By Lonnie Mays
Staff Writer
Did you ever wonder why President Obama’s speech to school children was so controversial? Was it because the speech was actually controversial? Was it because he spoke to school children or because he is a Democrat?
On September 8th, 2009, McMinn County Schools required parental permission to view Obama’s speech to schoolchildren. They don’t require permission for the children to hear the words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country,” or “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy,” by Franklin Roosevelt, or the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln. These are all presidential speeches that are taught every year in our schools.
If the first lady were to have given the speech, would it still have been controversial? The subject of staying in school goes along with her project, United-We-Serve. This project helps provide underserved communities to build playgrounds. Projects of other first ladies included Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” (to drugs), and Barbara Bush’s promotion of literacy. These also were not controversial.
According to WBIR TV in Knoxville the reason for the controversy is conservatives who thought Obama was going to use the opportunity to promote a political agenda. What political gain can there be for the president to talk to children who are ineligible to vote in the 2012 presidential election? Opinions?
