Speech Therapy

Sometimes I just have to spout off--- and last week was one of those times. Following is my letter to the editor of our newspaper, which they chose not to print. And they *always* print my letters! Maybe it was the goat thing. Too much? Still, I felt better for having written it, and am passing it on to you on this momentous day.


Well, wash my brain and hang it out to dry. I do believe I've heard it all. A small but vocal faction of our citizenry, including Florida's own Jim Greer, is objecting to President Obama's upcoming address to the schools, decrying his speech as the brainwashing of America's youth, and the promotion of a socialist agenda. Huh? I thought "work hard" and "stay in school" were generally accepted,even cherished,American values. Apparently not to these folks, many of whom, in fact, plan to keep their kids out of school that day as a sort of "you can't make me" response to the President's message. This vocal minority got me to thinking about the history behind United States Presidents and their conversations with America's children.

Contrary to the reports of folks who groove on turning up the fear, like nationally syndicated talk show host Alex Jones, President Obama's address to students is not unprecedented. In fact, it doesn't earn any points at all for innovation, having been the practice of every Republican president since 1981. I always thought that those broadcasts were meant to encourage students in citizenship, patriotism, and respect for our country. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe there is a subversive underbelly to it all. I do seem to recall that President George W. Bush was reading a book about goats--a frisky little farm animal which also happens to have long symbolized the darkest of spiritual elements-- to a classroom of elementary school students at the very moment that the horrific events of September 11 were unfolding. At that time, I considered the story to be an age appropriate, curriculum related piece of literature.

But now that the power abusive, brainwashing agenda of leaders of the free world has been brought to my attention, I can only wonder--was it coincidence or conspiracy? His father, President George H.W. Bush, addressed the school children of America in 1991, urging them to--uh--"work hard" and "stay in school". Again, at the time, I thought President Bush did a pretty good job of getting an important message across to students. But now my curiosity is piqued. If I were to play his speech backwards, would it say "Paul is dead?" If memory serves me, I do believe that President Reagan also addressed America's school children, and on several occasions. At the time, I felt him compassionate and communicative, but now that the True Executive Agenda has come to light, I realize how naive and unsuspecting I was. I am seriously reconsidering my stance on this. After all, Jim Greer says that I should be appalled that the taxpayer's money goes to fund Presidential broadcasts.

It all sounds pretty silly in this light, doesn't it? Well, that's exactly what the spin on President Obama's upcoming speech is--political nonsense. Only this time, children are involved in the spin. We have come to a sorry state of affairs in our country when we polarize and propagandize our children in order to promote political agendas. And that is exactly what is going on. Is that really what--and how-- we choose to teach them?

JR