School Daze

Next week, on September 8, President Obama will make a speech aimed at our nation's youth. According to Mr. Obama, the speech will talk about such hot-button issues as the importance of staying in school (!). Republicans are, predictably, outraged:

From the Cato Institute, a libertarian "think" tank:

"It's one thing for a president [note the lower-case 'p,' Anonymous--and no, it's not a Cato Institute thing] to encourage all kids to work hard and stay in school. . . . It's another thing entirely, however, to have the U.S. Department of Education send detailed instructions to public schools nationwide. . . and push them to drive social change." ("Obama Goes Back to School")

Right. Because we wouldn't want our schools and the youth of America to be agents of social change. Best to leave that sort of thing to paid lobbyists.

It's worth noting, also, that schools are being invited, or, at most, encouraged to have their students watch the speech. They are not being required to do so. Of course, even this reasonable concession to democratic ideals raises concerns. From Jim Greer, Chairman of Florida's Republican Party:

"The address. . . . obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our President's [note the improper use of an upper-case 'P,' Anonymous] initiatives or be ostracized by their teacher's and classmates."

Florida! Figures!

We would have significantly more sympathy with Greer's argument if he weren't the Chairman of a political party whose party platform "energetically assert[s] the right of students to engage in voluntary prayer in schools and to have equal access to school facilities for religious purposes."

So for those of you playing along at home: voluntary viewing of a presidential speech is bad because it could impermissibly ostracize the apolitical, but voluntary prayer is fine even if it might unfortunately ostracize the irreligious.

This whole ruckus makes us want to ask one question of prominent Republicans:

Really? Really?!?

Look, considering the fact that the most prominent guest speaker we ever had at any school function was a guy who once worked as Chief of Staff to the New York City Sanitation Commissioner, we think it's pretty darn nifty that a bunch of schoolkids are going to have the chance to listen to a live address from THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!! And, let's get real, are we expected to believe that all these people who are complaining about Obama would be equally appalled at a speech by a Republican president? Hell, we would have even been excited if Bush had come to speak at a local school.

Of course, then all the kids would have come home saying "nukyular."