The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition announces “Hall Pass on That,” the alternative to President Barack Obama’s September 8th address to school children across the nation. The group asks that schools who choose to participate in the president’s September 8th program offer an alternative to students and families who do not wish to view, or have their children view, a partisan address or participate in activities that did not follow proper educational protocol or obtain parental consent.
Dana Loesch, Nationwide spokesperson for the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, announced the launch of the Hall Pass on That website: http://www.hallpassonthat.com to provide parents who oppose the Department of Education’s proposed presidential program. “We are suggesting several action steps parents can take if they do not approve of their children participating in a partisan presentation conducted without their consent.” The four steps propose by the Coalition:
1. Contact the child’s school to find out whether or not your school is participating in the president’s September 8th program.
2. If your child’s school is participating, ask what alternatives there are for the children of families who wish their students learn about the establishment of the country respective to the Founding Father’s intentions. Discussion can focus on the Constitution, the definition and actions of a republic, and the responsibility of elected leaders to their constituents.
3. Ask if the school can excuse your child from the presentation and instead receive a DVD of the address and copy of the activity directives to be evaluated by parents at a later date.
4. Request meeting with the school board, superintendent, and principal to inquire as to why parents were excluded from the decision-making process of this event.
Katrina Pierson, member of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, described some of the tools available http://www.hallpassonthat.com: “We will provide alternative lesson plans to the ones initially sent out by President Obama’s Department of Education. Those plans, which people can download from the site, were uncomfortably partisan with no real focus on how our officials serve the people, not vice-versa. Our alternative lesson plans also focus appropriately on the role of parents in the education plan for every child.”
Yes, presidents have spoken to schoolchildren before, but when circumstances required it. President Ronald Reagan addressed students after the Challenger shuttle disaster was witnessed live by millions of schoolchildren; George H. W. Bush addressed students as part of the effort to counteract the growing drug use by schoolchildren.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan issued directives to principals of locals schools, bypassing the school boards and superintendents of those districts – but most importantly, bypassing parental notification or consent. Conservative parents are further concerned as the material issued by the Department of Education focuses on the president’s partisan agenda. The responsibility of this nation’s government to its people is completely obscured by questions that strictly detail response and submission to the president’s wishes.
Parents are also concerned as the entire program was crafted with help from the president’s White House Teaching Fellows, some of whom are activists with documented hostility towards the very tenants of our republic.
The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition cannot afford to extend this administration the courtesy of any doubt when it comes to the education of our children and our schools are not the place to present one-sided agendas, especially without parental consent.
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Does anyone know how long the speech is? How long does the “indoctrination” take?
Fortunately my daughter goes to Catholic school and our Diocese has requested that the Catholic schools NOT show the President’s speech. However, had they shown the speech, I would have volunteered to to keep all the children whose parents did not want them to view the speech, in a separate room and prayed! Pray for this God forsaken socialist, nearly communist country that we used to love. You remember the HOME OF THE FREE? We need to pray for our freedom! This is an outrage and this evil man must be stopped!
What I don’t like about this whole mess is the blatant way our government feels it can push itself into the limelight at the expense of my children. Obama’s children are off limits, well, so are mine. Would he want me to come into his home and talk to his kids about abstinance and abortion, two very important things to teach children? No he wouldn’t….he would say it’s his job as a parent. Goal setting and how to achieve them is MY job!!!
Guess what? Obama’s the duly elected President of the United States. Deal with it. Oh, by the way, try looking up fascism and socialism in a dictionary one day, and reading about actual fascist and socialist regimes in a history books written by reputable scholars. You’ll see that you’re talking out of your collective ass.
