; and about your individual success being part of the nation’s success – wait, is that the radical part of the speech?
Even if you worry about what the president might say, how about taking this as an opportunity to teach your kids about critical thinking and free speech? How about telling your children that the president will give a speech, and they may be required to listen to it at school, and they may agree or disagree with the things he says and should politely express their opinion once the speech is over and the teacher opens it for discussion?
From Obama’s speech to kids: “Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.” And may I add, you are not afraid of other people’s opinions, because regardless of who they are and of who you are, you always get to form your own opinion and are entitled to freely express it.
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Hayden Tompkins responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 11:56 am →
This strikes me as a “fruit of the poisonous tree” situation. Assuming you believe the tree is poisonous, of course.
Tracy responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 12:03 pm →
I am completely baffled by this and it gives me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. How on earth are we to progress as a country if we’re teaching our children that the best way to deal with disagreement is avoidance? That our leader’s words could taint them merely by listening? I can’t imagine what sort of message that sends children and how on earth they are to feel secure.
You’re right Vered, this is a good opportunity for parents to talk to their kids about being respectful of authority while at the same time never being scared or unwilling to question what they’ve been told.
RC - Rambling Along... responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 12:05 pm →
I read the speech content last night, as I was trying to figure out the controversy, after seeing the Web go nuts in debate. I still don’t get it.
Even though I tend to hang out in a more conservative crowd, I was amazed that this has upset so many people. Why? Because when I was in school, I remember reading messages from presidents in Scholastic News. I remember watching a recording of President Reagan addressing us. It was part of school to know our leaders, and to know their beliefs (which usually created classroom conversations about how we agreed or disagreed).
And I recall my parents and I discussing what we had learned, that night.
I may not fully appreciate our current President, but I have been taught to respect the office he holds, while discussing, respectfully, why I agree or disagree with his message. I still don’t understand the controversy in this school message. Maybe I missed all the hidden agendas in the speech, too.
David "CrazyKinux" Perry responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 12:08 pm →
As a northern neighbor, I’m always amazed at what can so easily become a controversy with our american cousins. Renders me speechless!
Kristin T. (@kt_writes) responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 12:12 pm →
I’m not surprised that you expressed so much of what I feel about this topic, but I am grateful. Sometimes I feel like the world is going crazy, and I need to cling to as many sane people as I can find!
Your review of the speech itself is right on. Unfortunately though, last night as I was writing my own post about this issue, I realized one of the saddest things about it is that the parents who are so upset don’t care about the content at all. One of their favorite right-wing commentators or preachers could read the exact same speech, and they would eat it up (although it would never be as eloquent coming from someone else, in my opinion). What parents are upset about is the vehicle, not what it carries. And, ultimately, it’s all rooted in fear—fear that their kids might form their own opinions, fear that they might find Obama wise and trustworthy, and fear that Obama’s approach just might be right.
Nicole responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 12:24 pm →
Censoring is a means to control.
I agree, no matter what people think of him & his agendas, children should have a right to decide for themselves. Often enough, they’re smarter than adults anyway.
Emily responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 12:29 pm →
I think it is insulting to kids that parents don’t trust them to hear a person speak and form their own opinion. I think it’s ridiculous that this is even an issue. I watched GB Sr. when I was in elementary school. I guess it was okay then for a president to speak and to let us form our own opinions. What are parents so afraid of? The way we are teaching and learning through fear of things that aren’t really all that scary to begin with is just out of control right now.
Carla responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 12:37 pm →
I must say I am speechless.
I thought America was about pulling yourself up and succeeding. There are opportunities here that doesn’t exist in many countries (except affordable health care of course) and I thought that’s what makes this country so great. Now when Obama says, it, he’s a socialist.
The bottom line is, the republicans are pissed off that we have a black, Democratic president and will try everything in their power to bring him down. The bottom line is all they care about, not the people they supposedly want to serve.
