|
President Obama's September 8th speech exactly what students need to hear
18 September 2009
President Obama's September 8th speech to students of America struck a chord with a lot of people. Some people even commented that the speech was used as a brainwashing tool to get the younger generation to do the government's work or to follow blindly and accept the policies our government wants to put into place. One such example is that the president wants us to put community over individuals. But the president is not asking the children of America to give up their freedoms to serve him; he is asking that children take responsibilty for themselves and their lives in order to help their communities and their country.
I watched the speech as I read the transcript, and nowhere did I hear or read a point that seemed like it was meant to brainwash our youth. Anyone in education, elementary, secondary, and even post-secondary, can see that our students need to understand how to set goals for themselves and how to think about poeple other than themselves.
When I was growing up, my father always told me, as I am sure many fathers have told their children, that I needed to be repectful and to think about the feelings and needs of others, that I am not the only one in the world. It seems now, over 30 years later, that we are encouraging our children to think only about themselves and what is good for them. The blog post above is not the only place where one can find this belief--a simple Google search will provide similar hits to posts just like that one.
I don't want my children to grow up in a world filled with self-serving individuals who have no regard for the thoughts and feelings of others. I want my children to set goals for themselves and to try their hardest to meet or exceed those goals. I want my children to care about their future. I want my children to repect the thoughts and opinions of others and to realize that we are all in this together, as a community, as a nation, as a people.
We all want what is best for our children, and I don't think that teaching them the importance of hard work, education, and strong community is a diversion from that. President Obama, when encouraging students to work hard in school and to be the best that they can, is not brainwashing them, he is giving them advice that they will need to become successful, not only as employers or employees, but also as human beings. He is also asking that students think about their future in this country as well as the future of this country:
[...] 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 cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to train for it and work 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. The future of America depends on you. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
There is nothing at all wrong with President Obama asking the youth of America to work to better themselves and their country. There are times when I have looked around at my students and other students in my area and thought "Man, what is this country going to be like in 40 or 50 years?"
I can only hope that President Obama's speech actually got through to some of them, because I want my children to live in a country that is proud of its leaders and proud of its teachers and proud of its work force. I don't think I'm alone in my thinking on this issue.
Your comments on this matter are greatly appreciated.
Be safe and be well.
|
Home | Articles | Jobs | Subscribe | Contact | Comment | Blog | Writers | Fiction and Poetry