What happened to the old patriotic republican party? This is really lame. I would love to let my kids get taken care of by Mr. Obama. He seems to love his family and his wife. I think it is great to teach children to listen to and respect their leaders. Maybe you all should take note! I would remind all believers in Jesus that they are to respect their authorities and not be in rebellion. The good book says that every authority on earth is God ordained. It also reminds us in psalms that the heart of the king is in the hands of the Lord. Also did it ever occur to you that capitalism is the opposite of the kingdom of God and socialism is way closer to the picture of life we are given in the book of Acts where believers shared everything and no one was without. I imagine heaven is something like socialism from outerspace! Did it ever occur to you that if all the Christians reject obama an rebel against him that he will cease to have any Christian council. Great… So who then will he be listening to? You all make it really hard to spread the gospel through your hate speech, fear and hopelessness. Good luck with obeying Jesus in your state! Maybe we should PRAY for him instead of against him. Does the Bible not say our war is NOT with flesh and blood (anyman) but with spiritual powers and such. sigh
I received a reply from our principal. He says there are no plans to view this address. If they do it will be taped, reviewed to see if applicable to their curriculum and then parents would be notified and allowed to decide for their own children whether to view it or not.
the Bible also says honor thy father & mother, but if they will disown you for becoming a
Christain then you must honor God first.
I have read many of the comments posted and I am fortunate to have a child small enough to not be exposed to this speech. I agree with a previous poster, that we have to WAKE UP!!!!!! Countries are lost and taken over because people become complacent and trust their government too much. America is the greatest place on earth because we have made it the way it is and Obama is trying to change that. I don’t care if he was elected or not, I don’t agree with him and where our country is going. I think it is great that there is an avenue to stand up for what we believe in. It is not being paranoid, it’s looking at FACTS and taking charge. I think that’s great!!!!
Hide behind the conservative banner, it is simple, you do not want a black man speak to any white person with any authority. Black folk can be good entertainment, but they are beneath being a real model for white kids. Keep your kids home and teach them to be narrow minded little fear mongers who hide their hearts from being a diverse society. i am find it shameful for my Christian brothers and sisters to wave the flag of conservative for the banner of bigot. WOW I am afraid for America’s future for it is clouded with color. Your heart is revealed and God sees your wickedness. It reminds me of the jews saying “surely God will not take our land”. Do not let your fear lead you. Let you heart be pure, you have the Holy One living inside. Your children have it also but you’re afraid a black man will perverse your child. Remember Willie Horton. The black man is not coming to rape and steal your stuff. i thought America had a chance choosing Obama, but it is clear the fear leads you and your hearts are not given over to God. Whom will you serve your fear or your faith.
Trapped by fear, freed by Faith
what a bunch of whiny loosers. I hope his speech embarrases the heck out of all your fear mongoring
Thank God I teach and my children attend a school where they have a CHOICE! Let me guess…you all aren’t really into choice huh! Go ahead and keep your kids at home where I am very sure they will receive a quality education blogging with you. 4 feet good…2 feet baaaad…
By the way, congrats…you all have successfully WASTED hours of educators’ time with your partisan tactics…time taken away from your kids…was this your agenda?
I think Lisa’s comment pretty much sums up this movement…”Pray for this God forsaken socialist, nearly communist country that we used to love.”
When the democracy votes out your party, then you hate the country, and you will call this democracy – socialist, communist?
Please, when you pray, look in the mirror and ask God to have mercy on your soul.
This is such a foolish concept. Do any of you have mirrors in your homes? Look in them and ask the person looking back if they have any respect for the office of the President.
I have tried very hard to not give my opinion on this matter online, but I have reached the end of my patience.
As a teacher, I find it very offense that some families immediately jump to the conclusion that I must be working to brainwash the children in my classroom. All I am trying to do every day is educate them. I want them to have the ability to think on their own, and I do not see any problem with letting the President of our Nation tell them that school is important. Like it or not, President Obama is a great rallying force for our youth. I work in a school district that primarily serves minorities. I cannot begin to explain the pride and excitement in their eyes when Obama became our President. To them a new hope was born that they would not be judged solely on the color of their skin.
Just think what an impact this speech will have on them. They admire Obama for overcoming adversity and to have him tell them to work hard in school is a gift. Not only to them as students, but to me as an educator. Everyday teachers have to face student apathy. We have to walk in to a room full of children and try to constantly grab their attention and in the process teach them something. We have to battle against MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Mp3 players, and a constant barrage from the media that teaches them that if it isn’t flashy and makes you feel good, then it must be crap and not worth your time. Imagine trying to get a child raised in this culture to sit for 20 minutes and read a book.
