Respect and Responsibility

Susan, I've long admired your honesty and integrity in your writings. But, because you've been a political operative for so long, I'm really disappointed in your essay today. You usually try to acknowledge another perspective but knowing what you do and experiencing political operations as you have, can you not honestly admit that the Department of Education had a political objective in the creation of teaching aids that require students to write what they can do to help the president? These letters would then be gradable or kept toward later accountability. And do you not honestly think that the speech was subsequently edited to erase its original intent? Come on. It was scheduled for the day before the Congressional healthcare speech but New York City, Los Angeles and Boston (plus others) schools are not even in session! Of course, I'm glad that Obama spoke to kids about the importance of education but the first day of school when teachers are busy is hardly the time for this. Just acknowledge that the Obama guys were bone-headed and inept in how they handled this and keep your own integrity. Your going to need it if this crew doesn't start doing a better job with their agenda and messaging.

Re: Lesley Barnard comment

I could not have said it better myself.

I have absolutely no doubt that the speech Obama wanted to give and the one he gave are 2 different speeches. When it comes to repect for the Presidency it is a 2 way street.....this man has called Americans "bitter" and "clinging to thier guns and religion", along with all sorts of adjectives to describe those voicing their opinions at town halls and tea parties. That's stuff he openly calls us......God only knows what he really calls us when he's not on camera. While he addressed all school students I have no illusions that his primary focus was going to be on HS juniors and seniors (before he changed his speech) because these are the ones that will be first time voters real soon and he wants them on his side. This guy changes with the wind----want public option-----don't want public option-----want it but not essential-----and tonight-----we need it. That and he lies with the ease of a Clinton.....he keeps promising all manner of stuff and the actual health care bill contradicts him. No doubt he's never even read it. On trustworthiness....Obama makes Nixon look like a boy scout.

Even though it has already been said, I am going to join in. Susan, the conservative outcry over Pres. Obama's speech was not over the fact that he wanted to speak to America's school children. It was over the fact that his Dept. of Education issued teaching aids that used language to suggest that America's school children should think long and hard about how they can "help the President". Help him how? It didn't say, but since the one thing that Pres. Obama seems to be having the most trouble with right now is getting Americans to side with him on his health care reform plan, isn't the logical conclusion that America's youth should be helping him in that? Maybe not, but then again, it was certainly possible. And I think the Dept. of Education realised that, which is why they swiftly moved to change the wording in the teaching aids.

Furthermore, there was the bypassing of parental consent. When superintendents and principals issue memoranda that say "No student will be permitted to opt out", that just makes the parents crazy-mad! American independence is strong. When we see it threatened, we fight back, for the sake of our independence.

This President has "jumped the shark" for most conservatives. If Obama came out for sunshine and happiness, they would oppose him. Is it because they hate sunshine and happiness? No. It is because they feel his agenda, his real agenda, is something that is the antithesis of their values. They absolutely don't trust him. Once this happens, all Obama defeats seem like good defeats.

Susan,
You sound like a typical Liberal hack. You dismiss conservative concerns as having "no reason" and you seem to have historical myopia. If this is journalism, than fine, I'll try it. Susan, your piece made no sense, contained mere rhetoric, and contributed nothing to a constructive debate. Why. Because I said so. Sounds petty and arrogant doesn't it? I would say that your support for Barak Obama has no reason that supports what is best for America, unless of course you are a Statist. Obama and his administration persistently emply deception, lies, and coercion to promote their agenda. If you support Obama, you do the same. My advice to you is to move to North Korea, Cuba or Venezuela. That way you can live in a cult of personality socialist/communist utopia and forever pay homage to your divine leader. Then, we won't have to read your pandering crap.

Ms. Estrich:
Your column disappoints me because you do not acknowledge the reaction of the Democratic Party to President George H.W. Bush's speech to schoolchildren during his term.
The Democratically-controlled House held hearings and demanded a GAO investigation. The investigation turned up no wrongdoing.
Please try a bit harder to be fair. Maybe, in honor of the new school year, you could even do some homework!

Ms. Estrich:

Your column disappoints me because is fails to mention the reaction of the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives to a similar speech by then-President George H.W. Bush.

Hearings were held and a GAO investigation demanded. The investigation produced no wrongdoing.

Please try a bit harder to be fair. And, in honor of the new school year, you might even do a bit of homework!

Susan I hate to break the bad news to you, but, what Obama finally addressed to the school children was a different speach after the original got posted on the internet in which it was to Help Obama as the after speach activities with all the ways and manners to be posted later. The original schedule was also a day before his Joint speach to Congress and Senate members.

Other readers and responders have already pointed out what the Democrats did on the Bush speech which cost taxpayers over $26,000 for nothing except political points.

I am finding that Obama is not as intelligent as all liberal media has been screaming. He can give speeches I grant, but, they are read off a teleprompter which anyone can do. Kennedy gave one of the best Democrat speeches of all times and when I met him I told him. However, it is a sad day in America when we have gone from helping your country to demanding handouts from your fellow taxpayers. Seems this is the way of the Democrat Party over the years since Kennedy.