Betsy Wuebke responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 12:45 pm →
I thought it was a good speech, if very long-winded. However, the controversial Dept of Ed “discussion guidelines” went beyond the pale in terms of promoting the cult of personality, and skirted legality. The Federal Department of Education is precluded by law from handing down curricula, even in the guise of “teaching tools.” This is where objectors equated the speech with socialistic or statist leanings. Like it or not, I equate this episode as one more demonstration of either amateurism or deliberate disregard for constitutional protocols (as in all the un-vetted and unapproved ‘czar’ appointments). Someone who was ostensibly a ConLaw professor ought to know better. And perhaps he does.
That’s what people are “afraid” of.
I’m happy the DOE modified their “guidelines” because they struck me as very creepy. Media’s role in mis-characterizing the objections, and hyping the fringe went far as well. The media did a great job of calling parents who objected racists (Harwood of MSNBC), insane and psychopathic (Martin and Sirota on CNN). All of a sudden as of January 20 or so, dissent is not even patriotic, it’s insane. Why is that?
Controversy over the President speaking to schoolchildren didn’t originate with this one, however. Here’s a nice summation of the extremes the opposition went to way back in 1991:
When Bush spoke to students, Democrats investigated, held hearings
I’d say there’s little comparison, really.
Tricia responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 1:55 pm →
Thank you, Betsy!!! President Obama’s aspirational speech was right-on, and really what parent could possible want to object to the meta messages. I certainly want my son to embrace a love for education and working hard as a means to success. The debate regarding the supporting curriculum ended up being so polarizing with anyone who questioned the DOE’s roll was all of a sudden called paranoid or accused of hating our president. The absolute polarization and lack of thoughtful contemplation and debate leaves me dumbfounded.
Patricia responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 2:03 pm →
I loved the speech and the discussions that it has started at my house and with my 2 ten year old neighbors. I think the kids I know are way ahead of the adults.
My homeschooling “creationist” neighbors all have signs in their yards about how Un -American it is….I am appalled by how loud the voices are and how few are listening.
I am thinking someone is going to get hurt soon – lynched by this mob mentality and I am personally holding these yelling, screaming, hating people accountable.
Diversity and discussion and education are the keys.
This all or nothing mentality is very scary no matter who justifies it with what proof texting techniques.
The Lawyer Mom responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 2:53 pm →
Recall, too, that the Dems got pretty steamed when Bush spoke to students. They even launched an investigation.
My problem was not with the president speaking to school children. It was the suggested classroom activities (before, during and after his speech) that gave me pause, particularly since Obama enjoys widespread support from teachers’ unions. The suggested discussions and activities presented pro-Obama teachers with a political platform that would be mighty hard for even the strongest of them to resist.
Kelly@SHE-POWER responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 2:56 pm →
I’m sorry, but I don’t get this at all. In Australia, I just cannot imagine people keeping their kids home from school so as not to hear a message from the Prime Minister. People who disagreed with the content would talk about it later, while most wouldn’t think it was that big a deal either way. The leader of the country isn’t God and he’s not indoctrinating with special brain waves designed to tunnel into impressionable minds. He’s just a man doing his job. A man voted in through a democratic process.
I think the speech is great. Inspirational I would have thought. Thanks for posting this Vered. It’s always intriguing to sus out cultural differences between Western democratic nations, especially when the USA is the main source of all our movies, tv and music. Stuff like this makes me realise how different our countries can be.
Kelly
John W. Zimmer responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 3:06 pm →
I don’t normally speak politically but let me just say that I don’t see why a President speaking to children would be a big deal – no matter what persuasion he is. I home schooled my two boys for a number of years and I think it is the parents responsibility to help kids develop critical thinking. Hopefully this will allow children to make up their own minds about issues and not just adopt their parents “take” on things.
Daniel responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 4:05 pm →
Yes Carla, the Republicans are against Obama because he’s a black democrat, not because of his radical agenda. Every time somebody has nothing, they resort to the race argument. I have no problem with the president speaking to the school kids other than they probably could have spent their time more productively.