I am not apathetic. I do what I do because I love it, and because if you work hard you can get that child to love a book. I have seen it happen.
My point is simple: In a world that holds education as a mark of one’s worth, why is it so terrible for the President of our country to ask children to stay in school? Some say that past President’s have only spoken to all children as a result of an emergency. Well let me clear up a few things for everyone… education in this country is an emergency. Drop out rates still sky rocket (especially in states that oppose this speech so vehemently) and all our President wants to do is tell children to stick it out. He wants to let them know that school can be doorway to greater opportunities.
What is the harm in it? Frankly, I feel we are teaching our kids to be close-minded by telling them they should not even be in school to hear his speech. Talk about totalitarian tactics… I plan to talk with my 8th graders about what Obama says. We will see who agrees and disagrees with his message. I cannot see how letting the elected leader of our Nation speak to his delegates is such a crime.
Yeah, who does this socialist Maoist Marxist Stalinist communist Obama think he is anyway, talking to our school children via special message and encourage kids to study hard and stay in school. He’s no Reagan, Bush I or II like when they did nationwide school speeches, dammit!
Can I say “dammit?”
what was wrong with my earlier comment?
The following is ourletter to our local school district superintendant and high school principal, following a telephone call to them Friday morning when we first learned of it.
TO: All USD 309 Officials
RE: Obama Speech to Our Children
To All It May Concern,
Following my telephone call to the school Friday morning, this letter is in response to Mr. Obama’s speech to our nation’s children on Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 and to inform the school district of our decision to excuse our daughter from school on this day. In addition, that she will not be subjected to related assignments, media, questionnaires or other political materials ongoing which will be incrementally introduced by this government. We respectfully request your understanding on this matter while at the same time it is to advise you it is not based upon opinion – but our line in the sand.
While we are pleased to hear USD 309 state that they “…support efforts to challenge students and to help them set education goals”, we absolutely object to the notion that Mr. Obama will prescribe what direction our children will take with their future. Children do not have the knowledge of history, the discernment, foresight or experience to understand what they are being drawn into and parents must stand up to protect them. If the public school system won’t protect them – we will. And if the parents do not declare who’s in charge, the government will.
It is unfortunate that the majority of Americans have the memory and attention span of a goldfish (relatively speaking), but for those of us armed with the long-view of history and that pay attention to world events more closely (still actually read and pay attention), we feel it is an insult to our intelligence to declare it so innocuous – little more than a good-willed inspirational speech for our nation’s youth when in reality it is the beginning stages of Obama’s indoctrination program, the government’s plans to rob them of their identity and ultimately force them bring them into servitude in various forms and further erode their personal liberties.
In merely one example of the intentions of this government, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Mr. Obama himself have stated that their ultimate goal is to have compulsory civilian security force. As one columnist stated, “What better way would there be to achieve their goal, than to bypass parental supervision and sell their ideas straight to our children? This mode of operation has been implemented several times throughout history and I’m sure you are all aware of the result.” This is no matter in which to scoff, but rest assured it is merely one of countless reasons we insist she will have no part of it. The length of a letter shall not suffice if you require additional reasons why she will have no part of it.
Note that we require few additional reasons to justify our decision on this matter but will oblige to further questions you might have if so desired. Note that we will not consume an excessive amount of time in doing so and if these requests are not honored (and without repercussions to our daughter or her grading), we’ll need to get on your schedule soon to meet in person. If you require any assistance in complying with our request, please let us know how we may be of service. Furthermore, I would be happy to supply you with a bulk of information in the form of real legislation, bills, news articles, meeting minutes, videos, audio or other material if you lack the required information or motivation to obtain and apply it in our child’s best interest.
