Bedford County students won't watch Obama

That is a answer to a prayer, no religion, no politics.

so now our president isnt even fit for our schools? id just bet if a white president said he was gonna address our schools there wouldnt even have been any questions. use any excuse u want, but.....

You know I hate when uneducated people try to turn a political discussion into a racial debate!

I have decided that I wouldn't care whether they hear the speech or not but the President has other-more important things to worry about. He needs to be talking to adults-not kids.

It wouldn't make any difference what Mr. Gray decided. There are always parents who are dissatisfied with something in the public schools. If you don't like what the public schools are doing, then homeschool or send your kids to private schools.

It won't be long before American History is removed from the curriculum because some parent objects to it.

If you want to watch the address later, go to www.whitehouse.gov

Of course they could have decided to air it and allow any student who didn't want to watch to opt out. I'll bet that they all watch it on the internet later since it has been banned at the school.

"We stress bell-to-bell instruction, and we don't want to waste a single minute of instructional time," stated Gray.

so i guess this means our kids wont be killing time watching movies any more?

Once again this just shows that you are never going to be able to make everyone happy. There are pros & cons to almost everything in the world. I wish everyone would think before they post and ask themselves is this really something to get upset or aggravated over. It always seems to come down to a race issue. I know that some people have it harder than others. i.e. african americans - obese - handicap - and many others. If we won't allow GOD & prayer to be in schools - then why should we allow the president to address the children? We can all raise our children to know right from wrong, but in the end our children will make their own decisions - I know I did. The parents that feel very strongly that they do want their children to see the speech can let them watch it on the internet.

From what I have read most schools are opting out of the speech completely not just Bedford County and most of the ones who will be showing the speech are allowing parents to opt their children out of watching.

I say this with the except of Broward County in Fl This is the statement from the superintendent:

In Florida, heavily Democratic Broward County will not allow students to skip the speech, despite several parental protests. Letting students opt out "does not align with our practices and responsibility to provide a well rounded, quality education," superintendent James Notter wrote in a memo.

It seems this man thinks he can control the parents by controlling what their children watch.

I have no problem with any school showing the speech but to say children can not opt out of watching is the MOST ridiculous thing I have ever heard. The President speaking to Middle School and High School students is one thing but exactly what will younger children as in K-5 really get out of his speech.

The people claiming this is racist are the biggest racists around and are normally the first ones to claim things are racist. You are ignorant and racist. Why would Obama want to address our children anyway when he is obviously not pro-life, some of these children are "punishment" to the parents according to him. He is the president that has spent more in less than a year than all the other presidents combined, is this something we want our children to learn? The policies that Obama has put into effect since taking office have done nothing to help our country. In a recession he has funded overseas abortions, passed the stimulus bill that has not done anything to help the economy but had several earmarks to help the areas that voted for him. He has taken over GM and Chrysler and made it hard for the banks to pay back the TARP funds that were supposed to come back to the citizens but seems the money is going into the general fund. He is pushing the cap and trade bill through even though all it's going to do is make the citizens of the US pay more for everything along with their electric bills. Obama is also pushing this massive health care bill through against the will of the majority populous. What has he really done at all to help the people of this community? And he wants to tell our kids the importance of an education? The only education our children need is when they get 18 they need to go out and vote in droves to change America for the better. Obama is the worst president in history in my book and the history books will most likely share the same opinion. The only thing history books can say positive about him is that he is the first bi-racial (half white, half black) president. The saddest thing of all is that some people still want to support Obama when he is destroying this once great country and they only back him because he's "black". The people backing him are either far left, ignorant of issues, or just plain stupid. To make things worse on a local level, Pat Marsh voted for him while he claims to be a republican where a lot of local democrats didn't even vote for Obama. Food for thought, and by the way I'm a democrat that didn't vote for him either.

According to Obama supporters, if you protested the Bush administration, you were just being a concerned cictizen. However if you oppose the Obama administration, you're a racist. Your constant assertion that those who do not agree with this narcissistic idiot are racist has gone way past worn out and bordering on self induced stupidity.

The only education our children need is when they get 18 they need to go out and vote in droves to change America for the better.

What sort of dribble is this statement?

The saddest thing of all is that some people still want to support Obama when he is destroying this once great country and they only back him because he's "black". The people backing him are either far left, ignorant of issues, or just plain stupid.

Sorry my friend i didn't support him based on color. I am not far left, ignorant of issues, nor am I just plain stupid. I support him because I believe it is time we all tok action and held not only politicians but ourselves accountable. Not to mention I've grown tired of listening to misguided infor spread by those who are trying to regain the political power.

To make things worse on a local level, Pat Marsh voted for him while he claims to be a republican where a lot of local democrats didn't even vote for Obama.

And this makes things worse because he excercized his right to vote for who he decided to believe in? I think you need to reconsider what education level you think the kids of today need when they turn 18.

Food for thought, and by the way I'm a democrat that didn't vote for him either.

Good for you ..... I won't ask who you did vote for out of respect for your right of privacy.

Tom Jones are you and Tattoo interacting in the same social circle by chance?

Hey this would be a novel idea. Let the President sell this speech to everyone and then show it in the evening hours and let the parents decide whether or not their children would see it. Just a thought.

Teachers are wisely hesitant to show anything to their students that they themselves have not viewed first. For that reason alone, anything piped live into classrooms is a bad idea. Furthermore, to do it on, what for many schools, is the first day of class makes it an additionally poor choice.

