And leave our children alone, too!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

To the Superintendent of the .... City School District

Dear Mr. ...,

I'm a 63-year-old grandmother and resident of ... , and although I have no grandchildren in the North Ridgeville school system, I have great concerns about the President of the United States *addressing school children all over the country on ANY subject. Not only is such an address unprecedented in our history (radio addresses were conducted during war-time), but with the current political climate, the outright divide between supporters- and those who do not support the president is likely to spill over into the homes of those children.

Not all homes are places where the parents and children able to discuss politics, let alone the government's role in their lives with clarity and evenness and especially good will; it is likely that - as in the anti-smoking and conservation campaigns that were sent home over the years - children may feel authorized, even commanded by the President of the United States to comply and further to instruct their parents to comply with whatever it is that the president has ask of them

The role of the federal government was intentionally designed to be minimally intrusive into the lives of its citizens.

Over the last 40-50 years the federal government - granted, that is has been with our permission through our votes - has grown out of its constitutional boundaries, and this case has even over-stepped the authority and responsibility of the school administration and the teachers; social studies and civics classes are the place where children should learn about a citizen's responsibilities and rights, and the home is where they should receive their encouragement and if required, permission to acede to the implied 'marching orders' from the government

No one person in any role, other than a parent or law enforcement, should be given such heightened authority in a venue where young people with mostly under-developed social and reasoning skills will be watching and listening. We don't even encourage children to watch some movies or television programs without parents there with them to talk about the subject during and afterward

This intrusion - and we must not deny the forceful impact of any president's words - sets a dangerous precedent and I implore you not to allow it in your schools

Regards,
cc: President Barack H. Obama
Mayor ..
Grandson,..
Friends and Family Senator Sherrod Brown
Senator George Voinovich
Congresswoman Betty Sutton
Congressman John Boehner

*From whitehouse.gov web site:

"MEDIA ADVISORY: President Obama to Speak Directly to Students in National Address on Educational Success

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As children across America go back to school, President Obama will deliver a national address directly to students on the importance of taking responsibility for their success in school on Tuesday, September 8th at 12:00 PM EDT at Wakefield High School in Arlington. In advance of this address, the Department of Education is providing resources developed by and for teachers to help engage students and stimulate discussion about persisting and succeeding in school. The speech will be broadcast live on www.WhiteHouse.gov and C-SPAN. The speech is open to pre-credentialed media. The deadline to request credentials is 6:00PM EDT tomorrow, Thursday, September 3rd."