A novel idea for the time originally allotted for all this would be for the schools to distribute copies of the United States Bill of Rights, The Constitution of the United States and all amendments since this country’s inception – all of which our current and former president have defied with great contempt. I hope the school district has teachers still qualified for these lessons. I suggest the wasted time consumed by your schools should be used to study these documents instead, heed the reasons they were written and teach our children their true self-worth, how to be leaders not followers and ask the right questions.
While we admit that parents often can only to a degree – this decision is to both shield her from the thinly veiled propaganda from this president, in fierce protest and to serve as warning that we the parents are in charge, not this rogue government. Send this message straight to your superiors.
While we agree it is important for them to learn and evaluate what is happening in society, it will not be precisely what this government suggests to them reality is, nor “what they can do for their government.” Note that the original lesson plans stated that children in lower grades were suggested to “…write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president”, and that after the speech students were to discuss what “…the president wants us to do.”
No. We think not.
Sincerely,
xxx & xxx
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think we all have a right to respectfully request that our children be excused from viewing the speech and participating in the associated activities/assignments.
Send your kids to school…you lazy bums!! Its just another excuse to stay home.
Reply to Ben:
Obama is already brainwashing some adults from this country, we can see that with Ben above, but now he is trying to brainwash our children. Ben is right, Obama was ordained by God. God has control over good and evil. Remember Job and how God allowed the devil to cause all that bad stuff to happen to him. Remember Saul, the people yelled “let us have a ruler” and God said “okay”. What did he do? Today the people yelled “let us have a ruler” and God said “okay, here is Obama whom you asked for”. Quote from Ben, (Also did it ever occur to you that capitalism is the opposite of the kingdom of God and socialism is way closer to the picture of life we are given in the book of Acts where believers shared everything and no one was without.). Believers share and make sure no one is without because it is a Christian way. It is not because the government forced them to do it. As for the Christian council that Ben is speaking about Obama having, I would like to know where they are. I agree that we should be praying for Obama and that this is a spiritual war. If God can change a drug using, prostitute, baby killer such as me in His kingdom then He can certainly use Obama.
This is a ridiculous site and ridiculous cause.
Suzanne September 4, 2009, 3:11 pm
I know what the definitions to these words are but you obviously do not.
fascism:
1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
2. (sometimes initial capital letter) the philosophy, principles, or methods of fascism.
3. (initial capital letter) a fascist movement, esp. the one established by Mussolini in Italy 1922–43.
socialism:
1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
3. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.
The President HAS taken over the banks, the auto industry, and is attempting to take over health care. That certainly is well defined by number one under fascism. Numbers one and three, have been already outlined in his campaign speech’s, do you remember “redistribution of wealth”? and how many times has he said “Capitalism is bad”?. Please don’t insult people that you don’t have a valid counter point for, it only magnifies you ignorance.
The fascist ruler at the White House has the audacity to publish his speech on the White House Web Site…a site paid for by our tax dollars!
Read it. It’s full of obvious hate-filled propaganda that I wouldn’t want my child exposed to. http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/
Keep your children home tomorrow from school regardless that the President release his written speech to school children. Many schools will be using C-Span to broadcast his speech with SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE attachment when he speaks tomorrow. On September 8, 2009-Read Animal Farm by George Orwell
I wonder how many of you have bothered to read this speech. It is the most inspiring and beautiful speech and no matter who read it, it would honor your children to hear it. It is sad that you have allowed your party to cloud your reason and judgment. If you read this speech blind, I have no doubt you would see its merits. It is sad that you have allowed your blindness and prejudice stand in the way of your ability to be open minded. The saddest thing of all is this is the lesson you’re teaching to the next generation, judging.
We seem to be sliding into Crazy Times. Our country was started to escape religious persecution. Now anyone that doesn’t “fit the mold” is NOT AMERICAN! Our President deserves respect because he is President. If they don’t think “W” was trying to indoctrinate people into a cult, I don’t see how they believe this President is. I hope that they are exposed for the RACISTS they are. It’s time to call them what they really are, WHITE, STRAIGHT, CHRISTIAN, you fit. The rest of us deserve their boot on our throat! Personally I am tired of Choking!
http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/
Perhaps before making hateful remarks, you should read the thing which you are so afraid of… how horrible a President wants to tell kids they can do well and accomplish great things… wow, how narrow and sad you people are. I hope you are all very ashamed of yourselves. Yes, even for the very ungrateful, our President Obama will care about you, too.
