I don't agree with the Obama song in public schools...

[CoffeeCat]

Before someone accuses me of being an Obama hater, I was one of his precinct captains and I
have been very supportive.

However, I don't agree that our children and the public-school system should be teaching kids
to sing songs about the President or any politician. I just don't.

Can you imagine how enraged all of us would be--to see a group of children sing the praises
of George Bush and Dick Cheney? Can you imagine how you would feel if that were your children
who were asked to participate in singing about how wonderful George Bush was?

We need to be intellectually consistent if we are to have any credibility.

Please remember that the Democrats won't have the White House forever. Nor will they
have majorities in the House and Senate forever either. Power volleys back and forth
between the parties. That's been fact for decades.

So, when the Republicans gain power again, and your child's teacher asks your child to sing
about how wonderful and amazing Newt Gingrich or Jim DeMint is--do you really think you'll
accept it and tell everyone that it's important to respect the Presidency and our elected officials?

Keep politics out of the schools. Be intellectually consistent. It's only fair.

[Mari333]

1. I agree, if they had been singing about Bush I would have hit the roof

keep that out of the schools.

[CoffeeCat]

6. Yes, and we can't...

..."hit the roof" about Bush and then defend it when they sing about Obama, because he's our guy.

We'd be no different than the Glenn Beck wackos who defended Bush when he usurped the Constitution with
the over-reaching Patiot Act, but now attack Obama because they perceive that he's not following the
Constitution.

You can't take seriously people like that. And when they whine, cry and scream, they look like
complete fools.

[Liberal Veteran]

46. And what good comes from adding legitmacy to the right wing hissy fits...

....over something is hardly anything to get bent out of shape over?

From my viewpoint, you are playing right into the right wing noise machine hands when you should be rolling your eyes at the idiocy of them making this out to be some kind of terrible political indoctrination.

[billh58]

58. We must not

say, or do, anything to upset our elected right-wing radical politicians (even if they ARE in the minority), or they will call us names, and accuse us of being un-American, Socialists, and weak-on-everything. The same goes for those upstanding and "fair and balanced" right-wing radical radio and TV talk-show hosts. If we piss them off, there will be Hell to pay!

Yep, I agree that President Obama's name should never be mentioned in front of our children -- especially by educators, and most especially during Black History Month. It may give them the impression that they too could grow up and become president. We just can't tolerate that kind of "political" indoctrination -- can we?

The right-wing radicals would NEVER forgive us if this Liberal "Socialist anomaly" ever happened again because some child was inspired by President Obama. Oh, and did I mention that President Obama is also an African-American? Imagine that...?

[Liberal Veteran]

61. HOW DARE YOU!!!!

How dare you try to indoctrinate me with your partisan agenda by mentioning the name of He-who-must-not-be-named!

:rofl:

[billh58]

64. Saw right

through that, huh? :toast:

[paulsby]

84. translation:

even when the right wing is correct (and they are correct about the obama song) agreeing with them is some kind of disloyalty "to the cause"

i hate that kind of partisan crap

i care WAY more about truth and committment to PRINCIPLES than about allegiance to a political group, side, or candidate.

the obama song is a digusting example of cult of personality and as a modification of an ode to jesus, is especially disgusting in a public school exhibition.

[Liberal Veteran]

86. I would agree with you if this came down as a dictate from the government.

But we are talking about one teacher and one class in the context of Black History month about 1 month after the inauguration of the first black person to become president.

If you want to run with that and carry the water for the right wing who want nothing more than another reason to bitch and moan about our president, you are welcome to do so.

I, however, will choose my battles a bit more wisely and focus on things that really matter.

[paulsby]

87. right

and that's why it's correct to refute that this is some kind of conspiracy.

as far as we can tell, it's ONE moronic teacher, and possibly her admin (if they ok'd the song)

i don't give a flying fuck whose "water i am carrying" when i take a position on any principle

because, again, committment to principle is WAY more important than commitment to "group"

it's not a 'battle' for me to simply state the song was wrong, and should be condemned.

you are spending more energy talking about not making it a 'battle' vs. just conceding the honest principled path - that the singing of the song was wrong, and then moving on

[Liberal Veteran]

92. I'm sure plenty of people used the same rationalization as to his back to school speech.

Whether or not this was a stupid thing on the part of the teacher is debatable.