Also, PoppaJim, when you are inferring that your opinion is educated, going on to "quote yourself and what you have to say" casts doubt on what you have to say. Additionally, your plantation comment...what is up with that? As of Wednesday, the White House sponsored curriculum wanted the students to write a letter regarding how they could help the president. When that idea blew up, they came back with a typical "what we meant to say was" defense. When this administration doesn't even check with Google to learn that their Green Jobs Czar claimed to be a communist in 2005 and could be seen on YouTube stating that only "white kids" shoot up whole schools (referring to Columbine), it is an administration that appears to many people to be naive. I think Bedford County is being prudent, not racist.

It's not a history book yet, as of now it's a current events book. And to answer your question Tyger, Reagan did a great job in taking control of the economy from out of control democrats. I think Clinton did a good job with the economy also. Can't say much for his personal life as far as being a role model for anyone but the economy was fine. W. Bush kept us safe from any further terrorists attacks on domestic soil. I think all those things effect us locally. Everything Obama is doing is effecting us on a local level also in a negative way. The stimulus package was to keep the unemployment rate from hitting 8% and the last time I looked it hit 9.7% nationwide. 13% in Bedford County, so Obamanomics has infected even our small county in a large way. As far as getting off message I think all the posts are pretty much on message with what the point is. The point is Obama and very influential school children, Obama is a politician and has nothing to do with educating our children. As a parent they should not mix and Obama has too many things to deal with without trying to influence my child in any way.

As "good grief" stated, the best option might have been to send out DVDs of the speech for teachers/school administrations/school boards to review. If they determined that the message was indeed non-partisan, appropriate, and uplifting then they could go ahead and show it. Without that prior review no one can say for sure if the speech is truly helpful, or as I heard one source stated that it Could be an attempt to inspire a "cult of Obama."

This is a wonderful Country!

We have many rights.

A right to Vote for the canidate of our choice.

A right to be upset when our canidate is not the choice of the majority.

A right to our reglious beliefs.

A right to our own opinions.

The right to freedom of speech.

With that I will exercise two of those rights and say:

I believe that tomjones is a know it all Jackass!

Now for the school system deciding if my children can hear a speech from THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I believe that it should be played with the parents having a opt out option. Everyone deserves the right to hear this speech and everyone deserves the right not to hear it. In these hard economic times not everyone has internet or even TV. Hard to believe but true.

At this point I would like to know who gave Mr. Gray the right to sensor OUR President.

To those of you who are bashing Mr.Obama, let me remind you.He has not had time to make everyone "Happy".He came in with such a mess left behind from both of the Bush's.

As we all know, God didn't make the world in a day.And this country was in a world of hurt before our new President took the office.

He needs to talk to our children.As they are the next generation.Or has this slip your minds.

Children needs to stay in school and work for a living.Not have babies and make walfare a way of life.Or send time in jail.With those repeated offenders.

Do you really think McCain could of done better in the same amount of time?As he was just another Bush President waiting to happen.

Obama is here for the get go.And if you don't like it,next election vote him out.But don't sit back and take the money then complain about:He's not doing enough.And by the way, If you didn't vote at all you should not even be complaining....

Some of these comments really looks like they are proud to be Americans. Why don't you sit back and look at all our Soldiers who are Fighting for us to have our freedoms.Then sit and type what you really think.Be thankful for your freedoms,including the freedom of Speach/freedom of the press........

It's crazy to me that people are up in arms about this. When there is so much going on around us. I wish we did not have a black president. I wish he was green, so the misinformed people would find something else to talk about. Being a black man living in Shelbyville is hard enough without parents, and educators telling their kids that the president is evil. The president has never been that big of a deal in day to day life to me until now. "All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach." Adolf Hitler. To think, one of the proudest events in my life would be the dawn of intolerance and racism.

For those of you who are parents of honors students and are very supportive and influential in your children's lives, I commend you. However, your children should be mature and responsible enough to understand what is being said and make their own informed decisions about how to interpret it. They aren't the students that truly "need" to hear this speech. Think about the less privileged children in this county, in the inner cities, and all over America, that do not have supportive parents at home. These are the kids that are dropping out of school and ending up on welfare as a burden to the rest of the taxpayers. Many children don't have anyone else encouraging them to stay in school and to set goals for themselves. If the President can encourage just one child to graduate high school or go to college, then his speech will have been worthwhile. The man is trying to be proactive in reaching out to our next generation as a positive influence. It is baffling to me that some people are so opposed to our President using his power and influence to help and encourage our children in need when education and unemployment is such a problem in our own community.

Tattoos and Scars, you are way off the mark. Anyone who criticized the Bush Administration was labeled unpatriotic. Remember Natalie Mains of the Dixie Chicks being lambasted by the far right for her comments about George Bush. Also, do you remember what happened to Max Cleland of Georgia? In case you have forgotten or didn't know, Max Cleland was a Senator from Georgia and a decorated Vietnam veteran. In his race for re-election, his opponent, Saxby Chambliss, questioned his patriotism for opposing G. W. Bush.

It's obvious you only see one side of the equation.

