Obama Speech to Students: Should Your Parents be Getting You Up at 4:30?
Parents would undoubtedly be far more trusting of an address by Barack Obama to schoolchildren if one of his most important goals as President--stated early--was NOT to begin to work on his reelection. It has become impossible to tell what is the work of government and what is a campaign appearance, and it should be no surprise that the public is confused.Campaigning, not governing, is the President's favorite way to spend his time, and parents would be more trusting if the President appeared more diligent in doing his work. As it is, Obama's style is to rush through legislation that won't take effect for years, moving forward on an agenda that the average citizen really can't understand. His administration then labels questions about what he is doing as "silly," "stupid," or a "distraction," responding with haughtiness, or in the case of press secretary Robert Gibbs, maniacal laughter. Is it any wonder that one parent shown on last night's news--upon reflecting that her child would be required to listen to the President's address to students today--was in tears? The President even refuses to have the usual cabinet approved by the Senate--adding in extra, unconfirmed people with "cabinet-rank" and "czars." Members of the public are beginning to think that something fishy must be going on with the President.
I've read the Obama speech to students, and it seems all about striving and not about being a kid. Great things; what ever happened to just being above average? It's one thing to be a slacker; it's another to be neurotically driven. No doubt, it reflects the President's values, or at least what he thinks your family values should be.
One thing that did stand out in the speech was that the President reported getting up at 4:30 while he lived in Indonesia, an effort known in America mostly in its rural past. But, before you feel too terribly sorry for Barack Obama getting up so early, do consider that many of his friends were awakening at the very same time for pre-dawn fajr prayers, which take place before sunrise in Muslim homes, the time varying with the season.
UPDATE: When President Bush gave a speech to schoolchildren in 1991 the House held hearings!
Do you like the cute little picture of waking up for prayers? I do. I found it at Pixie's blog, who writes from Canada about fashion and Islam.
posted by Publia at 7:56 AM
6 Comments:
Glad someone else caught the 4:30a.m. thing. I wish he'd have told the real story instead of spinning it. How can anyone sleep through these 'prayers?'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3YTsHvQVCo
He might not have been sleeping through prayers; his mom could have been wakened up by the call to prayer at a nearby mosque and decided to make good use of her time. We don't know, but the timing is interesting. That is a great youtube video link! That is the call to prayer, though, and not the prayers themself.
Obama is a quack...he needs to be OUT OF OFFICE...asap. He is going to bury this country in a hole that we will never be able to climb out of.
Anon, be patient. It is going to be a tough time for the next 3 1/2 years for those of us who wonder if we will have a country when he has finished, but part of being a good citizen is to wait until the next election. Yes, it is hard, but make a commitment TODAY to get out there and work like a dog for his replacement.
Waiting for the next election could be a problem If a national security force as well equipped as our military is in place by then, it may be impossible to hold an election to stop the onslaught.
Anon, it's really important to realize that one of the most important enemy actions is to play upon pre-existing fears of the citizens of a country. These fears vary from country to country, and here in America many fear the power of the government. Generally speaking, this is a good thing. Nevertheless, it is possible to raise the level to fever pitch. I have no doubt our enemies are hard at work. Stand firm, but do not allow the enemies of America try to destroy our country from within by preying upon our citizens' fears.
Our military is largely made up of patriotic Americans such as you. While I completely understand your fear, I do not believe that it is realistic. Why? The rhetoric out of the Administration is "Chicago-speak," the language of the street. It uses hyperbole in ways that can terrify people from the rest of the country.
The South side of Chicago--the "roots" of the current administration--is not only accepting of mixed-race strangers from Hawaii who decide it is a good idea to organize the community, it is also very accepting of people with a wide range of bizarre ideas. This is not necessarily much different in my mind than say, Leyden, Holland where the Pilgrims lived briefly and safely due to the open-minded character of this University town.
Keep in mind, the south side of Chicago is also home to the great University of Chicago, where Communists and the very Conservative manage to happily co-exist. While I don't understand this, it is the truth. I suppose it is because that people who gather around universities generally love ideas, and the more ideas and the greater range of ideas the better.
Since I live, sort-of, in the general area (but many, many miles away, actually) I undertand this dynamic. The street talk and the wild-eyed rhetoric could terrify people from other parts of the country. Jeremiah Wright is not-atypical. While he possessed a horrible mouth, he honorably served this country in the military and was well regarded by his peers. And despite his talk of the privledged white-folk, he is enjoying a comfy retirement in a million dollar home paid for by his congregation.
The point? These people are far more conservative than their speech would indicate, and a government takeover would restrict their freedom as much as it would restrict yours or mine.
Candidates are now beginning to emerge for the next election season. Find a good one and put your distress to work, volunteering your time to the election process. The enemy wants you to think your work would be in vain. Don't fall for that; it won't be.
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