Monday, September 7, 2009

Oh Political Soapbox, I Return

My school year always began the day after Labor Day and apparently for millions of kids, that trend continues to this day. This year however starts in controversy. Tomorrow morning all public school children at the beginning of the school day will watch a 30 minute video from our President advising them to work hard and pay attention. It's also sad I had to find the text of the speech on Fox News' web site. If it's on the other news sites, it's was very hard for me to find.

Now all this always sounds great on paper, but with everything, politics has to rear it's ugly head. Let me be clear: I do not have a problem myself with the President speaking to these children, I think it's fantastic. The issue to me isn't his speech, but the lack of educating being done by public school teachers.

I can also see concerns from conservatives that this is as seed planting to show the President as the ultimate good guy which makes working in the opposition to be more difficult. And sure to form, that same 50% of people that think this President can do no wrong at any time are quick to mock and point out that these conservative parents are obviously anti education, stuck up, or just plain dumb.

So the political game begins. This is just a relate-able example and not an endorsement, trust me, this is noooo endorsement. I make political posts at times, but I really am fair. My message is consistency.

I fast forward everyone, especially those of you on your high horses (you know who you are and I know who you are) to the year 2020. It's Labor Day and early the next morning, conservative President Sarah Palin will be addressing all students in the public school system. Some families are quick to find that news camera and say how proud they are to have the first woman President addressing their children, and what a wonderful new day it is. On the other side are the people who today mock those conservatives, but in 12 years will be in a frothing rage! They are really really pissed off that this birther, whack job, gun toting, baby eating, nutsoid, idiot is going to be addressing their children and they are aghast. They don't want their children to be indoctrinated by this evil, evil woman.

That day is potentially coming. When the tide turns, and someone you do not like sits in the most powerful office in the world, will your message be consistent, that you are proud of the President for encouraging students to pay attention and guide their own paths, or will you be that anti eduction dumb 'hick' that pulls your children out and creates and uproar that you are so quick to judge and ridicule?

Don't play double standards. I will be paying attention to you all today and look forward to calling you out in the future on both sides of this issue because it will happen. So mark your words, your intolerance for opposing belief, and your mockery wisely.

Be consistent, it's either good for the President of either party to address students or it's bad for the President of either party to address students. Now go about your Labor Day festivities, and worry about more important things, because quite frankly, this is not one of them.