Forgive my ignorance but why all the negativity? Obama is a politician who, for the most part, is admired and respected by the young. That's certainly the case amongst my friends, and I live in the UK. You're all very quick to decry any action he's taking to motivate teenagers, but what's he doing that's so pointless? That Obama is reaching out to a generation alienated by many adults by their unjust reputation for being inhumane, knife-wielding, drug-dealing thugs is surely to be admired and congratulated.

 

 

 

I just can't understand your certainty that this is all a waste of time. Even if this means only a handful more people make up their mind to do something worthwhile with their lives, it'll be worth it. And that's a worst-case scenario. Let's get this straight - as far as I see it, Obama is more than a boring old man in a suit, especially to our generation. He represents... well, hope, I guess, a new era. Maybe he hasn't lived up to that, I don't know a thing about US politics, but I'm telling you, there are going to be people listening to him, and hanging on to his every word.

 

 

 

Guys, all I'm saying is, please don't talk about someone who's provided us with so much hope and inspiration like this.

 

 

 

If you need a speech from the US President to motivate you to stay in school I think it's best if you just curled into a ball and died.

 

 

 

That is so unfair. Why are you so sure his speech is totally useless? Whatever, I can't be bothered repeating myself, see above.

That is so unfair. Why are you so sure his speech is totally useless? Whatever, I can't be bothered repeating myself, see above.

 

What I'm trying to say that if it takes the US President to get you motivated enough to want to stay in school then it's pretty pathetic. If your parents, family, teachers, friends and girlfriend can't get you to stay then it says something about you if a guy in a suit can go on tv and convince you to.

That is so unfair. Why are you so sure his speech is totally useless? Whatever, I can't be bothered repeating myself, see above.

 

What I'm trying to say that if it takes the US President to get you motivated enough to want to stay in school then it's pretty pathetic. If your parents, family, teachers, friends and girlfriend can't get you to stay then it says something about you if a guy in a suit can go on tv and convince you to.

 

 

 

The assumption that everyone has loving family and friends and that having them around means you work harder is absurdity. And again, Obama means more to people than some random idiot in a suit.

 

And again, Obama means more to people than some random idiot in a suit.

What makes you think that? The people that I know just think he is another president, the "first-black president" hype wore down a long time ago.

 

And again, Obama means more to people than some random idiot in a suit.

What makes you think that? The people that I know just think he is another president, the "first-black president" hype wore down a long time ago.

 

 

 

Really? Well I don't know, I don't live in the US so perhaps it feels differently over here. I can tell you if he did that over here, it would make a difference. And it's not just about him being black, is it? That's very narrow-minded. He appears liberal, charismatic, intelligent, fair, eloquent, powerful and moral. And, most importantly, elected.

 

And again, Obama means more to people than some random idiot in a suit.

What makes you think that? The people that I know just think he is another president, the "first-black president" hype wore down a long time ago.

 

 

 

He appears liberal, charismatic, intelligent, fair, eloquent, powerful and moral. And, most importantly, elected.

So was every other president.

Besides the fact that this is illegal? Federal law expressly forbids the Secretary of Education or any officer from exercising "any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system." 20 U.S.C. § 3403. I find the ease with which Obama throws aside Federal law and regulations highly disconcerting. Also, I don't really care if you think it is "harmless" or not. Still illegal.

Besides the fact that this is illegal? Federal law expressly forbids the Secretary of Education or any officer from exercising "any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system." 20 U.S.C. § 3403. I find the ease with which Obama throws aside Federal law and regulations highly disconcerting. Also, I don't really care if you think it is "harmless" or not. Still illegal.

 

Inspirational speech you [bleep]ing idiot. Christ, you conservative types really bring down your party.

When I'm not watching Star Trek or w/e other nerdy shows there are, I watch CNN. When it came on, I thought it was pretty interesting... until I heard the whole "Oh this is brainwashing, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah" -.- . Do you know how this makes your country look when another one is viewing the issue? I had the biggest facepalm of my life!