Oh well, Mena says that I have an IQ of 168 so I gather I am not too bright since this knowledge was just from learning in school when teachers taught and demanded homework be finished and correct. My children told me I was harder on them learning than any of the teachers they ever hard in school.

Ms. Estrich, you are absolutely right. What passes for conservatism today is nothing about traditional AMerican values. In fact, conservatism today is more like a cult of individualism. It's answer to everything is do-it-yourself, go-it-alone and get-all-you-can. It has no social or civic values at all. It's all Me, My and Mine. What confounds me if how we went so quickly from a born-again Christian George W. Bush, elected by the religious right, to these vicious screaming meaniesin Congress and town hall meetings and on the Internet and in street "Tea Parties." American values are supposed to be based on tenets of the Judeo-Christian faith which are all about compassion, helping others, sacrificial giving, humility, and spiritual as opposed to material wealth. President Obama's speech on healthcare had more American and Christian values in it than any speech I ever heard President Bush give and I was very proud of the great American I voted for.

Ms. Estrich.
I was thrilled to have someone of your caliber take that idiot to task. Perhaps if more of us could make this known at the voting booth things would change. But I've become cynical at 72...and I don't think it will happen in my lifetime.
Thanks for being straight with us!

Adam's comment is spot on as well. Millions of Americans were calling Obama a liar Wednesday night - not just Joe Wilson.

This part of your article is good (the rest is crap) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The gifted woman who headed my children's elementary school, Reveta Bowers, always said that teaching kids values was as important as teaching them skills. Maybe more, I have come to believe, as my children got older. Facts are easily forgotten; what isn't is the determination you show in learning them, the responsibility you take in trying. The values we teach our children, at home, at school, at our places of worship, are what will hopefully stand them in good stead as the challenges get bigger and harder. Learning to work hard, get along with others, accept failure, redouble your effort — that's what school is about, as much as sine and cosine; learning to accept responsibility and show respect is critical to every other lesson. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree and which is why I have always stated that when we set goals, set them high, too high, as it does not matter if we never achieve a goal - the effort yields its own rewards. That said, Liberals have tried their best to destroy this concept in our Government Run Schools. Liberals want athletic competitions, for example, where no score is kept, they do not want to tell a child he got something wrong nor do they want to do anything that compares the achievements of one child to another. Liberals are not mean, they are simply stupid. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ To leverage the maximum benefit of trying to achieve a goal, one needs feedback on how effective one's actions have been in achieving such goal. The score in a football game, for example, allows the players to judge how effective their "style" of learning football, how effective their efforts in general have been. Without the score and the bad feelings that come with losing, the benefits of an abject lesson are lost. Restated, through competition we learn what works and what does not work. Smart losers examine the habits and actions of winners and modify their behavior accordingly. In the Liberal system there is no such incentive as there are no "losers" (hint - yes there are still losers they just do not know it for years to come). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As for President Obama's speech, such was predictable. After the Republicans complained, the President changed the substance of his speech. Such is a ploy used alll the time on our liberal College Campus when the College uses student funds to have some black racist (for example) come and speak to the students. The conservatives on campus complain and the black racist tones down the rhetoric. But when they leave campus, they continue their racists ways. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As for Obama, he reminds me of a concept espoused as only Helvetius could - " When I speak I put on a mask : when I act I am forced to take it off. [Helvetius, "Treatise On Mann", p319] Do not listen to what Obama says, watch what he does. Obama is a racists and a socialists, at best and, he will destroy this country if we let him by listening to his words instead of watching his actions.

What is so obvious is only obvious to conservatives. We never saw the original planned speech or its entire theme. It was modified greatly after the 'stink.'
The President gave a good speech and came out smelling like a rose.

Alas ... what comes around .... goes around. Democrats spared no distortion in denouncing George Bush. Dems hyperventilated while protesting Bush's talk to school kids.
Whatever happened to "Dessent is the "Highest form of Patriotism"?
Dems taught all Americans how to maximize disrespect for a sitting president. Now that it's your Liar in Chief .... you cant understand people showing him disrespect? (can you spell H Y P C R I T E)

Re: teppe

In answer to your question...Yes, I can, and so can Susan, I suspect, but can you? It's spelled H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E

and, oh, by the way, that other word is spelled D-I-S-S-E-N-T

Okay, now that the English language spelling lesson is out of the way....

Great article, Susan...pay no attention to the ignorant prattling of those who criticized your article with their petty comments. You were right on, and I wish I could have put it as well when i discussed the speech with my friends and colleagues. Non Illegitimi Carborundum.

I don't think the hysteria was over the speech but over the lesson plan that preceded the speech. The Federal Dept. of Education has no business sending any lesson plans to local schools. Bypassing not only the state board of education but also local boards. The content of the lesson plan was seen to be the indroctrination part of the problem. Even had the lesson plan been totally inocuous it still should not have been sent to the schools. At least the Republicans in Congress did not call for an investigation and interrogate witnesses like the Democratic congress did to Bush senior when he was Vice-President under Reagan. The regular working people of this country are tired of the political games that are elected leaders continue to play and hopefully vote them all out of office, both Democratic and Republicans.