Now Time for Something Completely Different!

I'd like to think I'm a fairly open-minded person. Most of my political rants are pretty damning of the current administration as a whole, and not always specifically about the man in the office. But I also will absolutely give credit where credit is due.

Nice speech, Mr.President. It was refreshing to read it.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/
I have not seen the video, but I read the transcript - so maybe I need to say "Nice speech, Mr.Speech Writer" but I'm sure the Big O had something to do with it.

This speech was a pep-talk to school children accross the country. When the discussion about him bringing politics into the speech came up and considering the fact that the speech was not released early, I was skeptical and pretty angry. If you control the perception of the children of a nation, you control the nation. (10 points to whoever can tell me who thought that in history) Calling on impressionable youth to "help [the President]" is wrong - maybe they shouldn't help you and your socialistic friends destroy our founding piciples. Maybe they don't beleive what you beleive. With that said, it seems he listened to the American people this time and reworked his words. Thank you, Mr.O.

I try and bring up things about this speech that I don't like and I'm stretched thin.
I try and say I can do without the "I'm just like you" crap, but kids do need to see the sucess from a child who grew up in poverty. Even if I don't agree with his policies, he has done more than I can dream to. Having a good work ethic is something lacking in many of these childrens role modles.

I don't like that this speech has a feeling of going to young black kids in particular. "I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star" He redeems himself at the end of that sentence though "when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things. ... being successful is hard." Despite putting that as a complaint, I am not blind to the differences in racial quality of education and life in general. It is well documented that minorities have a higher drop out rate, get into more legal troubles, and score lower on standardized tests. Because of this, at least I understand where he's comming from. (perhaps someday I'll go into what the causes of these things may be, but not here or now)

I think that's about all I could complain about.

He basicly told kids "Life is hard work - and if you want great things, you have to decide to have an education. Get off your butt and do it". THANK YOU! Other presidents have talked to students, but I don't think it ever got accross as well as this speech does.

"But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. ."

Bravo, Mr.President. Bravo.