Mike Goad responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 4:23 pm →
I’ve pretty much missed out on this controversy. I guess that’s one of the benefits of having no TV and limited internet access on this trip. Maybe I can miss some more controversies that will seem silly looking back on them.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 4:39 pm →
Thanks everyone for your comments. I’m far too swamped today to write a response to each of you (couldn’t resist the temptation to post about this though!) but I love the discussion, and I love that it’s far more civil than similar discussions I’ve seen in other websites today.
Carla responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 5:03 pm →
@Daniel – When you show me his so-called radical agendas from a credible source, then I will back down.
Daphne @ Joyful Days responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 5:38 pm →
Vered,
I loved reading the speech – thanks for pointing me to it. Gosh, I wish every parent would tell that to their children, and parents should thank him for saying it so well on their behalf. Not being American, I don’t fully appreciate the controversy, yet at the same time it’s part of what I admire about your country – that people hold such strong views and are willing to act on them, for better or worse.
MiMi responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 5:57 pm →
A conscientious parent would have done as you suggest in your second-to-the-last paragraph.
Marelisa responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 9:09 pm →
Well, I just watched a video of the speech and for the life of me I couldn’t find anything controversial about it. I heard him say that every single kid out there has something that they’re good at and something to offer. I also heard him ask the students what contribution they were going to make and what problem they were going to solve. If I had a kid I’d want him or her to hear that message. I’m just completely baffled by the controversy over this. And like you say Vered, parents can always talk to their kids about the speech afterward and clarify any doubts. Keeping your child home from school so that he doesn’t hear a speech by the president . . . wow.
Brady responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 9:32 pm →
This is where we need to acknowledge our differences while keeping our common goals in sight. The words of our commander-in-chief may be no more thought provoking than rain drops bouncing off a tin roof when they fall on deaf ears that have previously made up their mind that all the man says is worthless. Why try to play every situation out as a win for the left or a win for the right when bettering the nation as a whole should be the true foreseen outcome. No one person is omniscient, and that is why, especially in these toughest of times, the collaborative efforts of all the elected leaders are needed to prevail.
Noble Savage responds:
Posted: September 8th, 2009 at 11:34 pm →
My goodness, I’m glad I don’t live there anymore. Just when I think America can’t get any more ridiculous, it goes and tops itself. I’ll happily stay here in my socialist adopted home and leave the crazies to kill each other over nothing.
Robin responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 12:22 am →
Hi Vered – all I can say right now is that we appear to have the same cross-section of people here in Australia as you do there in the US. Sigh (or is that a groan)
Can Can (Mom Most Traveled) responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 1:30 am →
I thought it was the same “propaganda” I grew up with. “Stay in school”, “Do your best”, etc.
Not so shady!
Kelly@SHE-POWER responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 5:27 am →
@Robin
You think? I was talking to other mums about this today and I live in a pretty conservative Aussie town and everyone agreed they couldn’t imagine children being kept home from school over politics here. No one cares that much. Afterall, It’s not as if it’s anything important like footy!
Kelly
Lori Hoeck responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 6:04 am →
The divide in the US, which is represented by this controversy, is not about politics, speeches, or race. It is about east and west coast culture vs. the heartland states. It is about intellectual elitism vs. down-home, small-town ways in the Bible belt. It is about helping others being seen as an enforcible (via taxation) right vs. a personal choice. It is about a slow cultural change in the interpretation of the Constitution to emphasizing “the general welfare” vs. “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It is about those who fear guns in the hands of citizens vs. those who value guns as a constitutional right to bear arms. It is about a secular emphasis on diversity that says we are all equal vs. a free market system of capitalism that says hard work, ingenuity, and yes, even cut-throat ways will can be used to secure a better financial situation.