But don't think for one second that the right wing is looking at this from a nuanced position. They prey on that "gut reaction" and in my book, it gives tacit approval to their efforts to turn this into a smear on President Obama (when odds are, he probably knows less about this than we do at this time).

[paulsby]

106. it's not a rationalization

the back to school speech was PROPER and as such, the right wing is WRONG (those that did criticize it) in criticizing it. fwiw, plenty on the right did not, they praised it, once they read it. newt comes to mind

the obama song is not proper.

again, you miss the point

principles matter.

neither the right wing, nor the left is looking for a nuanced position

but *i* am not the left or the right wing. i am an individual who makes decisions based on what i perceive to be right NOT who i am agreeing with

that you appear to fall in the latter camp only evidences that you refuse to engage in critical thinking

[billh58]

96. Uh, wrong

as in, because you think it was wrong? Seems to me that you are spending a whole lot of energy asserting that the song was "wrong" because you believe it to be so.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

101. Wrong because of the situation not the song.

[billh58]

95. You are entitled

to your opinion, but that doesn't make it a fact.

[Liberal Veteran]

97. Oh, by the way, the melody was originally called "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (The Prisoner's Hope)"

Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching,

Cheer up, comrades, they will come,

And beneath the starry flag we shall breathe the air again

Of the free land in our own beloved home.


Someone took a song and ran it through the Jesusifier to make Jesus Loves the Little Children.

So you can rest happily knowing that no ode to Jesus was blasphemed.

[Lagomorph]

75. The squeaky wheel gets the grease...

Don't discount the impact of pitching a fit.

[bigwillq]

2. I agree.

Although I didn't hear anything about an "Obama song".
Will have to look for the story.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. What part of the song do you disagree with?

[CoffeeCat]

11. It's not about anything in the song...

...it's the topic of the song--President Obama.

I love the song--but so what.

I'm sure there are plenty of wack-job religious nutjobs that would love their children
to sing songs about how Jesus-loving George Bush is and how his flawless morality led him to
launch the Iraq war.

It doesn't matter what I like in the song or what some Republican would like in a song about
George Bush.

None of it should be in public schools.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. So you don't have any issue with the lyrics...

you just don't like kids honoring the first black president.

Yeah, so do Republicans.

[CoffeeCat]

19. I love it when kids honor the first black President...

My children honor the first black President all of the time. We discuss Obama.
I was a precinct captain for him. I talked with him on the phone and Newsweek
wrote an article that detailed how I worked hard for him in the Iowa caucuses. We have
a picture of Obama up on the refrigerator and we have worked hard to raise conscientious,
loving kids who understand the significance of Barack Obama being president.

So no, I don't have a problem with "kids honoring the first black President".

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. Do you have problem with schools honoring the first white president?

Do you object to celebrating Presidents Day?

School plays about the founding fathers? Little kids in Abraham Lincoln costumes reciting the Getttysburg Address?

No?

Well there you go.

[Liberal Veteran]

21. Odd. Growing up in Georgia, I remember all kinds of Carter related assignments.

So, during Black History month, they celebrated our first black president.

In 1977, in Georgia, we were celebrating our first President from Georgia.

I'm not seeing the big deal here.

[TheBigotBasher]

28. School children have sung songs about Bush

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6641271#6641312

and worse - the Principal of the school in question is getting death threats.

[SOS]

56. "Schools"?

It's singular.
One teacher.

[Orsino]

71. How recent a president would be okay? n/t

[G_j]

4. I agree

although, this was just one teacher's doing, from what little I know.

[BlooInBloo]

5. Good to know you'll happily jump everytime republicans say so.

[G_j]

8. how silly!

the OP clearly stated their own thinking on the matter.

[CoffeeCat]

26. Oh yeah, right...

I'm taking my directives from the Republicans.

No, I'm being morally and intellectually consistent.

I haven't heard anything that Republicans have said about this. I don't care.
Their rantings are moot. I only heard the song.