The President of the United States is going to speak to children with a message that encourages them to achieve, stay in school and be ready to compete in the global economy. I did not vote for Obama, but if he wants to encourage students to stay in school, I don’t have a problem with that. I DO find it very hard to believe that some people really believe the racist, hate mongers that have churned up fear about the stability of our country and the life of our Republic. I don’t remember McCarthy-ism personally and I wonder if that time in our country was as scary as this. Come on folks, disagree with Obama on the basis of his actions and his political platform. Don’t perpetuate the fear and distrust that has been stirred up by the extreme right wing that can’t get heard any other way!
OMG……..the President of the United States is giving a speech to school kids encouraging them to stick with it, talking to them about the importance of an education and encouraging them to take responsibility. I dare him!
When George W Bush was reading to children in an elementary school on September 11, 2001, were these same people up in arms? Did parents at that school demand to see the President’s remarks in advance, view his presence there as a communist plot and ask to approve the text he read to the children? What if he was indoctrinating them NOT to say “Goodnight, Moon”? or worse yet, maybe he was reading The Giving Tree, a blatantly Leninist bit of propaganda. This whole outcry is stupid, unpatriotic and hypocritical. The TeaBadgers and all their militia kin are apparently angry that we have a well-educated, intelligent and forward thinking president in office for a change. Get with the times, hillbillies. The REAL conspiracy at work is the cynical exploitation of the American people by the Insurance industry, oil companies, big banks and millionaires like Rush Limbaugh, who could not care less whether children stay in school. The more ignorant people, the richer they get.
Your header says “Parents, not the President, determine what you learn.”
I’m sorry, have you heard about the No Child Left Behind Act? President Obama wants a few minutes to encourage education. “W” and the Republicans dictated a whole curriculum!
Are you kidding me?
I’m surprised these parents aren’t pulling their kids out of public schools altogether — public education is clearly a socialist program. Taxes pay for it. Even my taxes, and I don’t have kids enrolled in public school. Enroll all of your kids in private school — and hey, if you can’t afford it, too bad. Much better than that evil socialism
I am saddened that a simple back-to-school address by the duly elected President of the United States – who also happens to be a loving father of school aged children – has become an excuse for political opponents to vent all manner of hyperbole and paranoid invective. These “four steps” treat the President’s speech as if it were a sex education video or a lesson on evolution. The White House has released the text of the President’s remarks, which you can read in their entirety here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/. I also recommend comparing the President’s prepared remarks with those delivered by President George H W Bush to school children in 1991, which you can read here: http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=3450&year=1991&month=10. Had President George W Bush chosen to speak to all of America’s children via television, I doubt his remarks would have been much different. Whether or not you agree with many of President Obama’s policy positions, I doubt that your own advice to your children about the importance of hard work and education would be any different.
If it is so important for this president to have our kids stay in school then why in the world did not 1 Cent from the stimulus money go to the school district? why did so many teachers lose their jobs? why do I have to volunteer everyday just so that my sons teacher can finish her day on time? What is wrong with people? How can you be so blind as to see that he openly said to look at the people that surround him in order to know his policies. All I see are people who are communists and fascist. He is using this opportunity for propaganda. Anyway he can to get to us, first directly then through religion then through art and now our kids. Hoe low can he go?
I can not believe how crazy people are acting over a speech by the President of the Untited States. There is a serious problem with drop out rates in this country and any encouragement that kids can get to stay in school is fine by me. I would like to know what happened to simple respect. You may not like the President, but he was lawfully elected and inauguarated, so he at least deserves the respect associated with the office. The partisan divide in this country is ridiculous.
