I can't even believe how ridiculous this is.

If you've been watching the news lately, you've probably heard about the outrage that President Obama's planned back-to-school speech has caused. (If not, read about it here. Jezebel does a good job of summing everything up, and it provides videos/links if you really want to find out about this. also, I like the title. "GOP? STFU!" is genius.) Essentially, the speech is going to be a welcome back-to-school pep talk that encourages kids to stay in school and work hard. If not beneficial, at least harmless, right?

That's not what a lot of people think.

The right wing has been spreading lies about this speech. It's been called propaganda, indoctrination, cult-like, and socialist, among other things. Jim Greer, the Florida GOP chairman, has gone far enough to compare him to the Pied Piper, and many other have likened Tuesday's planned speech to early Hitler Youth propaganda.

I...I don't even know where to begin with this. First of all...socialism?!? If that particular claim wasn't getting old already, it doesn't even fit with the spirit of this speech. The idea of working hard, earning money, and participating in the U.S. economy is a completely capitalist value. What, do you want our president to promote laziness? Because this is America, and we totally should be able to be unemployed by choice and buying anything we want with credit cards we'll never pay off! NO. No matter where you stand politically, hard work and education should be important.

I really don't understand how anyone can say that President Obama is bad for our family morals. It's almost ironic that the right-wing is both anti-Obama and pro-family values. I couldn't find a family with stronger morals than the Obama family. They've worked their way to where they are, they value education, and though they're in the White House, the girls are still expected to do chores. If anything, they're a fantastic model of a modern American family with strong values and morals.

The thing that annoys me the most are the comparisons between Obama and the Pied Piper, Hitler, and Big Brother. It's completely the opposite. He's encouraging open, curriculum-related discussion after the speech, which is the complete opposite of the "dictator" many seem to believe he is. It's almost ironic; the right-wing wants everyone to be free from government control of the media, but they want to control what our nation's children are allowed to view and discuss. I understand not wanting kids to be exposed to sex and violence--that's the parents' choice--but this is a speech created for children to emphasize positive moral values.

In the end, he's our president. We should be teaching children to respect authority, whether they agree with their opinions or not. In fact, we should be teaching children to respect everybody, whether they agree with their opinions or not. So, working hard, staying in school, and respecting differences? None of those should be censored from our schoolchildren.

In addition, here's the form letter that the district is sending out to us to deal with the whole thing. I'm pretty frustrated with this too. Mild fear of political propaganda is just as bad, especially when it's directly from the school district:

"September 4, 2009

Dear Families,

As you may have heard, on Tuesday, September 8^th there will be a nationwide program involving the President speaking with school-age students via the internet. Because we do not know the content of the address and we do not want to violate Board policies related to political endorsements and activities, the School District of Waukesha will tape and review the presentation prior to making it available for teacher use.

While this is not a mandated program, teachers may choose to watch the speech with their class as it relates to their curriculum. If teachers choose to use the speech in their lessons, you will be notified in advance of the lesson/activities. You will have the opportunity to opt out of participation.

Please contact me with questions.

Sincerely,

Principal"