The Republicans will always attack us and find something bad about everything
Obama does. Their hypocrisy doesn't make everything we do, absolutely above
reproach does it?

Geez. I can't wait until this happens to the Democrats. After Newt Gingrich
invades Iran and Syria--killing hundreds of thousands of innocents and OUR KIDS
come home with a "Newt is the greatest President EVER!" coloring book--we'll see how happy
you are.

[Liberal Veteran]

31. Ahem!

"Today at the White House Easter Egg Roll, dozens of children “from the stricken Gulf Coast region serenaded First Lady Laura Bush with a song praising the beleaguered Federal Emergency Management Agency.” To the tune of Hey Look Me Over, the kids from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama sang:


Our country’s stood beside us
People have sent us aid.
Katrina could not stop us, our hopes will never fade.
Congress, Bush and FEMA
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us and we join them hand-in-hand!

[babylonsister]

59. How precious. I don't recall many complaints from the r/w either. nt

[Liberal Veteran]

7. Funny that the right wing outrage didn't exist for the "Katrina Kids" song.

Our country’s stood beside us
People have sent us aid.
Katrina could not stop us, our hopes will never fade.
Congress, Bush and FEMA
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us and we join them hand-in-hand!

[Cha]

20. Really!? Those lyrics weren't

even accurate.

[Liberal Veteran]

27. Not only innaccurate, but do you remember the Right Wing Tizzy over the song?

Me either.

[CoffeeCat]

29. EXACTLY---They're intellectually dishonest cretins!!

This is exactly my point.

The Republicans don't mind if school children sing for Bush, but their brains catch on
fire with rage, when school children sing about Obama.

They're being dishonest. They're acting like immature brats.

Are we going to be like the Republicans and cheer on our guy, and then bash the other
side--when this happens to us?????

Are we like them--or do we more enlightened than those Republican cave dwellers?

[Liberal Veteran]

33. Sigh. Righteous indignation makes me ever so slightly nauseous.

This was a single song sung by a single class during Black History Month a few weeks after the inauguration of our first black president.

Not exactly something to get our panties in a wad over.

[Cha]

67. Not even close..but knickers will be

perpetually wadded by those who have nothing else to offer..no plan..nothing.

[JonQ]

80. Not that that is ok, but it isn't an accurate comparison

saying "congress, bush and fema" is not the same as saying only "barack obama".

[Liberal Veteran]

83. Well, this WAS a part of a Black History Month program.

It would have been wildly inappropriate to bring up congress, Bush, and FEMA as part of the song.

[JonQ]

109. As inappropriate

as this song.

[AllentownJake]

9. One idiot school teacher does something dumb

and we spend two weeks discussing it.

Why the hell can't we just say that individual was stupid and move on.

[EmilyAnne]

44. Thank you. I agree. nt

[Hissyspit]

72. Was she stupid? This was part of Black History Month. Were there other songs

about other significant African American figures and their actions and beliefs? Seems the context is missing. I would like to know more.

[AllentownJake]

98. It was fucking dumb

video taping it was dumber. Getting school children to sing songs of praise towards the President is going to unleash outrage by people who disagree with the President.

If it was a republican school teacher and George W. Bush we'd all be screaming bloody murder.

It was stupid pure and simple.

[billh58]

103. Only those

who are paranoid (euphemism for "fucking dumb") enough to believe that educating children about current affairs and civics somehow equates to ideological "indoctrination," would be screaming bloody murder at a (gasp!) Republican school teacher teaching about Dubya's presidency. If the teacher was using whatever medium he or she thought was most effective -- a book, a picture, or maybe even a song -- to teach the subject, that would be, well, just politically wrong (using the "paranoid" logic).

Funny, but it appears that those same paranoid people are screaming bloody murder now. The rest of us are wondering what all the fuss is about, especially since the terrible song in question mentioned absolutely nothing about Democrats, or Liberalism, or even politics in general. Glenn Beck and his hate machine dubbed those lyrics in seven months later, and most rational people still can't hear them.

I would also venture a guess that the children who sang the song have long forgotten about it, and have found new interests. Maybe one of them has been inspired to become a teacher...

