Obama Tells Students: Take Responsibility

(AP)  Take responsibility for your education. Go to class and listen. Don't let failures define you. That's the advice President Barack Obama gave schoolchildren Tuesday in a speech that drew fire from conservative critics even before he delivered it.

"At the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world," Obama said. "And none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities."

The president delivered the talk from Wakefield high school in Arlington, Va. The White House posted Obama's remarks on its Web site at midday Monday.

Obama's talk has proven controversial, with some critics calling for parents to have their children boycott the speech amid accusations that Obama is using schools to push a liberal agenda. White House officials, including Education Secretary Arne Duncan, have said the allegations are silly.

The president got a bit of a boost from former first lady Laura Bush, wife of Obama's Republican predecessor, on Monday when she said she supported Obama's decision to address America's school children.

"There's a place for the president of the United States to talk to school children and encourage school children" to stay in school, Mrs. Bush, a former school teacher, said in a CNN interview.

However, she said believes that parents who were plan to keep their children home because of the president's address had the right to do so.

Florida Republican party chairman Jim Greer, who said last week he was "absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology," said Monday he now favored the speech after changes he said the White House, under political pressure, had made to supporting materials for teachers and to the speech itself.

Obama made no reference in his prepared remarks to the uproar surrounding his speech. Nor did he make an appeal for support for tough causes such as his health care overhaul. He used the talk to tell kids about his at-times clumsy ways as a child and to urge them to set goals and work hard to achieve them.

"At the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents and the best schools in the world," Obama said. "And none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities."

More coverage of Mr. Obama's message to students from CBSNews.com

Prepared Text of Obama's Speech
Obama: Be Careful on Facebook
Laura Bush Backs Obama on School Speech
Duncan: Obama Aims to Motivate Students
Presidents, Students & Controversy: Hardly New
W.H.: School Speech Criticism Reflects "Silly Season"

Schools did not have to show the speech. And some districts decided not to, partly in response to concerns from parents.

Duncan's department has also taken heat for proposed lesson plans distributed to accompany the speech.

The education secretary has acknowledged that a section about writing to the president on how students could help him meet education goals was poorly worded and has been changed.

In his remarks, Obama also left students with some words of encouragement.

"I expect great things from each of you," he said. "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."

CBSNews.com Special Report: Back to School

[cbscomments2]

I?m so glad the Republicans made such a fuss about President Obama?s student speech!
My parents have been life-long Republicans and now I can see what a mistake that is!
After hearing the President, I can only say, the party of my parents has made me a Democrat.

HS Senior in VA

[wuudl]

There is no problem with any president addressing his people. The office of the president is a sacred trust and honor of this nation, and the president should lead all people in this country.
However, the problem lies with how it is done and the intention of why, which comes to the unfortunate fact that although the outcome speech on Tuesday is quite innocuous and neutral in its flavor, the preparatory materials produced and put out by the Dept. of Education, which serves under the President's jurisdiction, show a quite otherworldly motive. Seeing is believing in this case. The focus of the school prep materials is very Obama-centric and shows a centering of attention upon the persona and individual of Obama.
The methodology and flavoring of these materials smack after the pattern of a Christian message that might focus on Jesus, or even a communist celebration on the musings of Mao. The difference is that in those two messages it is obvious who is to set the example for the dedicated followers. That is acceptable, and in an overt religious or political context this is even expected, but to do it under false pretenses is subversive and immoral.
As Americans, our allegiance and our loyalties ought to be on the values and standards that made America great. We do not focus our allegiance and devotions to the Founding Fathers, but instead to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It is thus wholly and completely against this nation's tradition, culture, and best interest to center its allegiance on a political leader, and in this case Obama.
The speech was touted as simply the president talking to America's students. Something harmless and innocent. But if one looks, and analyzes the Dept. of Education's own documents to be used by all school teachers to prep their students on the president's address, one will see a presentation that was prepared for a quite different purpose.

In brief, an example from the beginning of each of the packets:

(PreK-6)
"Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama."

(Grades 7-12)
"Teachers may post in large print around the classroom notable quotes excerpted from President Obama's speeches on education."

By all means let us as teachers not only read about, but also post the quotes of Obama so all the youth may know him. Let's not wait for years to pass by - let's read about His life and put His quotes up now! (Why not go ahead and suggest naming a part, or even an entire school after him?) Remember this documentation is generated not by mere admirers of the president, but comes from the President's own staff. He is promoting himself, and in these documents it continues on and on, placing focus and attention on Obama, his words, and his persona; not on the individual student, others, the country, education, or the educational system.

Again, from one of the DOEducation documents:

"As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:
What is the president trying to tell me?
What is the president asking me to do?
What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?
...
What specific job is he asking me to do?
Is he asking anything of anyone else?
Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American People?"

If the intention were truly to inspire and focus on the students of America, then the wording should have been more like this:

"As students listen to the president's speech, they could think about the following:
How might I follow the examples of great Americans from the past?
How can I improve myself and help others?
How should I better meet challenges in life?
...
What can I do to help make my community better and serve in this country?
What goals can I set for myself to improve?
How can my teachers, parents, and friends help me in accomplishing this?

Note the difference in emphasis? It's called rhetoric.
The former is on the worship of a man, the latter is to improve oneself.

[dscott2009]

Sorry that's "class act" for anyone who may still be online. I know how this forum hates poor spelling...

[dscott2009]

I especially liked the part where Laura Bush approved of the speech.

Thank you Mrs. Bush. What a claas act...

[dscott2009]

I don't know if I'm comfortable with the whole "taking responsibility for oneself" stuff. That's a little radical. We're Americans! Aren't we supposed to blame others when we fail?

Next thing you know, we'll start using proper manners, and then before you know it, we'll start treating others with respect...

Just a little scary...don't ya think?

[slrcz]

Wow Obama Tells Students: Take Responsibility Doen't that go against what he beleives????

[lucasnico]

by socalsage September 8, 2009 1:18 PM EDT
If you disagree with Obama you're a racist....

What a bunch of junk that is... Sorry I just think Obama is in way over his head and frankly doesn't have experience nor the basic common sense to run this country and the sooner his administration is gone the better.

Hey socalsage.............yeah, you're right. What's he thinking, telling kids to stay in school, work hard, take responsibility and do something with their lives. He's in wayyyyyyyyy over his head !

[ivehadit9]

by stn_sage September 8, 2009 2:28 PM EDT
For a guy who doesn't keep his campaign promises, he's got no business telling OTHERS to take responsibility!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey, Sparky, that applies to GWB, Bill Clinton too. In fact, all of his predecessors going all the way back to George Washington hadn't kept their campaign promises. So this stuff is not unique to Obama. I don't see how anyone by any stretch of the imagination could fail to understand that.

[chitown639]

Every week there's another crazy story about the Right Wingers making even bigger fools of themselve than they had the week before. From Death Panels to Kenyan Birth Certificates to the latest foolhardy stunt Mass Student Indoctrinations.....It's funny to watch, but it's also sad to see so many on the Right fearmongered to the point of being scared to death of their own government....and that's what all of this craziness is all about...FEAR. FoxNews and Limbuagh and company have their viewers and listeners scared to death of President Obama.

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money]

by RowdyIsStillHere September 8, 2009 8:47 PM EDT
A California judge today tentatively scheduled a trial for Jan. 26, 2010, for a case that challenges Barack Obama's eligibility to be president based on questions over his qualifications under the requirements of the U.S. Constitution.
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Rowdy dear, WorldNetDaily is obviously a site for low-IQ conservatives who believe in every conspiracy theory that comes down the pike.