I just finished reading the text of President Barack Obama's Back-to-School Speech, and I must say it is excellent. It is all about students taking responsibility for their education, so I don't understand what all of the commotion is about. Truth be told, the media is sensationalizing this issue because white Americans opposing the first black American president is deemed more newsworthy than the truthfulness of his message to students.
It also saddens me that the black principal at Claremont Elementary School in North Carolina would not televise this speech for his students. As principal, it is his responsibility to make the kind of decisions that inspire students to strive for excellence in all that they do. President Obama's story is inspiring the nation, not only because he is the first black American president, but also because he overcame great obstacles to become the leader of the free world. His story is the American story, one that even encourages the adult me to raise my game to a whole new level.
If you missed Gary Tuchman's CNN report (Monday, September 7th), Claremont Elementary School's principal also indicated that he would be open to President Obama delivering the same speech to his students at his school. What kind of sense does that make? Tuchman then told him that he would still be faced with the same level of parental opposition, and would have to go into his office to pray before making a decision. But the look on the principal's face let me know that he is more concerned about being liked by the powers that be than doing the right thing for the students in his school. The right thing in this case is allowing his students to listen to the most respected man in America.
The game of politics can become brutal at times, but President Obama speaking to students about personal responsibility should not be politicized. It should be applauded and supported because he is complementing what we parents are already doing on the grassroots level.
President Barack Obama won the U.S. presidency by a landslide last year over Arizona Senator John McCain. He is employing a long-term strategy for righting our sinking ship. If we're going to beam with pride when he represents us well in foreign lands, why can't we do the same when he uses his skill sets to inject a desire for excellence in our students.
I will be watching President Obama's Back-To-School Speech with my wife and five-year-old son. I pray Americans of all hues will do the same.
From THE PURPOSEFUL WRITER by Jeffery A. Faulkerson
http://www.purposefulwriter.blogspot.com
Posted By: J. A. Faulkerson
Monday, September 7th 2009 at 11:07PM
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