[Hissyspit]

107. I'll agree that it would be stupid of a teacher

to teach kids a song about George W. Bush being the first African American President during Black History Month.

I don't know who videotaped it.

Again, you fail to address context. This all stinks of the attack on the teacher in North Carolina who was vilified last year over a YouTube video that was taken GREATLY out of context. The student defended the teacher. The parents of the student defended the teacher. The filmmakers whose work had been edited to show the teacher in a bad light defended her. Only the administrators threw her under the bus. In response to a right-wing YouTube attack.

[RidinMyDonkey]

10. I don't like it either

If my kids came out singing some love song about Bush, I'd probably pull them out of school immediately and send away for a home schooling kit.

I agree, Partisan Politics should be left out of schools, while still teaching about our government.

[mwb970]

13. It seemed over the top to me too.

It's not that big a deal, but why invite attacks from the right? They are already working the "indoctrination" angle pretty hard. This plays straight into their hands.

The bush-Katrina song is indeed pretty bad, but the Obama one seems even worse to me (not to mention cloying).

I really don't see why our kids need to sing adulatory hymns to any politicians, ours or theirs. Why not sing "Kumbaya" or "76 Trombones" or something instead?

:eyes:

[lapfog_1]

14. I would be upset if the Department of Education

sent out materials to all school districts that included having children sing the praises of President Obama.

That doesn't appear to be the case. So this is really a matter for the school district, the principal, the teacher and the parents, isn't it?

[mwb970]

16. They came pretty close with that lesson plan for the school speech.

I was glad that they bagged it, but I wonder about the mentality that thought it was a good idea in the first place.

[lapfog_1]

53. no, they didn't.

Asking the children what they could do to help President Obama (in the context of achieving their own goals in school) is no where near singing songs praising "dear leader" or some such.

And I think it was a mistake to modify things to appease the flying monkey right in this country.

Every time the administration appeases the rabid right, they don't get credit for doing so nor does it stop the next attack.

Change the lesson plan because it asks how students could help the President and the right attacks Van Jones, Jones resigns and they attack ACORN. ACORN completely federally de funded and they attack...

Appeasement didn't work with Hitler and it won't work with his modern day American followers.

[amandabeech]

90. It bothered me, too.

I wondered about the mentality of whoever came up with it.

I hope that person is now gone.

[HipChick]

17. Agree...it's not like its some WH edict..so why is it being blown out of proportion

[lapfog_1]

55. Because they have video to run

that they can spin into "See... Obama IS brain washing our children!" and run it over and over again on Faux.

Even though this was from 8 or 9 months ago. Even though Obama had nothing to do with creating it or asking for it.

But it stirs up the rabid right even more. They got slapped around a bit when they objected to his speech to school children and then the speech happened and it was "mom and apple pie". So they had to find this thing to show that he IS doing what they were claiming he was going to do in that speech. Not that this video shows that, but it can be spun that way by the flying monkey right.

[napi21]

15. It was black history month, and I think part of the teacher's

idea was to celebrate the first black POTUS. I don't see any problem with them singing a song of tribute to that idea. I can't say that we ever composed a song when I was in elementary school, but it was a Catholic ?School and the teachers were always promoting JFK...the first Catholic POTUS. I also can't imagine any teacher singing a tribute to Shrub. What in the world would they attribute to him????

[billh58]

18. I believe that

everyone is forgetting that this exercise was in conjunction with a Black History curriculum, and President Obama is our first black president.

If there was a "stupid and arrogant white guys" curriculum, I'm sure that some teacher, somewhere, would have made up a song about Dubya.

[Cha]

23. lol..thanks for bringing some perspective to the

thread.

[BooBluePotion]

24. I Dont belive Obama asked anyone to

Sing about him. And feel free to sing away about anyone you like :)

[kestrel91316]

25. So, you oppose the right of schoolchildren to voice their support of a

prominent public figure???

When do they gain First Amendment rights? At age 18?

[triple point]

50. I feel a little queasy when schoolchildren are encouraged to voice support for Jesus,

a prominent public figure...