The government's involvement in our children's education has hindered their learning to an extent. Private schools have a higher rate of graduates and less pregnancies with the added benefit of more graduates going to college also. If the government were truly invested in our kids futures and not in indoctrination of our youth wouldn't they run the school system like a private school? As far as knowing what Obama's going to say, as someone stated above it's not a good idea to have a live feed into a classroom from anyone. He could say anything, he's the only one who knows what he's going to say. I don't believe he is qualified to educate my child. He wasn't elected to "teach" my child anything, he needs to learn how to fix the economy without breaking us any further and recall the damage he has already done. All of those inner city kids in other places should be given the chance to see the speech at their home with their parents consent. If he was so proactive at reaching out to the next generation, why would he put their heirs in debt before they are even born? Please, someone tell Obama to stop caring so much! We can't afford any more caring from him, our children's futures depend on him not caring so much.

so now our president isnt even fit for our schools? id just bet if a white president said he was gonna address our schools there wouldnt even have been any questions. use any excuse u want, but.....

-- Posted by didlivethere on Sun, Sep 6, 2009, at 7:57 AM

This is not about what race the President is!! I have not seen a lot of good come out of this presidency as of yet, so why would I want my child addressed by someone who clearly is not quite sure of himself? If he wants to address our children then let him do so while they are at home, with parents who are willing to discuss with them what the President stated in the address, instead of doing it at school where the teacher might feel out of place answering questions? I could care less what race he is. I just feel that he hasn't proven himself yet to me.

The Supreme Court has zero plans to hear any arguments about Barack Obama's birth certificate. He is our president, he won fair and square, and he will be for at least the next three and a half years. If you don't respect the man, at the very least respect the office. I am ashamed that my daughter attends a school that is afraid of a collection ignorant loud mouths and missinformed rednecks. This is not the America that I grew up in.

-- Posted by nathan.evans on Sun, Sep 6, 2009, at 7:33 PM

I am afraid, kind sir, that you are way out of line. I see quite a few posts on here that are very informed and do not sound like they are coming from ignorant loud mouths and missinformed rednecks. Be they for or against our Commander in Chief, I have respect for everyones opinion, as it appears you do not. Do not judge. That is not your job.

quietmike - I think you misunderstood what I was saying.

I was not talking about the amount of money that each school has or is given. I was referring to the fact parents have to pay a lot of money for a private school education, and this skews the demographics of private vs. public schools. I guarantee you the average family income at Webb is much much higher than the average at SCHS or Cascade. A higher percentage of students will graduate from Webb and go on to college because they have parents who can afford it. This, however, does not necessarily mean that the quality of education given to each child is any higher.

I agree with you that throwing money at the problem doesn't solve it. Obama is attempting to help at the source of the problem by giving encouragement to students who may not get that kind of attention at home. For the first time in history, the inner-city black kids have a President they can look up to that actually looks like them, and hopefully that means they will listen to him. Whether you agree with his policies or not, I hope you can agree that the President of the United States is a better role model than Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne, Pacman Jones, or anyone else they're used to seeing on TV.

I am afraid, kind sir, that you are way out of line. I see quite a few posts on here that are very informed and do not sound like they are coming from ignorant loud mouths and missinformed rednecks. Be they for or against our Commander in Chief, I have respect for everyones opinion, as it appears you do not. Do not judge. That is not your job.

-- Posted by bcpwoman on Mon, Sep 7, 2009, at 12:37 AM

You just need to be aware that you are a member of a small minority of radical sickos and the rest of us will never let your cancerous fear and hate spread unchecked. Small victories like this give you comfort and empower those that share your viewpoints. Next time you will try and perhaps not have the same outcome. But that won't stop you. Eventually we end with thousands of you marching in our cities carrying rifles and wearing matching arm bands. This is how it starts.

Eventually we end with thousands of you marching in our cities carrying rifles and wearing matching arm bands. This is how it starts.

-- Posted by nathan.evans on Mon, Sep 7, 2009, at 7:18 AM

Nice try Nathan, but yet again your post is factually incorrect. Let's look at some of the murderous, oppressive, discriminatory governments who marched the streets with rifles wearing armbands, killing those who didn't submit in the past 100 years:

Adolph Hitler

Pol Pot

Vladimir Lenin

Joseph Stalin

Benito Mussolini

Mao Zedong

Guess what? They were all socialists, communists, or marxists- all forms of government that fall on the LEFT side of the political spectrum..More in line with YOUR political viewpoint.

Got it?

Good.

Sorry, wrong again. The Republican party was created by opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska act of 1854.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas-Nebr...

Abraham Lincoln was the first elected REPUBLICAN president.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lin...

The democrat party has always been the party of racism and oppression.

jhhj, ever heard of a voucher program, a scholarship, a school grant? All of these things applied to private schools for people who couldn't afford them. This just further proves my point of you fitting into one of my first categories of Obama followers.

Wheelbillie, you just need to learn how to use spell check or something before trying to sound intelligent again, which didn't work by the way.

Nathan.evans, I really don't even need to comment your idiotic choice of words since mike took care of your make believe argument.

Over all, read all the posts on this blog and see who has statistics, facts, and proof. We are the intelligent informed citizens against what Obama is doing to this country. The people trying to justify what Obama is doing, don't have anything except their opinions.

Obama was working with President Bush before Bush even moved out of the White House which has never been done before history. Obama has raised taxes on people making less than 250k a year. The right to life issue is apparently not above his pay grade according to his actions. He sure didn't mind putting earmarks in bills so they could pass even his liberal congress, even though he said there would be no more earmarks. He told us that cap and trade WOULD necessarily make our utility bills skyrocket earlier last year, but when he was trying to get the bill passed he said that it wouldn't make that much of a difference in what we paid on our current bills.

