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____xxx“Parents who want their children to hear President Obama's back-to-school message Tuesday might have to keep them home. School systems from the Washington suburbs to Houston are balking at airing the speech to all of their students. Loudoun County and Charles County have no plans to show it at all.” Washington Post Staff Writers: Michael Alison Chandler and Michael D. Shear

____xxxOur President, whether these two counties believe in him or not, is using his time to send out a speech dedicated to all students going back to school. Loundoun and Charles County should make the decision of allowing their students to view this message dependable upon the parents not on those who have made the decision to block their students to knowledge and advice for theme. Blocking these students from the back to school speech will lead to nothing but unawareness and distrust towards the government, and perhaps even, the government of the future. If these students are blocked from viewing their president how are they supposed to learn about the government and who will be controlling the big picture of their lives. If they are only introduced to the biased opinions of their elders, then all of their future judgments and votes will be biased as well instead of based on equitable information as it should be.

____xxxSome students see their government as some invisible force in which their parents complain about its overbearing laws and taxes. The problem now is that some students don’t understand the world of politics. I know this personally because my friends and I are just a few of the numerous students out there that understand absolutely nothing on the value of political knowledge. Lack of knowledge should not be an excuse for political ignorance, but it is and if the higher ups think that they are protecting us, then they are wrong. They are doing nothing but destroying our views on a subject that we will later need to understand.

____xxx“Many critics focused their concerns on suggested classroom activities, which appeared to solicit support for Obama. In response, the Education Department changed one proposal from having children write letters to themselves about "what they could do to help the president" to writing about "how they can achieve their short-term and long-term educational goals." Changing the words of the question has changed the purpose completely. The new question has nothing to do with what these kids can do to help the president and they have accomplished only in replacing the original political thought posed by the first question. It seems as though the Education Department is attempting to allow kids to turn a blind eye to a subject that could later on change our future. This was done just by suggesting a different phrase for a question.

____xxx“The speech, which will be broadcast live from Wakefield High School in Arlington County, was planned as an inspirational message "…entirely about encouraging kids to work hard and stay in school," said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor.

____xxxWhite House officials said they were surprised and frustrated by the reaction to a speech they said amounts to an educational pep talk. Vietor said the speech will be released Monday to give parents time to review it and decide for themselves. "There's a tradition in Washington of attack first, ask questions later," he said. "There is a 'ready, fire, aim' approach to political attacks. It's unfortunate that politics has been brought into this. <span id="test29317353">. . .</span><br/><div id="post29317353" style="display:none; margin-right:75px;">

____xxxMany are arguing and releasing rumors stating that the pep talk is a way for the President to release political ideas to students, even when White House officials have repeated over and over that political motivation is at no point going to be brought up in this speech. “The speech is intended to motivate students to work hard, set education goals, and take personal responsibility for their learning,” the rumors stating otherwise may not have an obvious base source, but Republicans are backing up this anecdote and arguing that they don’t want the students exposed to a political speech disguised as a back to school speech. Some Republicans say they’re appalled at spending tax money to spread the president’s ‘social ideology.’ They’re comparing it to something you would see in North Korea or Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Is any of this sounding familiar? If so, this is because President George H.W. Bush received his own comments in 1991 when he was making back to school addresses. President Bush was criticized by Democrats when he made a similar televised address to students in 1991. He asked students to take control of their education, study hard, avoid drugs and write him a letter about how they could achieve their goals. At the time, House Democrats criticized the speech for having political motivations. History is repeating itself only with a different group making the accusations.

____xxxExcuses as to why some schools cannot allow the video to be shown during class. Loudoun officials sent a note to principals Tuesday advising them to keep their first-day schedules intact. “We have got way too much to do that day,” said School Board Chairman Robert F. DuPree Jr. “Loudoun County Public Schools is not going to be interrupting the school day,” But he said teachers could incorporate the speech into future lessons.

____xxxOfficials in Charles said they will not air it because of technical limitations. “If we can’t show it to all, we can’t show it to any,” schools spokesman Steven Sprouse said.

____xxxElsewhere in the region, most systems said they are leaving the decision of whether to show the speech up to principals or teachers.

____xxx“The idea that school children across our nation will be forced to watch the president justify his plans for government – run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other president, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans,” Greer said September 1st in a statement on the Republican’s web site.

____xxx“To have a man in his position tell them that education is important…kids will be inspired.” Brian Dunnell, a social studies teacher at Annadale High School in Fairfax County. Ms. Werner, a math teacher from Ridgeview High School in Clay County, on the other hand, states that she does not want to have to disrupt her classroom plans to accommodate the speech which will only put her students behind in their lesson and work.

____xxxIn the end, the decision is up to the average opinion of the county. Everyone is valued to their opinions and beliefs, but I believe that even so, they’re own opinions shouldn’t block the opportunity for those that can be influenced the most from a decision. If the President and White House Officials say that they have no plan in expanding political speech, but educational incentive, then who are we to not believe them? It would be their decision and downfall if they lied and surely they don’t want that. In the end, the Republican Party seems to only be looking for an argument. The same way the Democrats were looking for an argument for George Bush. Each opposing House can’t help but disagree no matter what the situation, and this only leads to pointless arguments like why Presidents shouldn’t be allowed to address subjects such as educational motivation which could help students nationwide.</div>