Conservative media accuse Obama of "indoctrinating" kids with back-to-school speechYet:
Both Presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan both gave speeches aimed specifically at students that were nationally televised. In 1989, Bush delivered a
televised anti-drug speech, and Reagan's 1986
commencement speech and Q&A session was "beamed over public television into 171 school districts," according to the L.A. Times.
By BERNARD WEINRAUB, Special to The New York Times
Published: Wednesday, September 13, 1989
President Bush pleaded with young people around the nation today to stop using drugs and ''not to look the other way'' when others do.
In a 15-minute nationally televised plea from the White House library, the President presented the latest round of an anti-drug campaign that began a week ago with another nationally broadcast message announcing a $7.9 billion package.
But less than a mile from the White House, a 7-year-old boy who heard the President shook his head and suggested that the President's argument was too simple.
Selton Shaw, who watched the President's speech with his classmates at Stevens Elementary School, said many youngsters in his own neighborhood, many as young as 7, were drug users.
''They're so addicted they never listen to me,'' said the boy, who said he had declined offers of drugs.''If my mother did drugs, I'd tell her to get help. If she didn't, I'd call the police because I'd already given her the one chance.'' Death Close to Home
A teacher asked how many of the youngsters knew someone who had died or been killed as a result of drug use. More than half of the pupils raised their hands.
In schools around the nation, students voiced doubt, indifference, cynicism and some interest after the speech.
-more-
May 13, 1986
The President. Thank you all, and welcome to the White House, and thank you for coming. I want to congratulate all of you from John A. Holmes High School in Edenton, North Carolina, on your great achievements this year and on your upcoming graduation. And a special greeting to Rob Boyce, the principal of this fine school.
As you know, my remarks are being broadcast live over radio and television to high school students throughout the country. While I was in Tokyo at the economic summit, I found myself thinking about all of you, and I decided that when I got back it'd be good to report to you -- share some thoughts that I've been having about the future.
In general, conditions in our country are about as bright as this very bright afternoon. I was worrying when I put that line in there that it might start to rain, and I'd have to say something else.
We've been working to take an economy that was in bad shape and get it moving and growing again; take our national defense and make it first-rate again after a long period of decline; and to restore reason, respect, and reality to our foreign policy. And I think it's fair to say that we've made a good deal of progress.
Only 5 years ago our economy suffered from high inflation, high interest rates, mushrooming government spending, and steadily increasing unemployment. A lot of people couldn't find jobs, and people on fixed incomes were finding it harder to buy the basics, such as food and shelter. Well, we got inflation down, interest rates down, and our economy created over 1\1/2\ million new jobs just last year alone. The poor are now increasingly able to dig themselves out of poverty, and that's been good economic news.
-more-In October 1991, then-President George H.W. Bush gave a nationally televised speech to students at the District's Alice Deal Junior High School, encouraging them to study hard, avoid drugs and turn in troublemakers. At the time, House Democrats assailed the speech as a misappropriation of education funds for political purposes.
linkI sent such brave, brave men and women into a tough conflict. And I want to tell you, they haven't let us down. I see some students with your uniforms on. If you choose to go into the military, I want to thank you and let you know that your Government will stand squarely behind you. Whatever it takes to win the war on terror, we will pay it.
I said to the people who killed thousands of Americans that we're coming after you, that we won't let your evil acts stand. I also said that if you hide one of those people, if you feed one of those people, you're just as guilty as those who attacked America. And the Taliban has learned the lesson of that doctrine. They no longer are in power, thank God, for women and children in Afghanistan. Our Nation has liberated - we not only served to bring justice - not revenge but justice - we have liberated women and children who lived under the most oppressive regime - one of the most repressive regimes in this history of mankind. I am proud of this great country.
When you graduate this year if you're a senior, you're the first - yes, sir - you're the first - - you're the first senior class that has graduated after America has been attacked on the homeland. Think about that. That is historic, and it's not over unless we pursue our mission.
And so, therefore, the mission is not just those who flew into the building. These people, the Al Qaida people, trained thousands of people in their camps before we started moving on them. I say thousands of ticking timebombs ready to go off. And therefore, we must be relentless in our pursuit, not just in Afghanistan, but wherever they hide.
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