The point is, PEOPLE STOP LISTENING TO HIM, HE DOESN'T TELL THE TRUTH. WATCH WHAT HE DOES, NOT WHAT HE SAYS. The people backing him still will not be able to figure out what he's doing at all because all they do is listen to him. "Ignorance is bliss", I guess Obama backers are the most blissful people on Earth right now.

btw, nathan, give it up Mike's got your number.

goodgrief, please don't think our current administration is anything close to naive, that would be naive. Obama is losing more than the swing vote, he's losing hard core democrats because we still believe in democracy where what he's pushing is anything but.

Hey Tyger, you might want to invest in a computer that has spell check since you seem to be mocking the term poor house. Obama's speech has nothing to do with Congress, this is all Obama. He wouldn't have been able to make some of the things happen without congress. When Obama extended our tax dollars over seas to fund abortions, that wasn't Congress, that was simply Obama. Cap and Trade, Obamacare, and the Stimulus were also congress. Cap and Trade only had 8 republican votes for it and 44 democrats voted against it. Does that tell you it's a good idea? Obamacare has had the largest uprising against a policy in our lifetime, and the media is degrading the protesters. Does this tell you Obamacare is a good idea? Even Obama's liberal majority in congress is not hooked on to his health care bill.

Ask yourself a question, where do you think we will be in 3 and 1/2 years when all the policies have had time to come around full circle and also remember that he has that much time to make more policies? Will America be a Capitalistic Nation, and will it be a better place to live? Isn't he obligated to try and make things better for us in America? One last question. WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING TO EVERYONE?

On a sidebar, I have today off, it's beautiful outside, and I'm sitting here at my computer. Good grief, how pathetic is that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEeY59ofv...

It appears that President Obama is more concerned about our children than the school system. Bedford Counlty is being viewed as a backward, redneck county. I can see it now, Top News Story Of 2009: Gray afraid of children listening to the President's words of encouragement and Assualt by Cheetos. Only in Bedford County, God love us.

Just had a revelation....If we won't allow God in our classrooms, God would be really upset with us if we allow President Obama in Bedford County schools. Hey! It makes much more sense than many of the arguments I have seen here.

I don't agree with people who don't want their children in school to listen or watch our president. I don't understand why they have to "screen" the presidental address before viewing it. We have listen to other presidents before without any problems but I don't know if it is because of his ethic background or what. It's all boils to race and people need to let him doing his job and it's a shame that people angry at him when he accomplish or try to accomplish some things like the unemployment rate went down 5% so far. The people who dislike him, stop wasting your breath and time because there's nothing you can do about it and y'all need to dael with it.

We gave George Bush 8 years to get us into this mess lets give our president more than 7 months.

-- Posted by lets be real

If you'll review the history just a bit, you'll see that the economy was doing fine until the Democratic majority congress took over. Just as the economic boom Clinton is given credit for was presided over by a Republican majority Congress.

Congress writes the spending bills, the president can only sign, veto, or let lay on the table, bills that Congress sends him.

If you can't offer a good solution.... then don't offer derogatory remarks either.

-- Posted by PoppaJim on

Agreed!

The solution I propose is to get the government, Republican and Democrat, out of the way and let the free market do what it has done so well for the last 233 years.

I have looked at his proposed speech and I don't have a problem with it for High school students, however I do not think it is age appropriate for younger children.

I do not want ANY president parenting my children or attempting to lecture them about life, especially when they are so young, that is my job and/or the job of the parents of that child.

The older young people in High School have reached an age where I feel they have some ability to form an opinion regarding his comments, and should be allowed to do so IF THEY CHOSE TO DO SO at School. By that I mean that the high school students should have the option to opt out of the speech if they so choose. In other words hang out at study hall or some other supervised spot in High School.

Our presidents speech is located at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources...

The copy and paste version is below:

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama

Back to School Event

Arlington, Virginia

September 8, 2009

The President: Hello everyone -- how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday -- at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility.

I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world -- and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer -- maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper -- but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor -- maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine -- but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life -- I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that -- if you quit on school -- you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.

Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.

So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life -- what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home -- that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.

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.

That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer -- hundreds of extra hours -- to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall.

And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education -- and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you -- you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust -- a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor -- and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you -- don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down -- don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

Maybe if the Bedford County residents would venture out of their county lines and explore the world, maybe their views would not be parochial or narrow in range.

Yes, because only Bedford county schools are refusing to show obama's speech.

For those reading the released speech, remember this is the rewritten, revised version after parts of the first one caused the controversy. Among other things, this one does not include asking kids how they can help the pres. achieve his goals, as even the white house admits was in the original version.

What in this speech would segue into asking kids how they could help obama? He didn't say what his goals were.

Daddy Bush sat down in a classroom in 1991 and asked students about the same questions. One in particular was What can we do to make our country better.America has let past presidents visit classrooms. Some one please tell me what is the difference now.I am ashame of the way some people in America are acting nowand some even call themselves christians.