 

 

 

Life is full of different types of people. You have Muslims, Jews, Christians, Catholics, Budists, list goes on. You have Caucasian, African-North Americans, Asian-Americans, list goes on. You have Liberals, Conservatives, and UbConservatives (Republicans). You need to be open-minded to what other people are and respect what they are. There even was a news report that said the US was close minded. I have to agree. Seems as the rule is "it is the way it is", but it can't be anything else :|

 

 

 

Making a speech is perfectly fine. Obama is just voicing his opinion, and if the parents of these pulled-out children can't allow their children to listen to it, then where is the respect of hearing out what someone else has to say? Should I not allow my child to go with you and your son/daughter to the ice cream parlour when I know that you have a different view? My child is safe with you and as long as I EDUCATE my child to RESPECT THE VIEWS OF OTHERS, then there is absolutely nothing wrong.

 

 

 

Sheesh, why does stupid stuff like this happen :wall:

Here's the text for anyone who is interested:

 

 

 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResource ... olRemarks/

 

 

 

"Don't be institutionalizin' no liberal agenda in my children's ears!"

 

 

 

Yeah, I guess encouraging kids to do good in school would be a liberal thing. :roll:

 

 

 

In contrast, here's Ronald Reagan's speech, where he preached about tax cuts and his economic agenda:

 

 

 

http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/04/fro ... -students/

 

 

 

Today, to a degree never before seen in human history, one nation, the United States, has become the model to be followed and imitated by the rest of the world. But America's world leadership goes well beyond the tide toward democracy. We also find that more countries than ever before are following America's revolutionary economic message of free enterprise, low taxes, and open world trade. These days, whenever I see foreign leaders, they tell me about their plans for reducing taxes, and other economic reforms that they are using, copying what we have done here in our country.

 

 

 

I wonder if they realize that this vision of economic freedom, the freedom to work, to create and produce, to own and use property without the interference of the state, was central to the American Revolution, when the American colonists rebelled against a whole web of economic restrictions, taxes and barriers to free trade. The message at the Boston Tea Party -- have you studied yet in history about the Boston Tea Party, where because of a tax they went down and dumped the tea in the Harbor. Well, that was America's original tax revolt, and it was the fruits of our labor -- it belonged to us and not to the state. And that truth is fundamental to both liberty and prosperity.

 

 

 

The political debate in this country has shifted so damn far to the right and into total absurdity that it's not even funny anymore...it's the media's fault.

 

 

 

[hide=Big Quote]

Here's the text for anyone who is interested:

 

 

 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResource ... olRemarks/

 

 

 

"Don't be institutionalizin' no liberal agenda in my children's ears!"

 

 

 

Yeah, I guess encouraging kids to do good in school would be a liberal thing. :roll:

 

 

 

In contrast, here's Ronald Reagan's speech, where he preached about tax cuts and his economic agenda:

 

 

 

http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/04/fro ... -students/

 

 

 

Today, to a degree never before seen in human history, one nation, the United States, has become the model to be followed and imitated by the rest of the world. But America's world leadership goes well beyond the tide toward democracy. We also find that more countries than ever before are following America's revolutionary economic message of free enterprise, low taxes, and open world trade. These days, whenever I see foreign leaders, they tell me about their plans for reducing taxes, and other economic reforms that they are using, copying what we have done here in our country.

 

 

 

I wonder if they realize that this vision of economic freedom, the freedom to work, to create and produce, to own and use property without the interference of the state, was central to the American Revolution, when the American colonists rebelled against a whole web of economic restrictions, taxes and barriers to free trade. The message at the Boston Tea Party -- have you studied yet in history about the Boston Tea Party, where because of a tax they went down and dumped the tea in the Harbor. Well, that was America's original tax revolt, and it was the fruits of our labor -- it belonged to us and not to the state. And that truth is fundamental to both liberty and prosperity.

 

 

 

The political debate in this country has shifted so damn far to the right and into total absurdity that it's not even funny anymore...it's the media's fault.

 

 

 

[/hide]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really, as far as I've noticed, American media is very liberal. That is, except talk radio. Talk radio is ridiculously conservative soemtimes.

It's quite an interesting speech, but nothing that hasn't been said before in my opinion. He is basically regurgitating what my teachers and parents have been saying for years. Maybe people will listen to him, maybe they won't. I see no harm in him doing this though.

 

 

 

[hide=Obaminators Speech]The President: Hello everyone hows everybody doing today? Im here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And weve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. Im glad you all could join us today.

