Monday, September 7, 2009

TV, part II

Days later, I cannot tell you how sincerely disappointed and shaken I am with the reaction to tomorrow's Obama speech to students. STILL! I just wrote about this on Friday, but the sensationalism has built to a fever pitch. I don't consider myself a naive person, but what these far right Conservatives are spewing is just astounding.

In my Friday post I went as far to call these people sissies, but I'd like to add on to that with closet racists and anti-Americans. Don't like that? Sorry. I didn't have a glowing recommendation of W, but I respected his position as President. I even went as far to sympathize with him at times because I acknowledged the hellish demands of that position. Being the leader of "the free world" is not an easy thing, but never did I think that there would be more hatred and anger coming from within our own nation towards our commander-in-chief.

Now that the speech is released and it is shown to be nothing more than a "go get 'em kid", the crazies are turning to the lesson plan proposed by the Dept of Ed and the obvious rewrites. As a teacher, the lesson plans were never a requirement, just activities for teachers to use if they wanted. Don't believe me? How is the DoE going to enforce that? As to the rewrites: really? Really?! I mean, you are SO sure? I am pretty sure there are aliens out there. I think there is more proof to that than your allegations of a nefarious first draft.

I don't think I have ever been more disgusted with my fellow Americans. Are people so angry that they an lost election STILL? Are people so unsure a biracial man can lead us? Are people so afraid of considering different perspectives?

Please don't tell me that this is a small few who believe the President is a bogeyman--crazies that CNN are picking off the streets or the typical FOX personalities. Sadly, these are people who are commenting on news boards, students in my classroom, Facebook friends, and sadly even family.

Now, schools are sending out permission slips to allow students to watch the President speak, or to avoid controversy altogether they are not watching. I don't remember having an option of watching Reagan or Bush Sr. when I was in school, I would have never considered NOT watching as it was simply unpatriotic and an act of apathy. Last year when I invited Jeff Flake (a self-described Conservative) to speak to my students and he thankfully accepted, I don't recall people screaming that I was trying to indoctrinate or brainwash. My students and I were thrilled to have him, whether we agreed with his position or not, because we care about being informed and involved citizens.

So many questions, so much sadness, so much regret that my children have to wander the world with this outright lunacy.

8 comments:

Jeff Westover (Go Ducks!) said...

I agree with you Keiko on this, and could spend hours and hours pointing out equally appalling behavior. Somehow we have become a country like we used to watch on television; a country burning flags and defacing the likeness of our President. Moreover, the arguments of late have been about topics we as Americans (mostly) all fundamentally agree upon (if you consider the actual facts). A President who calls for educational reform and personal responsibility. Healthcare reform while complicated is wanted by most WITH A VIABLE PUBLIC OPTION! Next up will be the huge environmental reform fight followed then by immigration reform.

We've already dabbled in gay rights with too much compromise and no real change. We've deferred true financial reform and failed to adequately address the housing challenges.

It's our own fault. We have become a nation of lazy fools that lay about getting their news from talking heads or media outlets that are highly prejudiced (pun intended). We need to demand a better effort from our elected officials. We should demand term limits for congress. We should demand campaign finance reforms and a significantly shorter election cycle. We should demand 99% transparency in our government and severe limitations on lobbying groups and special interests. We need to demand more from our media outlets too.

Instead, we are a nation that watches people like Glenn Beck; listens to the functionally illiterate like Sarah Palin; culls all knowledge from outlets that only support our own preconceived notions and prejudices.

I know there will be disagreement and rage for my final comment but this is mostly a right-wing thing. Sure there have been some democrats that have said some crazy things, but the ratio has got to be something like 10:1. The right-wingers and their supporting casts in the far right media are really way way out there -- AND THEY KNOW IT TOO. I don't need to name the names, we all know them. These people are treasonous d-bags that might be breaking the law. They abuse the first amendment and disrespect the very constitution they so loudly claim to cherish above all things. They spew religious piousness while violating all the teachings of their Maker.

Before people start to say, yeah but the democrats this, yeah but the democrats that, JUST STOP. Unless you are a total dolt, you surely know that you have aligned yourselves with a pack of wolves and thieves that seeks to be right (or is it righter?) at the expense of everything from their neighbor to their country. Just stop, call your GOP representatives, and tell them to do something constructive.

Oh yeah, and Go Ducks!

witticism here said...

Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, Wallace, Coulter, O'Reilly to Olbermann. Does that support your ratio?

As far as I am concerned, all of these people are entertainers and there is nothing "newsy" about them, yet people are getting their "news" from them because they are on a "news" channel.

We are so focused on being entertained (I mean, look at what we pay atheletes, singers, actors) that we ignore the line.

While I like to look around at ALL the networks for entertainment value, I seek to find the truth/support/justification/opposition in the real world around me. I think that is what is making me so frustrated with this particular topic--it isn't actually being blown out of proportion by the media.

The Wizzle said...

I kept David up last night until almost 2 in the morning, trying to get my sadness over this out of my system. It mostly worked, I feel lots better today. or maybe that's because everyone on Facebook was too busy barbecueing to throw barbs today. :)

I feel really defensive, and sensitive, and I was able to pin it down last night. I'm not an Obama apologist. I'm a leftist but don't have any particular love for the Democrats, and I absolutely welcome a different perspective from my own, provided it's respectfully, intelligently presented so we can both benefit from the interaction.

So I'm not defending The Left. I'm not defending Obama. I'm not defending his health care policy, his stimulus package, or the Constitution.

I am sticking up for reason, common decency, and common sense. I hope it's not a lost cause.

Valerie said...

Well-said, well-said, well-said.

We live in a STATE where one can, openly and without license, carry a semi-automatic to a public gathering, a minister prays for our president to die, and our Superintendent of D of E calls the president's speech "idolatry" before he has read it.

I will move out of Arizona as soon as my husband retires. By then, maybe to Ireland!

I think the speech brouhaha (sp?) still comes down to conscious or subconscious racism, hidden deep. For a "black" man to say, "hey, you can do it, just like me" is interpreted as aimed at fellow blacks, Latinos, etc. Good god, what will happen to all us whites then, eh, Gomer?

Ooh, you got me goin' Keiko. I am sad like you.

It remains up to teachers (and sane parents) to turn this into the ultimate teachable moment. Maybe that's the good that will come from this misplaced hysteria. So do your good job tomorrow, and go in peace.

witticism here said...

Well said. 100% agreement.

Renee said...

I hope you don't think we're getting sick of hearing about this from your perspective. I'd love to hear the students' reactions to the speech.

People are childish. I'm hoping for change.

Mike said...

All I ask is that Americans check their facts before getting their panties in a bunch over nothing. This was certainly a case of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING!

It is the President. He has a place to speak to the nation's kids. (Even Luara Bush said this).

The right wing wants to talk about communism? What about the CENSORSHIP and closed-mindedness that they so aptly promote? Can anyone say North Korea?

jules said...

Woo hoo!

I miss high school and being able to talk to the kids about this. Now I just get to talk about dividing decimals and no time for anything else...boring boring boring lol.