To be quite honest, I feel that you have virtually no idea what you are talking about. Cancerous fear? Hate? How can you read that into anything I have posted? The only thing I fear is being dumbed down by reading the unsubstantiated rantings you seem to come up with on a daily basis. I respect your opinion because I respect everyone's opinion, however, I don't have to agree with it. You act like everyone should agree with you no matter what and that's not the way the world works. Maybe when you realize this, YOU will be able to listen (read) other opinions with an open mind and not have to resort to immature name calling in a defensive manner.

-- Posted by bcpwoman on Mon, Sep 7, 2009, at 5:40 PM

You are a little confused about me. I am sure that if you met me you would realize how wrong you are about me. Either way, I was speaking about all the comments made by many many people over the past several months in general. The trend is troubling and whether you realize it or not you are aligning yourself with them, even if it is just a speech delivered to students.

How exactly does respecting opinions that I don't agree with work? Is that allowing KKK rallies in my hometown, or maybe it involves listening to a man disrespect a woman and not saying that he is out of line. No that is not who I am, if I have a problem with something someone says, you can bet that I will say something.

The fact that Mr. Gray feels he is worthy to decide weather our students should see a message from our President shows me he has way too much ego and is way too politically swayed to be allowed to represent "our" students. He is representing the republican agenda 1st and only , and his actions here shows us that those not for his political party are of no concern. The president has always been given the respect his position deserves and should this have been Bush it would never had even been questioned, but because it is a democrat and we all know the southern right wingers do tend to despises blacks It is all too clear that his decision was one to suppress the democratic party.

This man, Mr Gray needs to step down and allow a person who is able and willing to leave politics at the door and represent all of our students and even more importantly TEACH BY EXAMPLE THAT IN A NATION AS GREAT AS OURS WE KNOW HOW TO SHOW RESPECT TO OUR ELECTED PRESIDENT EVEN IF WE DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM ! ! ! !

eD GRAY NEEDS TO STEP DOWN HE HAS DISGRACED THIS COMMUNITY BY TAKING AWAY OUR CHOICE,PARENTS COULD HAVE OPTED OUT BUT HE CHOSE TO DENY THEM THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE. HE HAS DECIDED TO CENSOR OURS CHILDREN'S RIGHT TO HEAR FROM OUR PRESIDENT.... THIS IS THE LEADER OF OUR NATION ENCOURAGING OUR STUDENTS TO EXCEL IT'S NOT LIKE SHUTTING DOWN SCHOOL FOR A STUPID HORSE SHOW OF NO EDUCATIONAL VALUE OTHE THAN SHOW THEM EDUCATION IS 2ND PLACE.IF EDUCATION AND GETTING EVERY MINUTE OF IT WERE A CONCERN TO HIM AS HE SAID THEN HE WOULD IN NO WAY ALLOW SCHOOL TO SHUT DOWN FOR A WHOLE WEEK FOR A HORSE SHOW.

AS CITIZENS WE SHOULD STAND UP AND FIGHT THIS AND HIS ACTIONS, SINCE WHEN DOES HE HAVE THE AUTHORITY OR THE RIGHT TO DO SO??? hE DOES NOT REPRESENT ALL OF THE STUDENTS HE PUTS HIS POLITICS FIRST.

It's probably that obama is a socialist and most of us don't want our children exposed to that kind of faulty ideology.

-- Posted by quietmike on Mon, Sep 7, 2009, at 7:10 PM

MIKE, IS IT FAULTY IDEOLOGY TO TEACH KIDS TO DO THEIR BEST IN SCHOOL? TO WORK HARK TO MAKE THE BEST OUT OF THEIR LIVES? oR DO YOU FELL THAT IS FAULTY FOR THEM TO HOPE AND EVEN CONCIDER THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN THEIR MOUTH, FROM THE ELITE SO CALLED ACCEPTABLE FAMILIES THAT THEY ARE WORTHY JUST THE SAME TO WITH HARD WORK BE ABLE TO SUCCEED? PERHAPS YOU AND YOUR FELLOW RIGHT WINGERS FEAR THAT YOUR CHILD MAY COME IN 2ND TO ONE OF THOSE LOW INCOME KIDS NEXT TO THEM IN CLASS IF THE CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT THAT THEY ARE ALL WORTHY OF SUCCESS IF THEY WORK FOR IT, EVEN IF MOMMY AND DADDY ARE NOT THE MR. GRAYS OR BIG SHOTS OF THE COMMUNITY....... THAT IS WHAT I THINK SCARES YOU THE MOST THAT YOU MAY LOSE THE SOCIAL STATUS THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SUPERIOR TO THOSE WHOM YOU CONCERN BELOW YOUR STANDARDS - YOU NEED SOMETHING TO STAND ON TO MAKE YOU FEEL HIGH AND MIGHTY......KEEP THEM IGNORANT SO YOUR COMPETITION ISN'T AS STEEP.

For those reading the released speech, remember this is the rewritten, revised version after parts of the first one caused the controversy

-- Posted by quietmike on Mon, Sep 7, 2009, at 4:31 PM

Why don't you post a copy of the original speech for us? Oh, that's right. You never saw it, and neither did anyone else. People complained about it before it was even released, and that tells me all I need to know. That this has nothing to do with school children at all. Its about a segment of our population who cannot accept the fact that Obama is the President, and feel the need to politicize everything the man does.

I can respect someone who has clear-headed, fair-minded opposition to Obama's policies, even if I disagree with their opinions. But if those people cannot separate themselves from this wide-eyed fury at everything he does, says, thinks, wears and eats, then don't expect be taken seriously by most people.

