I challenge you to find a single bloke who has visited the parents' home, and hasn't seen the photographs of the daughter of the house sitting with the President of India. The show runs for 2 hours and 12 minutes and is accompanied with a full theatrical demonstration of all the words spoken by the President. Usually, excellent coffee is served during the interval.
You see, the sister won 4 medals for various activities from the then President of India, R.Venkatraman. He then called for her after the ceremony, and sat her down to see what kept her ticking, and all that. The sis' was given a new red-and-black dress for the occasion, and the photographs and medals occupy a somewhat better position than the sons and daughters of the house. It isn't everyday that the President hobnobs with the children of teachers.
The photographs themselves can be used for toothpaste advertisements, teeth whitening etc, but the President declined from going after fame in that direction, so the opp. was dropped. I remember what a great deal it was to have the President visit our School. There were black cats streaming all over the place, and everybody was checked. I almost had my priya sweets removed from my body. Quite scary I tell you.
The father was given the unique honour of signing the cards needed to present the guards with, to allow people access to the auditorium. Never has anybody approached the man with such a compelling need to get signatures from him, and he came forward with his most gallant attempt, and signed his full name, all of 23 consonants and 15 syllables (okay.....but it's a long name!) It wasn't till he signed the 502nd card that he started questioning his decision to sign the full name.
The President landed on the grounds, and we dutifully sang the national anthem, the guard of honour with the right click, shoes all polished, the works. It is something of a memory. The chance to see and shake hands with the President is one so unique.
I wonder why there is a controversy about President Obama addressing the children of the nation.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/09/coming_up_president_obamas_add.html
The most common complaint seems to be that he will push forth his propoganda. I ask you - to what end? When these children are old enough to vote, he might not be in the President's office any longer.
Turns out the President only said what parents hoot everyday, but now the country is just hoping that coming from the President's mouth, the children would listen.http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/
He said children should make the best of life's opportunities and learn to live responsibly. Where's the propoganda? All I see is many more proud families who can show pictures of their children with the President.
12 comments:
Not that I agree or disagree with the complaints. But the issue is not that he will push *his* propoganda... but his party's... in a sense the liberal point of view.,
Still....this is the first time I've heard protests about a President addressing school students! I am actually shocked that this has probably not happened before and hence the hue and cry?!
Conservative media knows how to push their outcry. And there are LOT of dumbos (much more than I
thought at least) in this country.
It is not that he is going to brain wash them in one day right. So, if they were truly worried about party's agenda being pushed to kids, then they can protest after the first address.
Yes. He may push his agenda well wrapped under good message. And yes there is .00001 percent chance this may turn into propaganda machine like dictorships. But comeon, these are the same guys who mocked liberals as cry babies, doomsday precidtors & tree huggers when they posed their concerns regarding environment. (with scientfic data).
Definitely someone has to talk to kids. Especially when good number of the parents are not doing that.
The irony of the hue and cry boils down to this:
He is worthy enough to lead the country, but not worthy enough to talk to the kids???
Exactly!! If the President is not worthy enough to address children, why elect him in the first place?!
Also, aren't children our wealth, who needs to be led in the right direction etc?
The question is this...
Do you think the children were really listening to this or were they dreaming of something? A personal address is different from being forced to watch it on TV.
About his message,I definitely don't understand the controversy ,well...its just a game of politics, though I am not sure if the children really liked someone telling them to study hard.. :-)
Now, you have Fox News cribbing about how Bush was criticized even more... :-)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,548062,00.html
This is too much.....what a mockery they make of the whole system?! Its almost as if they are closing their eyes to all the big problems and are determined to find the pettiest of issues - that unfortunate case of having to finally sort things out by having drinks with the policeman and Harvard Professor, and now this.
Get a grip news channels!
I think, a president talking to kids/children is highly overrated. As survivor mentioned, I am not sure how many kids really listened to it with sincerity, compared to media/public... I am not sure how many kids are going to take his word even if they had listened... If they are not listening to parents/teachers, why are they going to listen to a president... After all, it is not like he is going to give a timeout or give them a spanking...:)
@brainwaves: Calling lots of people in this country as dumbos is way too much of a generalization dude...
Mindframes...it is not so much whether they listen or not. It is an honor to meet the president however way you put it.
The President can't play soccer with you, he can't give you time-outs. What he can do is tell you something to inspire you.
Brainwaves called them dumbos because of the unnecessary hue and cry. We had people stating emphatically that they wouldn't send their children to school because it is one hour of lessons lost for crying out loud! It's okay that their gesture is making them lose the rest of the DAY at school!
Take a look at the schooling system in comparison to the rest of the world before making statements like that.
I do agree that it is a great honor and inspiration to all. Influence on their life...that I am not so sure... well, that's just me...:)
Like any other country, US has it's own share of irrational and dumb people... That said, I think, it is definitely much lesser than most other countries... The only difference is that, in the name of "true" democracy, these people and their opinions make it to the spotlight through media whose sole purpose is to feed the interest of their respective political groups...
If I am one of those children, I would probably think about when will the next PET period start and what is for lunch :-D
I think, only elders/parents bother about these things very much.
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