 

 

 

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, its your first day in a new school, so its understandable if youre a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade youre in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you couldve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

 

 

 

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didnt have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday at 4:30 in the morning.

 

 

 

Now I wasnt too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, Id fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever Id complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

 

 

 

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But Im here today because I have something important to discuss with you. Im here because I want to talk with you about your education and whats expected of all of you in this new school year.

 

 

 

Now Ive given a lot of speeches about education. And Ive talked a lot about responsibility.

 

 

 

Ive talked about your teachers responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

 

 

 

Ive talked about your parents responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and dont spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

 

 

 

Ive talked a lot about your governments responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that arent working where students arent getting the opportunities they deserve.

 

 

 

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

 

 

 

And thats what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

 

 

 

Every single one of you has something youre good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. Thats the opportunity an education can provide.

 

 

 

Maybe you could be a good writer maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

 

 

 

And no matter what you want to do with your life I guarantee that youll 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? Youre going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You cant drop out of school and just drop into a good job. Youve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

 

 

 

And this isnt 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. What youre learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

 

 

 

Youll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. Youll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. Youll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

 

 

 

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you dont do that if you quit on school youre not just quitting on yourself, youre quitting on your country.

 

Now I know its not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

 

 

 

I get it. I know what thats like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasnt always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didnt fit in.

 

 

 

So I wasnt always as focused as I should have been. I did some things Im not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

 

 

 

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didnt have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

 

Some of you might not have those advantages.

 

 

 

Maybe you dont have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and theres not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you dont feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know arent right.

 

 

 

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what youve got going on at home thats no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. Thats no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. Thats no excuse for not trying.

 

Where you are right now doesnt have to determine where youll end up. No ones written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

 

 

 

Thats what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

 

 

 

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didnt speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

 

 

 

Im thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, whos fought brain cancer since he was three. Hes endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer hundreds of extra hours to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and hes headed to college this fall.

 

 

 

And then theres Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and shes on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

 

 

 

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell arent any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

 

 

 

Thats why today, Im calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe youll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe youll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe youll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope youll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you dont feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

 

 

 

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

 

 

 

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, youre not going to be any of those things.

 

 

 

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You wont love every subject you study. You wont click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you wont necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

 

 

 

Thats OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones whove had the most failures. JK Rowlings first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

 

 

 

These people succeeded because they understand that you cant let your failures define you you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesnt mean youre a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesnt mean youre stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

 

 

 

No ones born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. Youre not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You dont hit every note the first time you sing a song. Youve got to practice. Its the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before its good enough to hand in.

 

 

 

Dont be afraid to ask questions. Dont be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isnt a sign of weakness, its a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you dont know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

 

 

 

And even when youre struggling, even when youre discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you dont ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

 

 

 

The story of America isnt about people who quit when things got tough. Its about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

 

 

 

Its the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

 

 

 

So today, I want to ask you, whats your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

 

 

 

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. Im working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But youve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So dont let us down dont let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

 

 

 

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.[/hide]

[hide=Big Quote]

Here's the text for anyone who is interested:

 

 

 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResource ... olRemarks/

 

 

 

"Don't be institutionalizin' no liberal agenda in my children's ears!"

 

 

 

Yeah, I guess encouraging kids to do good in school would be a liberal thing. :roll:

 

 

 

In contrast, here's Ronald Reagan's speech, where he preached about tax cuts and his economic agenda:

 

 

 

http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/04/fro ... -students/

 

 

 

Today, to a degree never before seen in human history, one nation, the United States, has become the model to be followed and imitated by the rest of the world. But America's world leadership goes well beyond the tide toward democracy. We also find that more countries than ever before are following America's revolutionary economic message of free enterprise, low taxes, and open world trade. These days, whenever I see foreign leaders, they tell me about their plans for reducing taxes, and other economic reforms that they are using, copying what we have done here in our country.

 

 

 

I wonder if they realize that this vision of economic freedom, the freedom to work, to create and produce, to own and use property without the interference of the state, was central to the American Revolution, when the American colonists rebelled against a whole web of economic restrictions, taxes and barriers to free trade. The message at the Boston Tea Party -- have you studied yet in history about the Boston Tea Party, where because of a tax they went down and dumped the tea in the Harbor. Well, that was America's original tax revolt, and it was the fruits of our labor -- it belonged to us and not to the state. And that truth is fundamental to both liberty and prosperity.