Either way, I was speaking about all the comments made by many many people over the past several months in general. The trend is troubling and whether you realize it or not you are aligning yourself with them, even if it is just a speech delivered to students.

If you were addressing all of the comments made by many people, why did it appear to be addressed only to me? And for the record, if you knew me, you would realize that I try to align myself with no one but myself. I spent years in a marraige where my thoughts were not my own. Where my opinion was worthless. I got paroled from that prison and have vowed since to speak and act for myself and my children until they come of age. They do have their opinions now and we discuss them regularly. (even the ones I have trouble hearing!) I chose not to allow my child to hear this address based on my decisions about the President, not because I was following the crowd.

How exactly does respecting opinions that I don't agree with work? Is that allowing KKK rallies in my hometown, or maybe it involves listening to a man disrespect a woman and not saying that he is out of line. No that is not who I am, if I have a problem with something someone says, you can bet that I will say something.

-- Posted by nathan.evans on Mon, Sep 7, 2009, at 7:55 PM --

You can respect an opinion without agreeing with it. I respect the fact that you have an opinion. I don't agree with what you say but that's what makes this interesting. What I don't respect is the fact that you resort to name calling. Don't judge a group of people based on a couple of comments. Please.

Please show me one part of that speech that says or even implies to the slightest degree that only minorities have hardships and all white people are privileged? If your little story is true and this speech made your daughter cry, it's because you told her that Obama doesn't care about white people. There's nothing there that would suggest that to anyone, especially a young child.

Kanye West said "George Bush doesn't care about black people." Corywh says "Obama doesn't care about white people." Can't we all drop our silly prejudices, take the time to look past skin color, and just all get along?

its okay to be out of school for a week to cater to rich white folks, but we cant take 20 min for OUR PRESIDENT, like i said, make any excuse you want, but actions speak very loudly!

"We stress bell-to-bell instruction, and we don't want to waste a single minute of instructional time," stated Gray.

Just snorted my coffee out my nose laughing at that one. I couldn't begin to count the number of keep-em-quiet, non-educational movies that my kids have watched at school. Give me a break.

I hear ya cascade mama....due to this bell to bell instructional time statement..I don't want to hear about anymore movies, strong man shows, or any other frivilous waste of tax dollars...this will include STUDY HALL used for BasketBall Practice. He set the whole system up for some serious scrutiny...LOL.

The speech was taken out of a lot of schools for the protection of our children and the only thing the Obama backers can do is complain. Everybody has the right to watch it at home, so do it if you want to watch is so badly. Quit your complaining and moaning and go about your daily lives. People referred to the parents complaining as "few but loud", if they are so few then why was this a National problem? Parents were most likely not concerned about the stupid horse show and their kids being let out of school for it because it wasn't the school forcing them to watch something, it was time alone with their kids. I personally don't agree with letting kids out of school for a horse show. I REALLY disagree with the president whoever he may be addressing my kids with an unknown at the time speech and the lesson plan accompanying the speech was asking how children in grade school can help the president? How is this not indoctrination? I know he changed the speech and it's now released to the public, but if you can't understand parents fears of what this man is capable of from past actions and what was in the lesson plan less than a week ago then you are seriously delusional. It doesn't matter what I post, the ignorant people supporting Obama will still back him no matter what he does at this point. Most of the people with any intelligence have already left his side just in case you haven't seen his approval ratings as of yet. It just amazes me how blind some people can be when the truth is hitting you in the face so blatantly. Have a blessed day :)

corywh,,, you say your child had comments stating he/she was concerned about Obama only caring about children the same color as him, or the silly conclusion that he is selling xboxs. This is all a wonderful example of why it was suggested that the speech be discussed afterwords so that the students could go through these assumptions and given the chance to have the wrong conclusions corrected allowing them to get the real message of get an education.

You dropped the ball compleatly by allowing them once they talked about their conclusions by not explaining to them where they were wrong in their assumptions. Did you explaine to your son that NO Obama does not get paid to indorse a product but instead is explianing to kids they need to put the game down and study? id you explain to your daughter that even though she feels Obama wasn't speeking to her because she is not of color that that is not what he was saying or that he WAS talking to all children of color? From the sound of your y our post you cuddled her and confirmed her fears thus enforcing them, which is not helping her but instead filling her false assumptions that are hurting her. You took what stared as a great effort to parent your children and totally blew it by not using to teach them the message that was intended by the message. You used it to allow false assumptions become ingrained in your children that will only in the end reinforce wrong mind sets that are being used to divide this country. By doing that you have done a disservice to your children when you could have in fact given them a wonderful chance to learn a good message on the importance of education from the president, you instead reinforced false conclusions that will only serve to add to the division of this country. You used the speech to reinforce right wing lies about racism rather than to explain and reassure your child that OUR PRESIDENTS are there for all of us.

If you want to watch the address later, go to www.whitehouse.gov

Of course they could have decided to air it and allow any student who didn't want to watch to opt out. I'll bet that they all watch it on the internet later since it has been banned at the school.