[Ozymanithrax]

30. Politicizing a school play seems pretty silly to me.

I played George Washington at about that age. Patriotic Jingoism is part of any grade-school curriculum.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

32. I agree whole-heartedly with you. Imagine the people going ballistic here if it was to

Shrub.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

34. Was Bush the first black president?

No?

Well then.

[ZombieHorde]

36. "Well then" what? nt

[triple point]

51. Of course not...Clinton was.

Were you sleeping?

:rofl:

[Liberal Veteran]

35. Yeah, remember the outrage over this?

Our country’s stood beside us
People have sent us aid.
Katrina could not stop us, our hopes will never fade.
Congress, Bush and FEMA
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us and we join them hand-in-hand!

....cue up the crickets....

[G_j]

37. you keep repeating that

maybe there should have been outrage, but what is your point?

[Liberal Veteran]

40. The point is, giving creedence to right wing noise machine is stupid.

Do you honestly believe that some song sung by a single classroom during Black History Month about the first black president a few weeks following the inauguration of the first black president is sinister in some way?

[G_j]

45. not sinister

and I missed the black history month connection, so, I do agree it's blown way out of proportion.
As a rule, I prefer school kids be spared singing praises to political leaders, even the president.

[billh58]

48. Yes it

is definitely sinister: our children are being indoctrinated by the Cult of President Obama (aka "The Anti-Christ") and his evil band of Demonic Socialists for the eventual battle to take over the world!

:sarcasm:

[Liberal Veteran]

52. LOL. I get the sarcasm, however, there really is something sinister afoot.

It allows otherwise normal people to be whipped into being part of an echo chamber for the right wing loons who will take ANYTHING as an excuse to be outraged over our current President.

Instead of taking the sensible approach and saying "Oh, for fuck's sake! That's just pathetic! The wingnuts have got to be joking!", people are being turning into zombies repeating and shilling the right wing talking points.

[billh58]

63. Too true, and

the same silly-assed right-wing shit storm hit when President Obama addressed the nation's school kids on the first day of school with a message of "stay in school, and work hard."

Many on DU reacted in horror at the thought of the kids being asked (not forced, but asked) to write a letter to President Obama (in response to his speech) and to give him their opinions. What an absolutely diabolical plot to indoctrinate millions of kids with the concept of personal responsibility, and participation in the political process.

These same people, however, fully support the rights of some parents, preachers, Scout leaders, coaches, etc., to "indoctrinate" their children (and ostensibly their kid's playmates and friends) with a daily diet of unchallenged racism, bigotry, and other forms of inbred hatred. It's the "American Way."

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

39. Quite honestly, I don't even remember anyone posting this on DU. This is totally

unfamiliar to me. Do you have a time period when this song was sung?

[Liberal Veteran]

41. Here you go.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/04/17/katrina-song/

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

43. Yes, I just saw it at thinkprogress and I did a search on DU in GD. Nobody

picked up on it. April 17,2006. I know I hadn't heard about it on the news.

[AuntPatsy]

38. where are your previous posts denouncing those schools who sang songs for Bush

during his term in the same office? Just curious by the way I humbly disagree with you...downright silly, its been done often in the past and if not for the color of the present presidents skin there would be no issue period regarding school kids and honoring the reigning president in office...

[Beaverhausen]

42. Are you aware that the parents of this ONE class were given the lyrics beforehand

and they all were OK with it? No complaints from them. So why do you care?

http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/09/no-parents-objected-obama-song-lyrics/

[La Lioness Priyanka]

47. i think we need to be cognizant that obama is not just a president

he is also a symbol of a struggle and a victory

i think taking this out of context of black history month is very silly. in context of black history month we cannot pretend obama is just another president.

(and before people think i have drunk the kool-aid, i am often critical of obama's stance on several issues esp war/lgbt rights and continuation of playing loosey goosey with the constitution. i am sure his ardent supporters here know this)

[DevonRex]

49. Interesting to see who jumped on the right wing bandwagon in this thread.

All the usual suspects. Again.

[billh58]

82. Yep, the

weird, and the scared.

[bertman]

54. Wow, so if school kids can be made to sing praises to our President, why don't we get

the school kids in Minnesota to sing songs praising Representative Bachman, or we could get the kids in South Carolina to sing neat songs about Representative Wilson.