These differences are not small. Our country is at a crossroads because our president is more on one side of the fence than any president in recent history. Those on the other side of the fence from him see his changes as too radical to remain silent. As citizens of a republic, we are used to electing government officials and letting them duke it out. Most of us have simply watched from the sidelines. With so much change happening so fast and so much money being moved to places that aren’t always transparent, the watchers are becoming active and vocal. If you’ve been on the sidelines for awhile, you aren’t used to playing in the game. You aren’t used to suddenly feeling you must now make a difference or your children’s lives will be affected. And so the unpolished nature of an awakening electorate can get a little loud and raw, perhaps even violent.
Such is the nature of our country.
KrystoferRobin responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 6:36 am →
There is something weird about Obama fanatics. If you say ANYTHING even slightly negative about Obama, all they hear is “F[explitive] that N[racialslur]“. Worse still is anyone on the other side of that fence claims everything Obama does is socialist/communist/facist. At least with Bush we as a nation were nearly united in mocking the poor guy. We all knew if he opened his mouth, he was going to say something just ass-retarded, and to just grin and nod. I do have a slight issue with the “don’t let your country down” bit, though mostly because it will be compared to Hitler/Stalin/Mao speeches to the children of those nations. Obama isn’t any better or worse than any other lying scumbag we’ve had in office in the past. They are all liars. They are all cheats. We seem to like them that way, else we’d quit letting them in office.
Tess The Bold Life responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 6:36 am →
It’s all about fear and out of fear is a need to control. Seeing we project all our stuff on to others one may ask what do I see in President Obama that I dislike in myself?
Dr. J responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 7:54 am →
When I first heard about President Obama’s plans to address our students, I have to admit that I liked the idea.
I also have to admit that I was quite surprised by the backlash from many quarters about his doing so. I believe several of his predecessors have done the same thing, and I don’t remember any strong opposition to them.
I really don’t know what all the fuss is about. I suspect on the listening scale, most parents would feel their children rank in the vicinity of Bart Simpson, so I can’t imagine listening to our duly elected president will cause any lasting damage.
I was surprised to see one of my neighbor’s children today (Tuesday) during normal school hours. I asked him, “You’re not in school today?” His reply, “No, there’s no class today!”
There’s a true statement for you!
Els Withers responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 8:12 am →
I think the Republicans should have been allowed to broadcast a rebuttal. “No, don’t study… give up at the first sign of difficulty… you’ll never amount to anything.” I would have enjoyed listening to that one.
Jannie Funster responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 8:55 am →
I think anytime we block out listening to “the other side” we are just as guilty of repressing freedom of speech as our perceived opponents, so I like your reminder here to listen to the President [or anyone,] and make your own assessment.
God Bless America and may Free Speech forever reign!
Ian | Quantum Learning responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 9:48 am →
I have to say, having lived all my life in Europe, I’m baffled by the whole idea of a President, or anyone else for that matter (apart from the school head), giving a speech to kids on their return from school. I’ve never heard of such a thing before – maybe it’s just a British thing. And this is no reflection on Obama … I think he’s possibly the best decision you’ve made for a long time.
I grew up in the UK and if the Prime Minister (or the Queen) had decided they wanted to give such a speech I’m sure it would have been greeted with huge suspicion and a major controversy – irrespective of party politics or who the PM or Monarch of the day happened to be. The main question everyone would ask (being naturally quite suspicious of politicians) would be ‘What’s the hidden agenda?’. Even if the speech was great, they’d still be looking for the hidden agenda.
Maybe in US politics you don’t have such things as hidden agendas?
LeAnn responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 10:14 am →
When my son first heard about the speech, he thought he wanted to opt out. (That choice was offered in our school district.) He changed his mind after we discussed how important it was to be an informed citizen, as well as the need to respect the office of President even if you don’t always agree with the policies. We both watched the speech and discussed it over dinner last night. He admitted that the President gave the same message that he has been hearing all his life… work hard, stay in school, etc., and he wondered what all the fuss was about. This opened up some really good discussion about politics in general. I am glad that he was one of the few who did not opt out. That said, I am also glad that his school chose to show the speech and opt out of the related curriculum.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 11:54 am →
Thanks again for all your comments and for a civil discussion on a political issue. I’m impressed.