-- Posted by Jacks4me on Sun, Sep 6, 2009, at 9:47 AM

jACK THAT WOULD IN A PERFECT WORLD BE GREAT, BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE POORER FAMILIES WHO HAVE NO INTERNET OF CABLE? THEY DON'T HAVE A WAY TO GET THIS INFORMATION, WHAT ABOUT STUDENTS WHO HAVE PARENTS WHO COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THEIR EDUCATION THOSE KIDS HAVE NO WAY TO CHOOSE TO SEE THIS NOW DO THEY? AND THESE CHILDREN ARE THE ONES WHO NEED THIS BOOST AND ENCOURAGEMENT THE MOST BUT SINCE OUR MR. GRAY CHOSE POLITICS OVER STUDENTS THESE CHILDREN WILL NOT HAVE A CHOICE OR CHANCE TO GET THIS LESSON FROM OUR PRESIDENT.

All schools have internet access where the kids can get educational information. The public library has internet access available. Most poor families still have tv's. Your argument of the poor not having access is not valid. You have a problem with a man that is doing what he feels is in the best interest of the children that he is paid to watch over and are calling for him to step down because he is doing his job? I am pretty sure Obama feels like he is doing his job and I'm not calling for him to resign even though that would be wonderful. The only problem with his resignation would be that we would be stuck with Biden at that point. I think we should get real here folks and if you don't like the way things are run in Bedford, you are more than welcome to move to San Fransisco, Ca. Have a great day!

Once again, Free Speech 0, Obamaphobics 1

LetsGetRealFolks- if you didn't have such an opinionated outlook on absolutely everyone and everything AND if you would give others a chance instead of ALWAYS ASSuming that you and only you are correct and no one matters except you, UNLESS they at all times agree with you and concede to your all knowing God-like persona you believe yourself to be (said while bowing down and proclaiming I'm not worthy O' Mighty LetsGetRealFolks)(sarcasm for those of you who need to be told when it's used) then maybe you would have realized that you are not the only person on here who knows how and does take every opportunity to teach their child about the diversity in our world, nowhere in either of my posts did I insult yours or anyone else's parenting abilities nor did I give you any warrant on accusing me of not taking the opportunity to talk to both of my children on what they felt and said, EXCUSE ME for not giving you the whole rundown of our entire time spent on the subject throughout the day maybe you might like to come for dinner sometime so that you may witness my abilities as a parent and the intelligence levels of my children and how we actually do discuss important issues without name calling and arrogant I'm right, You're wrong attitudes like you have so blatantly exhibited on more than one occasion. And not only do we discuss issues and let everyone express their thoughts in my home but we also give them the right to feel the way they feel while loving and embracing them when needed as well as making sure that they have all the facts needed to help them understand why they feel what they feel when they feel it and how to make the right decisions for themselves on how they can change or embrace what they feel. And as for the Xbox comments, both of my children, in there own ways were teasing about a long standing joke if you will that has been going on in our home about children and there xboxes and why our children don't have one to call there own but instead we have a family game night where a pack of cards or one of many other games that my husband and I both played as children,or if we play a video game it is the Nintendo Wii, are enjoyed not only with our children but when one or more of their friends (and let me just say we usually have quite a crowd) ask if they can come over to join in on the fun instead of wanting to run the streets or sit at home with their video games, they are greeted with open arms, hearts, and minds and they leave here with a feeling of unity and the sense of belonging without being judged for their appearances or opinions. And I might add that on more than one occasion we have had parents of these children come over and join in on the fun because their children have expressed how much they enjoy being here for those times. With all that being said, it doesn't matter what you have to say after I post this, all that matters is that you and anyone else who reads this may actually take the time to look at what you're time spent with you're children consists of and if you're child feels as though they can express themselves without being made feel as though their opinions don't hold any merit unless it goes along with yours. So please stop assuming you know everything about everyone's parenting abilities and don't accuse me or anyone else of "dropping the ball" on the opportunity to teach and love a child. And why is it that you are so sure that he doesn't receive compensation for mentioning certain products? Have you been there during any possible meetings he has had with any ad execs or media personnel, I dare to say I doubt you have. Am I saying that I have or that this is what is happening, No I am not but I am also not saying that the possibility of it happening is how did you put it? a silly conclusion? In all actuality she may have been correct in her conclusion after all economics and mass communications and advertising all teach us that if someone of importance mentions a specific name of a specific type of product then the sales for that product usually increase, it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the xbox ads for the sale of their product and what their "sale price" may be to actually begin appearing in our mailboxes and across the tv screens where Obama himself has so graciously on more than one occasion proclaimed the name of the xbox and that children all across the nation spend alot of time playing, which to a child could be interpreted as I need an Xbox because the President says I'm supposed to have one. Now then I hope you think before you speak or post as it may be and actually consider that maybe you could read twice what someone else has stated and actually consider what they are saying before you condemn them to what you have concluded as being unable to have any opinion or any merit worth considering unless you can pick it apart and make it what you want it to be to make yourself feel better about why it is that you are who you are and you are where you are on your own doings. If you don't like Mr. Gray then confront him about it in person and let him have the opportunity to right or at least explain what his doings to you are and please do so with the respect that we all deserve as human beings.