 

 

 

The political debate in this country has shifted so damn far to the right and into total absurdity that it's not even funny anymore...it's the media's fault.

 

 

 

[/hide]

 

 

 

Really, as far as I've noticed, American media is very liberal. That is, except talk radio. Talk radio is ridiculously conservative soemtimes.

 

 

 

Allow me to rephrase: The media (television and newspaper) is neither conservative or liberal, it's pure corporate. They never point out what's true or what's false.

 

 

 

"Obama said he's going to be giving a speech to students. Later, we'll have Pat Buchanan say why this speech is nothing but political drivel; David Brooks will be back to tell us why Obama's poll numbers are down because he's being too partisan; and then we'll have Sarah Palin talk about the death panels she claims are in the bill. In other news, [bleep] Cheney says that torture saved America; Barack Obama says the torture was unnecessary and didn't produce anything good."

 

 

 

Do you see a pattern? It's not reporting, it's regurgitating what people say without discerning what is true and what is not. This often benefits conservatives more than it benefits liberals, and thusly why I say the media is conservative.

 

 

 

Look at last Sunday's Meet the Press.The panel: Rudy Giuliani, Tom Friedman, Harold Ford, Jr., and Tom Brokaw. Guiliani warned there would be no health care with a public option; Ford told his "liberal friends in Congress" that they will have to be disappointed by the outcome; Friedman insisted that Obama adopt the proposals of Mitt Romney and John McCain and ensure he has the support of centrist Republicans; Brokaw offered some mild pushback against the attempt to demonize the public option. The words "single payer" were never spoken. So what we have is an entirely skewed debate of he said/she said with David Gregory never calling either side out when they lie or say something that's not true, AND you have no one representing the "real" liberal side.

 

 

 

Look at ABC's This Week last Sunday. You have Mike Pence all over MSNBC lying about how federal employees get health care without ever being called out on his lying, and he's rewarded with a spot with George Stephanopoulos to lie some more. Of course George never called him out when he spewed his falsehoods, or correctly told him that he doesn't understand how he himself gets health insurance; he just sat there spilling his ridiculous lies and diatribe. And George shook his head up and down, and asked another softball question. Rinse, repeat. Mike Pence is one of the stupidest members of Congress (that has nothing to do with liberal/conservative, he literally doesn't understand policy/economics...anything), and he's constantly called to talk on these shows. If people called him out and stopped him in his tracks and made him look like the idiot that he is, our media would be doing their job. But that doesn't get ratings. You get ratings by bringing on important and serious people, and they won't want to come back when you make them look foolish.

^ I'm not quoting because I'm too lazy to make hide tags at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I agree that the media is too interested in money. They'll only write stories on what will sell papers. And dissing the president sells papers, as we've seen for a long time.

^ I'm not quoting because I'm too lazy to make hide tags at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I agree that the media is too interested in money. They'll only write stories on what will sell papers. And dissing the president sells papers, as we've seen for a long time.

 

It's a business. That's what businesses are supposed to do. Don't tell me you think capitalism is evil; I'm interested in debating but once those words come out of someones mouth my ears tend to shut off.

 

 

 

"dissing the president" sells papers because Obama and his crazy antics have become unfavorable in the eyes of the nations people. It's nothing evil or wrong, it's just basic business based on general opinion.

Reb, you have it entirely backwards. The general populace's opinions don't drive the media, the media drives the narrative. This has nothing to do with a business model or capitalism. It has everything to do with the elite protecting our government officials. Corporatism has nothing to do with capitalism.

 

 

 

Second, you CAN get ratings by stating the truth and calling people out like Rachel Maddow does, although she has been having a hard time getting conservatives to appear on her show after she reveals some truth that they don't like. She's rational, cool and calm, and allows for a good debate with people she doesn't agree with (just look at her recent interview calling out Tom Ridge for his complacency in the use of the terror alerts for political purposes and the Iraq War: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIzsZ3g7dTU ). Her show is stealing other shows' ratings because she reports the facts and doesn't distort things. She also calls out Obama on his [cabbage], which is what the media is SUPPOSED to do! However, I suspect eventually once her show's honeymoon period is over, she's going to run out of people to interview because they don't want to come on anymore--it's already happening. Her show is up in the ratings, but only among the younger demographic. And these ratings are really nothing when compared to the clowns at Fox like Hannity and Beck.