As it turns out, my kids didn’t listen to Obama’s speech yesterday – their school made the choice not to participate – but I told them about the speech, and about the controversy surrounding it. Also, there was actually a part of the speech I liked so much that I read it to them.
It was the part about how you have to work hard to excel at something – how you can’t expect to be good at something without a lot of hard work and practice. Both my kids seem to become very frustrated when they don’t master a new skill right away, so I wanted them to hear this important message from a man that, whether we agree with his political agenda or not, I think we can all agree is a successful person.
I’ve read somewhere that one of the objections to Obama’s speech to kids is that he talked mainly to kids from lower-income families, kids who are struggling with major family and personal safety issues. This may very well be true, and I have no problem with that since those kids need the most encouragement, but there was a lot in the speech that was very relevant to any child – and in fact, to adults too.
Dot responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 2:02 pm →
I love what you said about starting a dialogue. We do want our children to develop the ability to think for themselves, don’t we? I agree with Kelly@SHE-POWER, too.
The media, left and right, does jump on anything that might cause a scandal. Now I suppose they’ll say Obama cleaned up his speech because of the controversy.
A concern that i have about home-schooling is that people who do not encourage their children to consider different points of view will only be exposing them to one point of view — their parents’. What kind of kids will that create — ones who rebel and want to learn about all cultures, or narrow-minded ones who can’t listen to an opposing point of view?
Michelle @ Find Your Balance responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 4:47 pm →
Yeah, i was surprised to hear that parents were actually keeping kids out of school because of this. I mean…he’s the president. Shouldn’t we teach our kids to respect, if not always agree, with the leader of this country? It’s like not letting your kids see their father because dad sometimes says stuff you don’t agree with.
Nurit responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 8:26 pm →
So sad. I assume for those kids the “You make your own future” part of the speech is not an option because their parents control them so closely.
J.D. Meier responds:
Posted: September 9th, 2009 at 11:12 pm →
> Here in America, you write your own destiny.
Beautiful line.
> you always get to form your own opinion and are entitled to freely express it.
Well put.
I Have Been There – patriciaswisdom.com responds:
Posted: September 11th, 2009 at 1:20 am →
[...] speech to the children at the start of school was like a warning siren. Blogger for Hire at Mom Grind wrote about [...]
Linda responds:
Posted: September 11th, 2009 at 5:58 am →
MamaGrind, would you believe I found your blog while searching “Obama’s speech to kids”? And that it was the FIRST in the search engine to actually have a link and to actually BE about his speech? Not even the actual website at whitehouse.gov came up as a hit (of course, I’m using a Swagbucks searchbar, so they tend to filter the results, lol).
I’ve read with interest what you wrote, as well as the many passionate comments. I have to say that I have nothing against the president addressing our school children. Like one of the commenters, my concern was related more to the “before and after” activities that were stressed. I have a kindergartener and a 3rd grader. I know full well their learning capabilities and their ability to listen and understand. And my childrens’ school opted to not show the address. Teachers were given the option of allowing kids to watch, but the time was wrong.
And THAT is where I had a real issue. I don’t have a problem with him addressing kids…but I wanted to be able to sit with them and talk to them about what they were hearing. Just like I do when the news is on and they ask a question. While I don’t gloss over things and filter things, I bring it down to an understandable level. Several parents I talked to, whose children DID see the speech, said that they had varying degrees of reaction. The younger set (generally under 5th grade) had NO CLUE…they mostly forgot what was said…they said, “we watched the president talk”, but when pressed could remember little. The older kids were mostly bored.
I just wish I’d been given the opportunity to sit with my kids and watch it, just like we watched part of Mr. Obama’s address the other night (only part because it was bedtime). My daughter really wasn’t interested, but she did ask why certain people stood up and applauded, while others sat looking grim. We simply explained that those who stood were supporters and believers in what the president was saying…those who stayed seated were not. Do you think that something like that would have been addressed in a benign manner? I want my daughter to form her own opinions. Heck, even though I’m a conservative republican, she DID vote for Obama in the school election!