Did you support W. like you support Obama letsgetrealfolks? If you didn't vote for Obama, which you insinuate in your post then surely you supported Bush with the same fervor. Why don't you go and sit down in front of Mr. Gray and discuss your complaints with him as corywh suggested? I think the readers with any intelligence know who the ignorant and intolerant ones are lgrf. Not letting kids see Obama's speech didn't hinder their education as you suggested.

as a conservative, i am appalled. admittedly, i am not a republican. but, as a realistic libertarian (meaning i know we are not about to carry many elections), i realize we need republicans to espouse at least some conservative beliefs. events that serve to weaken the republican party's influence do tilt the balance the other way, and (as i have been saying for some time) crazy talk is not swinging things your way. from the birther nonsense all the way thru one ridiculous assertion after another to this latest bit of idiocy (what do you think, obama has the "evil eye" and can hex our children thru the tv?) you guys are making a laughingstock out of conservatism. i'm not worried about the people who get on here and argue with you. it is all the people at home or around water coolers who are snickering and laughing at you that worry me. if you want some historical perspective, go back and look at the "know nothings". actually i think they called themselves the american party. with a similar sort of leadership, playing on xenophobia, racism, and religious prejudice, they collapsed the whig party. at the seeming height of their power, they were already in decline. by 1855 they had amassed an impressive number of elected offices, yet ultimately accounted for no significant legislation (sound familiar?). by 1859 they were nothing more than a footnote, holding sway in a few backwaters. i think we all know the admonition about the result of not understanding history. the bottom line is, the fate of america is not at stake. america is much stronger than to be undone by any single administration. the future of the republican party is much more at risk. you do have responsible leaders, if you can tear yourself away from the siren song of the charlatans. great americans, such as john mccain, are almost begging for the crazy talk to end. it is the influence of your own underlying political philosophy that is most endangered if this keeps going. as a libertarian i can tell you what your electoral future holds if mainstream america comes to believe you are all kooks.

There's so much passion with these postings, I almost want a cigarette after reading them.

Get your head out of the sand sir, it's all about race. If you don't see that your blind.It has been from the start.

I get so sick of being alluded to as a racist because I do not want America to become a Socialist (or worse) nation. I have problems with a President who has spent more than all other Presidents combined, who has more non-vetted Czars than Russia ever did, who has friends like Bill Ayers, Father Flager, Tony Rezco (all white)...for being the only one to speak against providing medical care botched-abortion babies who survive...for frequently voting "present" while in the Senate so as not to have a voting record that could be damaging...these JamesRP have nothing to do with race. When watching a football game, do you think I just cheer for the white players? Or am I racist because I think that a black offensive lineman was holding? Concern about the speech was not race. People right now are not trusting the President's policies, policies shared and moved through congress by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, neither of whom are black. I distrust anyone who teaches Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals. I question an administration where the V.P. says that spending more money is the way to prevent bankruptcy. None of this has to do with race. None of it. I also believe that God created people...all people, and disrespecting the creation disrespects the creator. It's not about race, it's about content of character.

BUSH OR OBAMA-WHO CARES. HE'S THE PRESIDENT AND THESE ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DON'T LIKE IT? USE YOUR HEAD DURING THE NEXT ELECTION! TOO EASY.

Tomjones . . . evidently you aren't that sharp yourself considering anyone in here will tell you that I am not liberal nor do I support Obama. I posted that article because it points out that people opposed Bush when he did an address to school children and that the uproar about Obama doing it isn't a one time deal and that the Democrats are just as guilty of doing the same thing. People want to say this is racial motivated but it is not because if that is the case then that means people disagreed with Bush doing the speech just because he was white. See how silly that sounds!

Makes me wonder if you actually read the comment at all . . .

Jax, I did read your post and some of your other posts on other things and you do seem to be a left supporter. Once again, you may not realize it because some of you lefties don't have a clue.

I suspect if the attitude distilled in the minds of this current generation of "Life owes me something" instead of "Life has no guarantees, and you make your way" continues to the next generation (god forbid gets worse) this will never stop. It calls to mind the question, is an equal society truly what everyone wants? Seems to me the pendulum is swinging a little heavier to one side.

I am just going to say it- the ideas you are planting in your childrens heads that the white people are against all of us and we are oppressed is actually opressing you further- and I know several GOOD African American friends that agree with me. I don't judge you on your skin color,and neither does 90% of this country. Not anymore. The other 10%? The hell with em.

-- Posted by corywh

Exactly right. The promotion of a "victimhood mentality" is the new racism.

Bill Cosby's "poundcake speech" is the best address on this subject I've ever heard.

http://www.eightcitiesmap.com/transcript...

Jax, you may think you have a clue, and that's fine please keep thinking that,but that is one of the things that makes everybody smarter than you and always will (left,middle, or right).

-- Posted by tomjones on Wed, Sep 9, 2009, at 2:10 PM

How tall are you tomjones?

Is that a jelly doughnut in your foot locker quietmike?

In all actuality she may have been correct in her conclusion after all economics and mass communications and advertising all teach us that if someone of importance mentions a specific name of a specific type of product then the sales for that product usually increase, it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the xbox ads for the sale of their product and what their "sale price" may be to actually begin appearing in our mailboxes and across the tv screens where Obama himself has so graciously on more than one occasion proclaimed the name of the xbox and that children all across the nation spend alot of time playing, which to a child could be interpreted as I need an Xbox because the President says I'm supposed to have one.

-- Posted by corywh on Tue, Sep 8, 2009, at 12:35 PM

Hey guess what. PS3 and Xbox are now on SALE for 299.99 Looks to me as though the child who mentioned the possibility of the advertising done by Obama with his name dropping of the xbox system needs to be in honors classes too!!