Is anybody paying attention to the Get Schooled initiative launching on all Viacom networks on the evening of Sept 8? It leads into Facebook and Twitter networking to build a channel for attracting supporters of Obama’s education agenda, and if you look at the related website, that includes lobbying governors (many up for election in 2010). Wake up. This is about more than just the speech and the original teacher notes.
According to CNN (Commie News Network), Laura Bush says its okay for skool kids to listen to B. Hussein Obama’s speech. Who does she think she is, that socialist?????
Politicians are required to speak an Oath to the USA citizens, Constitution, & Flag that they will protect all from enemies both foreign AND DOMESTIC. Responsible parents, by nature and love of children and freedom, adhere to a personal commitment to protect their children from ALL enemies both foreign AND DOMESTIC. This president has made himself an enemy of responsible parents. He willingly stood before a Catholic University graduation exercise, by invitation of a politically motivated school administrator and IN THE FACE of the ANGER of students and parents who had spent their time and private money to attend that private school. This president is UNMOVED when seeking to increase and PUBLICIZE his control. He will tear down the borders that you have established as parents to protect your children. This IS war, and the goal is to steal the minds of YOUR treasures and smite your guaranteed American RIGHT to the pursuit of happiness. You are looking at the whites of the enemy’s eyes. Take your stand and protect your children from capture by this Charmer Con Artist whose speech is riddled with psychological burdens, blame, and intimidation for your children. Keep ‘em home and deal with the school “officials” if needed. They cannot legally enforce children to participate in any religious or political activity. If the school authorities proceed, TEACH them how wrong they are. Sue ‘em and get them out of Education if they reject parents’ complaints. ORGANIZE and take it to the Supreme. It’s time for this and it’s worth the battle. NO president or politician has the right to invade ANY workplace, be it school or business to INTIMIDATE, slam the people with BLAME, DIRECT their thinking, haunt and humiliate any child or employee captive in their work or school facility. Stop the Socialists and the spread of Socialism. Protect your children from enemies both foreign AND DOMESTIC. On Guard.
My Alma Mater is REQUIRING students to view the speech
What do you guys think of George H. W. Bush’s televised speech to school children on October 1, 1991 (the eve of the 1992 Presidential election)? The one where he said:
“Let me know how you’re doing. Write me a letter — and I’m serious about this one — write me a letter about ways you can help us achieve our goals. I think you know the address.”
Oh yeah, and he promoted his education policies as well…
“We made a start nationally now by setting six National Education Goals to meet the challenges of the 21st century. By the year 2000, at least 9 in every 10 students should graduate from high school. We should be first in the world in math and science. We need to regularly test student’s abilities. Every American child should start school ready to learn; every American adult should be literate; and every American school should be safe and drug-free. Reaching those goals is the aim of a strategy that we call America 2000.”
I was in school then… And looking back, I must have fallen under the spell of this ruthless dictator, George H. W. Bush. I was forced to learn to READ, take TESTS, stay off DRUGS and GRADUATE from high school! I was stripped of my freedoms and indoctrinated into “America 2000!”
So glad your kids didn’t hear the speech about staying in school and trying to get good grades.The only reason you didn’t want your children to hear the speech is that you don’t want black people talking to your kids. I am so happy you are teaching your kids to be racist biggots at an early age.
Wow, I’m kind of surprised this site is still up and running. Seems to me that an awful lot of people really ought to be ashamed of themselves. “Indoctrination”? Nope, nothing of the sort.
I’d thought that the right’s stance was “if you don’t trust the President, then you are a traitor.” Whatever happened to that sentiment, anyway?
Well the boycott today worked well! We sure showed them Obama lovers, didn’t we?
What it was that we showed them, however, was a whole lot of foolishness by day’s end. Time to grow up!
How sad. I mean, really, we can’t let our children think for themselves! That would just be wrong. And we sure can’t let the President of our collective nation ask them to assist their country and encourage them to study and be a responsible citizen! Shame on you all. Just wait until your children become adults and get outside of the bubble. God forbid they go to college and begin to explore their views and opinions instead of repeating whatever mommy and daddy have force-fed them for 18 years.