What's the difference in that and them singing about a president?

I intensely dislike the idea that a teacher can make kids sing a song about a politician. We know that teachers have no ideological leanings that would lead them to try to brainwash our kids. Right?

I recommend this thread heartily.

Thank you, Coffee Cat.

[billh58]

65. Are you absolutely

certain that the children were "made" to sing the song, or forced in any way? What if you found out that the lyrics were sent home to the parents for approval before any singing occurred? What if the sky is NOT falling, and this is all just a continuation of the neoconservative, religious-right, Republican campaign of lies and half-truths against President Obama?

[bertman]

66. What if parents felt the atmosphere at the school and in the community was such that

refusal to allow their child to participate would stigmatize the child or subject the family to ridicule?

[Liberal Veteran]

68. What if parents were from the planet Xenua which forbids singing outside of the home!

Oh noes!

Honestly, I am less concerned about this "incident" than I am that people on our own side become unwitting dupes who nod their heads in agreement with right wing tools who spin everything into a vast conspiracy.

[bertman]

91. Unwitting dupes? So people who disagree with you are unwitting dupes. Fuck you, asshole.

[Liberal Veteran]

93. I stand by that analysis.

We are talking about something that happened 7 months ago in a single classroom celebrating Black History Month.

Now far be it from me to point out the obvious, but if one lends legitimacy to right wing hate merchants by letting them take something out of context and making it appear as though this is some deep conspiracy to create a new generation of Hitler youth, then yes, one becomes an unwitting dupe by producing exactly the reaction that was hoped to be achieved by bringing the "story" up in the first place.

[billh58]

94. No, only

people who agree with Glenn Beck and his hate machine are easily influenced, and unwitting dupes. I'm sure that you're not one of those -- are you?

[bertman]

108. What you fail to see is the bigger picture. You're so pissed that Beck used this incident

that you totally overlook the real problem here.

I don't want our school children singing the praises of our President, whether it's President Obama or Bush or anyone else. Just like I don't want them praying in school, or pledging allegiance to the flag. Schools are for education, not indoctrination. Let our children learn about the constitution, the bill of rights, the way our democracy is supposed to work. Let them learn to question the President, not sing songs about him.

Somehow my generation grew up just fine without singing the praises of the Presidents--any Presidents.



This is not North Korea where we teach our kids to sing the praises of the great leader.

[mwb970]

104. Are you calling me an "unwitting dupe"?

If so, please allow me to call you an ignorant jerk. Thank you.

[billh58]

69. This incident

happened seven months ago (in February, one month after President Obama took office), and was just a small part of a broader program. No parent, student, or anyone else complained, or apparently gave it a second thought, at the time. An "illegally produced" (words of the school administration) YouTube video of the event recently came to light, and the Beck Baggers went berserk.

http://www.katu.com/news/tech/61510197.html

To this day, only a few parents have become indignant because Beck has cranked up the faux-indignant, Obama-is-a-Socialist-and-a-racist, amplifier. Move along folks -- nothing to see here.

[marshall]

57. I think there would be less objection if a religious song hadn't been used

At least in the first incident, the teacher took a song and basically replaced the word "Jesus" with "Obama" (in the excerpts I heard and read).

I believe it would be less alarming to those who object if a totally new song had been created, or a song that wasn't about worshipping a deity had been selected.

[Thickasabrick]

76. Bingo!! It fed right into the "anti-christ" freaks who are looking for

anything to validate their viewpoint.

[proud2BlibKansan]

60. I have a million more important things to worry about

I also don't see how it's politics when he is the sitting president of the country. He isn't running for office. Kids are learning about him and one wonderful way to teach children is through music. Not a one of the kids singing that song cannot tell you the president's middle name now.

[Arkana]

62. I'm one of his staunchest supporters, and neither do I.

Singing songs of praise to any leader just creeps me the fuck out.

[Hissyspit]

70. Where's the context?

As this was part of Black History Month, were there other songs about other significant "first" African Americans and what they believed?

I don't know. Anyone feel free to fill me in.