 

 

 

Another reason is that the establishment press doesn't like to be wrong. Where were they to call out torture when it was being done? Where were they to call out the Iraq War for the sham that it was? They were nowhere. They don't want to be wrong, and it's why a lot of them are pressing for Eric Holder to "look forward, not back" when it comes to prosecuting for torture. They feel that by not reporting about it in the way they should have, that they were complacent (and they were).

 

 

 

And...of course a more important thing that drives what the media reports? I mean, it can't be entirely about ratings. Dan Froomkin was fired from the Washington Post, despite being the most read journalist on their team ( http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/n ... _73940.asp ). So why was he fired? Allow me to quote Glenn Greenwald:

 

 

 

All of this underscores a critical and oft-overlooked point: what one finds virtually nowhere in the establishment press are those who criticize Obama not in order to advance their tawdry right-wing agenda but because the principles that led them to criticize Bush compel similar criticism of Obama.

 

 

 

If it's against their own corporate interests, they won't report it. For example, Bill O'Reilly attacked GE for its dealings in Iran, and Olbermann would attack O'Reilly for something he lied about during his segment. This war brought both corporations HUGE ratings...but it made both of their networks look bad at the same time. GE owns MSNBC, Bill O'Reilly works for Fox and looks like an idiot when called out. So to suit both of their interests, MSNBC makes a deal with Fox, promising to stop attacking Bill O'Reilly if O'Reilly stops attacking GE. Both win.

 

 

 

Capitalism is great, corporatism is dangerous; and that's what the US has really turned in to. A corporate society that protects and shelters the elites at the expense of everyone else. An uninformed populace cannot make up a democracy.

 

 

 

I mean, this is just ridiculous:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The media wasn't always this way, and it's always been for-profit and capitalistic. Good bye to real journalists like Cronkite. Bill Moyers is one of the last people who are left.

 

 

 

For more on the lie that is the "liberal" media, here's some of Scott McClellan. The guy who criticizes the American media for being too cozy with the government, when he was George Bush's press secretary.

 

 

 

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/ ... mcclellan/

It's quite an interesting speech, but nothing that hasn't been said before in my opinion. He is basically regurgitating what my teachers and parents have been saying for years. Maybe people will listen to him, maybe they won't. I see no harm in him doing this though.

 

 

 

[hide=Obaminators Speech]The President: Hello everyone hows everybody doing today? Im here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And weve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. Im glad you all could join us today.

 

 

 

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, its your first day in a new school, so its understandable if youre a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade youre in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you couldve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

 

 

 

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didnt have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday at 4:30 in the morning.

 

 

 

Now I wasnt too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, Id fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever Id complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

 

 

 

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But Im here today because I have something important to discuss with you. Im here because I want to talk with you about your education and whats expected of all of you in this new school year.

 

 

 

Now Ive given a lot of speeches about education. And Ive talked a lot about responsibility.

 

 

 

Ive talked about your teachers responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

 

 

 

Ive talked about your parents responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and dont spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

 

 

 

Ive talked a lot about your governments responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that arent working where students arent getting the opportunities they deserve.

 

 

 

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

 

 

 

And thats what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

 

 

 

Every single one of you has something youre good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. Thats the opportunity an education can provide.

 

 

 

Maybe you could be a good writer maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

 

 

 

And no matter what you want to do with your life I guarantee that youll 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? Youre going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You cant drop out of school and just drop into a good job. Youve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

 

 

 

And this isnt 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. What youre learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

 

 

 

Youll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. Youll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. Youll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

 

 

 

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you dont do that if you quit on school youre not just quitting on yourself, youre quitting on your country.

 

Now I know its not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

 

 

 

I get it. I know what thats like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasnt always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didnt fit in.

 

 

 

So I wasnt always as focused as I should have been. I did some things Im not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

 

 

 

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didnt have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

 

Some of you might not have those advantages.

