The Communist Trap

The controversy is heating up over whether President Obama should be addressing America's school children next week. We've gotten to the point that conservative leaders are telling parents to keep their kids out of school rather than let them be indoctrinated into the socialist world view of the Democrats.

The hypocrisy here is easy to point out. President Reagan addressed our children in November of 1981. He told them all about the importance of Star Wars (not the movie) and lowering taxes (no political agenda there, right?). President George H.W. Bush held a Q&A conference call with schools (so no one knew in advance what he was going to say!) back in November of 1991.

Republicans thought these events were just fine and dandy. No problems with either the idea of the President talking to school kids, or the political messages.

But now, they're saying that THIS President will further his political agenda with his speech. Never mind that the well-publicized subject of his talk is encouragement to stay in school, get a good education, take responsibility for themselves. Never mind that the entire text will be available early in the week, before he gives the address. They either ignore this information, or call it lies.

Chairman of the Florida Republicans Jim Greer says "As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology." He goes on, to say that the President will "spread his liberal lies" by "indoctrinating American's youngest children before they have a chance to decide for themselves."

Not surprisingly, Michelle Malkin claimed that "the left has always used kids in public schools as guinea pigs and as junior lobbyists for their social liberal agenda."

And our news media chimes in. Sean Hannity says it will be very "close to indoctrination." And here's one of my favorites: Monica Crowley, also of Faux News, said "just when you think this administration can't get any more surreal and Orwellian, here they come to indoctrinate our kids".

Even those who accept the subject matter as laid out by the White House, these fear mongers say it's not the message, its the messenger. Filling in for Lou Dobbs on CNN, Chris Stigall says "At issue is Barack Obama has effectively called a meeting of your children with direction of public school teachers to guide them and shape them and mold them into a discussion and a way of thinking without you there. [...] He gets away with this once, it'll happen again and again."

Let's get real. Not real like in reality TV, I mean real real.

Barack Obama is our President. OUR President.

And like presidents before him, he sets an example for the rest of us, and that example MIGHT be followed by some of us.

There's the rub.

What could be worse for the powerful, wealthy, conservative elite, than a nation full of school children, rich and poor, boy and girl, black, white, brown, red, yellow and rainbow, who see that it's OK to have a dream, to work hard to achieve it, and finally make that dream come true?

For one thing: kids who grow up to get involved in their community and vote. Because the more people who vote, the more liberal the nation becomes. (That's why ACORN registering so many people to vote, without regard to their politics, is such a dangerous thing for Republicans.)

And another: kids who stay in school and get a good education. Because the more educated people become, the more often, and more liberal, they vote.

What will happen to our minimum wage work force if kids stay in school? Who will work at McDonalds? These kids will all think they have a right to fair wages and a safe work environment! And they'll vote! And run for office!

No, it's pretty clear. If we let President Barack Hussein Obama talk to our school children, the nation will simply fall into the communist trap. And the rich might have to stop getting richer at the expense of future generations of kids from the wrong side of the tracks. Lord help us.

America may have elected a brilliant, mixed-race president, but there's still plenty of people out there who would do almost anything to keep it from ever happening again. We may have come a long way, but, sadly, there's still a long, long way to go.