You're Protesting What?

I'm amazed at how many parents are protesting the broadcast from President Obama to our schools. On the radio, people were calling in and saying there should be permission slips to parents so they can opt their children out.

In our public school system when I was growing up, we frequently had speakers. I remember listening to Miss America in 5th or 6th grade talk against drugs, and I remember hearing the fire chief discuss fire safety. Speakers were in and out all the time, and they never caused a commotion.

President Obama is speaking to our kids about staying in school and the importance of a good education. How is this topic controversial?

I read an article today where they interviewed a man who said it scares him that there's a direct communication line between the President of the United States and students. Why is that scary?

It's true that I'm politically quite liberal. Still, when I was in school, I would have been thrilled to have the chance to hear any president speak, whether I agreed with him politically or not. As it stands, however, the president is not speaking on controversial issues that have partisan divisions. He's simply speaking about the importance of an education. Isn't it an incredible opportunity for our students?

I brought the subject up to some of my coworkers today. I told them how weird it seemed that so many people are up in arms over this stay-in-school broadcast. The drug rep who provided lunch said she didn't approve of the move because the President was going to have celebrities on the broadcast who are pro-UNICEF. I didn't argue with her, really, but all I could think was, "Who can be against UNICEF? Do you not want to prove food and health care to poor children around the world?" Instead, I said, "There's no speaker that everyone will agree with, but I think it's a wonderful opportunity for students to get to hear directly from our nation's leader."

It's so bizarre what some people take issue with.