 

 

 

Maybe you dont have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and theres not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you dont feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know arent right.

 

 

 

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what youve got going on at home thats no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. Thats no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. Thats no excuse for not trying.

 

Where you are right now doesnt have to determine where youll end up. No ones written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

 

 

 

Thats what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

 

 

 

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didnt speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

 

 

 

Im thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, whos fought brain cancer since he was three. Hes endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer hundreds of extra hours to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and hes headed to college this fall.

 

 

 

And then theres Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and shes on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

 

 

 

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell arent any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

 

 

 

Thats why today, Im calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe youll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe youll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe youll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope youll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you dont feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

 

 

 

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

 

 

 

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, youre not going to be any of those things.

 

 

 

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You wont love every subject you study. You wont click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you wont necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

 

 

 

Thats OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones whove had the most failures. JK Rowlings first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

 

 

 

These people succeeded because they understand that you cant let your failures define you you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesnt mean youre a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesnt mean youre stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

 

 

 

No ones born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. Youre not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You dont hit every note the first time you sing a song. Youve got to practice. Its the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before its good enough to hand in.

 

 

 

Dont be afraid to ask questions. Dont be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isnt a sign of weakness, its a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you dont know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

 

 

 

And even when youre struggling, even when youre discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you dont ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

 

 

 

The story of America isnt about people who quit when things got tough. Its about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

 

 

 

Its the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

 

 

 

So today, I want to ask you, whats your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

 

 

 

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. Im working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But youve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So dont let us down dont let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

 

 

 

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.[/hide]

 

 

 

Yeah it's certainly not a terrible speech. Obviously it's stuff that has been said before, but it's not like it can hurt.

 

 

 

It certainly makes all of the right-wing [bleep]ing about how Obama is trying to brainwash everyone into his own politics seem even more mentally challenged now. There is nothing in that speech that even hints at certain politics, it's just talking about overcoming challenge.

I just heard on the news that some of the local Atlanta schools may choose not to air the speech, because they are afraid it's politically motivated. I fear the schools are making it a political issue by choosing not to air the speech.

I just heard on the news that some of the local Atlanta schools may choose not to air the speech, because they are afraid it's politically motivated. I fear the schools are making it a political issue by choosing not to air the speech.

 

 

 

They can read the speech right now. If they still feel it is politically motivated.....

Hm, so it's at 11 today? Maybe they'll make us watch it, and I'll get out of chemistry and english. Do you know how rocking into the night that would be? Obama? MORE LIKE GO-BAMA!

 

 

 

Seriously though. I just want to miss class. Not like he'll really teach me anything, after looking through the speech.

I'll be in Pre-Cal so we might not watch it unless there's some sort of extended Channel 1 today

The Republicans shot themselves in the foot with this. They started complaining that it would be leftist stuff before he made the speech, and probably before it was even written. Much ado about nothing. They'd looked stupid.

 

 

 

He didn't need to make the speech, but I didn't really think it would ever be anything that bad.

The thing is, even if it only motivates 10 students in all of America, it is still worth it. A lot of kids look up to Obama. as for the speach being Liberal Brainwash, a conservative could of given the exact same speech without changing anything.

It's being blown way out of proportion. The President of the United States wants to communicate with children in this country? That's not exactly a new concept. Do you remember what George W. Bush was doing at the time the World Trade Center was being attacked? He was reading to children. How about that good ol' slogan "Just Say No"?

 

 

 

The Republican strategy has been to dial everything up to 11 whenever Obama farts, and make it look like a national crisis. Oppose everything he does, and hope one of these things sticks with the public.

It's being blown way out of proportion. The President of the United States wants to communicate with children in this country? That's not exactly a new concept. Do you remember what George W. Bush was doing at the time the World Trade Center was being attacked? He was reading to children. How about that good ol' slogan "Just Say No"?

 

 

 

The Republican strategy has been to dial everything up to 11 whenever Obama farts, and make it look like a national crisis. Oppose everything he does, and hope one of these things sticks with the public.

 

 

 

Charge all of them with sedition.

 

 

 

My school didn't even mention the speech. I mentioned it in class, but some kids acted like they were about to become violent and just began to swear and flail their arms around.