MomGrind responds:
Posted: September 11th, 2009 at 9:26 am →
Linda, it’s no coincidence you found this article when searching for “Obama’s speech to kids” – it’s called Search Engine Optimization and it’s what I do for a living – writing quality content and writing it in a way that helps search engines properly index my content so that readers who look for the information I provide can find it.
I’m glad you found this article and enjoyed reading your point of view. It sounds like you are doing a good job raising a daughter that thinks and asks and forms her own opinions.
PS. A Homeroom Mom – that’s brave.
I don’t think I’ll ever volunteer for this job – too much headache!
janice responds:
Posted: September 11th, 2009 at 1:06 pm →
Hi, Vered. Although I live in Scotland, I’m well aware of the importance of the knock on effect of US thought processes and politics for the rest of the world, and have always been interested in US affairs. All I can say is that blogs like yours, with their predominantly intelligent and civil commentary give me hope.
Cath Lawson responds:
Posted: September 13th, 2009 at 11:07 am →
Hi Vered – I hadn’t heard about this but it doesn’t surprise me that some Americans oppose freedom of speech. I was watching this Top Gear video, where they painted pro gay slogans etc on their cars and stopped at a gas station in Alabama. The abuse they received was shocking. If Alabama is really that bad, I don’t ever want to go there. You can see the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2syY12OPkwI&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=793CABDF042A9514
Which other states might I want to avoid?
Rowe responds:
Posted: September 13th, 2009 at 4:05 pm →
Vered, I really can see no ‘harm’ to impressionable young minds through this speech at all. If anything, the speech is positive and encouraging. Obama shared some of his own background, not coming from a place of privilege, and yet ended up as a president through hard work and determination. If that does not inspire, then what does?
kim responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 12:46 pm →
In school part of our curriculum was learning to debate. I guess republicans want their children to not learn these skills. My parents are republican and I was an independent until george bush won the second election. So I am in the midst of controversy all the time.
But, even my conservative republican parents find it appalling that parents would keep their children from hearing the President of the United States address them. He is our commander and chief. What an opportunity for those parents to teach their children respect even in the face of disagreement.
I hate president bush for the unnecessary death he has caused for him and his friends oil. But, I would never have kept my children from hearing him speak. What these parents have done may have long lasting side effects. When they dislike their boss or teacher or a police officer will they react in the way their parents have taught?
These parents seem terrified that their children may actual respect even agree with president. It’s frightening to me. The battle to make sure not a penny of their money is spent to help someone receive medical care but cheered on bush as the numbers of dead came in? Not to mention they have a new face of racism they can’t call someone a Nigger openly now so they use conservative slang as a vesicle. You should be ashamed of yourself. You will answer to a higher power for your greed.
kim responds:
Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 12:56 pm →
How dare the schools teach politics or speak of the president of the united states!!!!!! Our kids go to school to see who is the most popular and wears the best clothes. Get it right democrates. NO LEARNING IN SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!
natural responds:
Posted: September 20th, 2009 at 7:50 am →
the president, any president can give all the speeches they want. they can talk about the sky being green, but it is still the parents obligation to teach kids what they want their child to know. he can give his speech and if we’ve done our job, my kid can recognize “mess” when she hears it or not.
i think some parents need to calm down and do their job.
emsxiety responds:
Posted: September 20th, 2009 at 10:20 am →
I am a conservative parent. However, I am a parent that has allowed my children to listen to whom ever they chose and to make their own decisions in life. If my children are liberals then so be it. As long as they are open to discussion, I’m happy.
I watched his speech and saw nothing in it to cause me concern at all. To each their own.
MomGrind responds:
Posted: September 20th, 2009 at 5:07 pm →
emsxiety, I know conservative parents who made the same choice as you. I admire that.