[Lex]

73. I'm out of the loop on this one too.

:shrug:

[Liberal Veteran]

74. Who needs context?

When one can just go off the "gut reaction" that the right wing spin machine hopes to achieve with this?

[Hissyspit]

77. We performed "The Mikado" when I was in elementary school.

Do some people think this was indoctrination? After all it mocks authority figures.

Yeah, I'm getting fairly tired of the knee-jerk 'yes, the right-wing is correct here' reactions we see a lot more here.

[mwb970]

105. Boy, you really have a bug up your butt about this, don't you?

Time to crank up the Ignore Machine. Buh-bye.

[woo me with science]

78. Excellent post. nt

[Judi Lynn]

79. A man on one of MSNBC's talk shows said, last week, his class drank a toast with milk to Eisenhower

every day. It was a ritual.

Sorry I didn't look up to see which man it was, I was listening from another room.

This behavior apparently has been in place a LONG time. I've never heard anyone lamenting Eisenhower tributes.

Singing a song about Davy Crocket, Daaaa-vy Crocket, "King of the wild frontier" was also very popular in schools in the 1950's.

Figures who accomplished something noteworthy, and not so noteworthy, apparently.

[JonQ]

81. Once the precedent is established

how can anyone realisticly protest against this when a republican is in office and some teachers do the same thing for him?

I know a great many people who support this don't care about being "fair" or "moral" on this subject. But you should at least see that obama has a max 7 more years or so in office. After that eventually a republican will take the whitehouse.

Keep in mind anything that flies with a dem in power will be used with a republican as well.

[Liberal Veteran]

85. As per my above example, we did all kinds of interesting Jimmy Carter stuff in Georgia...

....when he was elected president.

We were proud of the man who was elected from our state to be President.

In this case, we were talking about the context of Black History Month, so in some respects the parallels match.

Your gut reaction is precisely what the right wing noise machine hopes to achieve by making a big deal out this.

[billh58]

89. And there are

also a "great many people" who DO care about being "fair or moral" on this subject. Do you sincerely believe that this incident, or President Obama's recent speech to the nation's school children, had anything to do with political or social indoctrination? Do you really believe that in this particular incident, the teacher had any other motive than to present an example of American Black Achievement during Black History Month?

Would a Liberal Democrat really care if a similar innocuous gesture by school children to a Republican president were "uncovered" months after-the-fact? I have neither the time, nor the inclination, to perform an exhaustive Internet search, but I'm relatively certain that even (gasp!) Republican presidents, governors, mayors, Senators, and Representatives have been celebrated in song, dance, and speech over the years by innocent school children in public schools throughout this nation. We just did not hear about it, because the vast majority of Americans saw no harm, and it was not particularly newsworthy. We also did not have the neoconservative hate machine until very recently, who ARE newsworthy, because they get we Democrats to rise to the bait every time. You think we would learn, but apparently not.

But then again, why pass up a such a great opportunity to compare US school children voluntarily singing a song about a newly-elected USA president, with the Hitler Youth of Nazi Germany who, along with their parents, had no choice? Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh almost pissed their pants when they were presented with such a stroke of good luck. Apparently, their right-wing lies resonated with the gullible everywhere.

[gtar100]

88. Context??!! Does that not matter to you?

Anyone raising the issue locally, nationally or otherwise to make this happen? Jeez. It sounds like you're blowing this way out of proportion. Something written to celebrate Black History Month. I can understand that. But you want to turn that into some sort of decree to get all the children to sing propaganda. That sounds like a simple knee-jerk reaction and pissing on the genuine feelings of respect these kids had when they created the song and performed it.

Sounds like something the right wingers will be doing. Probably even hear about it on the news. Wo-hoo. Life in the 21st Century is full of such gems.

[emilyg]

99. K/R

[Connie_Corleone]

100. A song about the first black President during Black History Month?

No, we can't have that!

:sarcasm:

Right wingers are trying to find ANYTHING to compare Obama to Hitler or some dictator. They found this, 8 months later, to try to scare white people (Obama is trying to indoctrinate your children!!).

[blogslut]

102. What part of "It Was Black History Month" do you not get?

?