I’ve Read the President’s Speech: Amazing
This is the speech I expected the President to give to our children—excellent.
Given that he is not directing them to Christ, which would be the best counsel, his advice is a wonderful gift of common grace from God to the students of our land.
If you settle for the news headlines that say the president tells the kids to wash their hands and take care of the environment, you will miss the wisdom and courage in this speech. Within its spiritual limitations it is simply amazing.
OK, I also read the text. The praise he gives it is pretty over the top. Amazing? Not really. Wisdom and courage? We have fallen pretty far when someone labels a call to take responsibility for yourself as wise and courageous. It is a nice political speech. It has nothing terribly offensive in it. It does call for kids to stay in school, to take responsibility and not make excuses. He does a good job of pointing out that you can be somebody even from humble beginnings, which he knows something about. All very nice, all very appropriate, nothing controversial (keep in mind that this is the final draft, so I wonder what was in the original drafts before the controversy started). Ultimately, would a Christian parent find much to object to here other than the utter (and appropriate) lack of Christ in the speech? No. Is it a monumental political speech, particularly inspiring or "amazing"? Not really. Is it "wise" or "courageous"? Not at all.
I also know that John Piper is not soft on the President and has called him out on things like abortion. I do think that heaping praise on a pretty run of the mill speech like this, while perhaps an understandable reaction to some of the overreaction on the right about this, is over the top. There is something to be said for subtlety. Quite frankly I feel like Piper is scolding the rest of the church for not being nice to the President.
My thoughts? Again, it is a nice speech. Minus the now discarded heavy handed study guides, "How can you advance the revolution" type stuff, this whole controversy is a tempest in a teapot. This speech is forgettable and as soon as it is over, President Obama is going to prepare to go before a joint session of Congress and try to peddle his socialized medicine plan. By next week, no one will remember it. Perhaps it will inspire some kids to try harder, to take more responsibility. If so, I say great. I am realistic enough to know that the kids he is aiming for are not kids in affluent high schools, picking between Ivy League colleges. He is aiming for the kids at-risk, in Detroit and Chicago and Dallas. I wonder how much impact a ten minute speech is going to have. I can't fault him for trying, but this speech is hardly a "I Have A Dream" for a new generation. As a Christian parent, I am glad he is telling kids to stay in school and be responsible because for many of them no one else is telling them that. I also know that it is my job to teach those things to my kids, not President Obama, not the government run public schools and not the Sunday school teacher at church. It is my job. You can replace parenting with a teleprompter and a canned speech.
3 comments:
It's an alright speech. Many say this speech is no big deal.
I do not think politicians should be directly addressing our nations children apart from the usual means of the press.
To go to a classroom and speak and have the press pick it up and broadcast it is one thing. To package it and give it directly to the schools to disseminate is another story.
Notice they were forced to remove the "lesson plan" that originally accompanied the speech to be used by teachers. It had questions like, "What can you do to help the President?"
That is wrong.
I do not understand why anyone would suggest that the President speaking to school children is wrong. First, it is not without precedent. Presidents go to schools all the time. Remember, President Bush was reading a story to school children when the events of 9/11 happened. The press does not just pick these up either. They are orchestrated for political purposes whether the President in a Republican or Democrat.
Second, while federal government should not be so involved in education, the founders of our nation spoke of the importance of education. Why can't Obama? A President telling children to take responsibility for their education is completely positive.
That said I agree that the study guides are totally out of line, but that is only part of the story. Can't we commend Barak Obama when he does right?
Now, unfortunately, President Obama will contradict everything he said about personal responsibility when he addressess Congress on health care. This of course begs the question, which speech is disingenuous.
I don't much object to the President addressing the school kids. I do object to the overreaction in the other direction that would label his speech "amazing".
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