Obama's Speech will corrupt your children. NOT!

Just when you thought August recess couldn't get any wackier, conservative talk show hosts have stirred up a hornets' nest over President Obama's planned speech to the nation's schoolchildren next Tuesday. Obama plans to tout the value of education, encouraging kids to work hard and stay in school. But now, after working themselves up into a frenzy over death panels and Nazi symbols, conservative critics are inspiring a new wave of madness, calling the speech a political recruiting tool and propaganda. Florida Republican Chairman Jim Greer took an incredible leap of logic, saying that Obama intends to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda."

Newpaper reports all over the country are reporting that parents have called local schools requesting that their children be excused from viewing the speech or threatening to keep their kids home if the speech is shown in their classrooms. The Associated Press reports that school districts in six states - including the President's home state of Illinois - will refrain from showing the speech to students. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has written to teachers encouraging them to incorporate the speech into their lesson plans, using the president's message about hard work as a learning tool. But, in reaction to concerns from parents, some schools have decided that the speech won't be discussed at all in their classrooms, leaving it up to parents to decide whether the speech merits a conversation with adults.

All of this raises a few questions: What happened to classrooms as venues of learning, where ideas are explained and debated? Isn't it the exact job of schools to turn out young citizens who are informed and engaged enough to be full participants in political discourse? Since when should we be directing schools to shield children from history, politics, and culture? If a speech by the president of the United States isn't a legitimate device, then I'm not sure what is.

It's not unusual for presidents to visit schools when promoting policies, as George W. Bush did when he passed No Child Left Behind and wasn't he a brillant one. No problems with him entering the classroom. Ronald Reagan did the same for his "Just say No" policies. Mostly it's been considered a privilege and a learning opportunity to have an important political figure speak to children. Political candidates often use schools as a backdrop for their education pitches. And it won't be the first time teachers have turned on a TV so students can witness important political moments. Do you remember the day you watched the first teacher go up into space only to have the shuttle explode on tv. I watched this in my 6th grade Science class. The notion that letting children hear the president speak is worthy of fear seems ridiculous to America's democratic values. Moreover, the subject matter should be something that people of all political stripes agree on: education should be prized, working hard should be valued, and staying in school helps kids getting ahead. The question has been proposed about how todays young students could insure a graduation rate in 2020 of 80%, I believe the number was. And isn't that a horrible thing? We have this "horrible" president who would like to see 80% of our high school kids graduate! Oh the horror of it all! He wants kids to graduate! What will he want next? Young people to go to college?! Heaven forbid! We can't allow him to indoctrinate our children to become ed-u-ma-kated they might end up smarter than us! They might even grow up to become a Vice President who knows how to spell potato. Have we really gotten to a point where parents are afraid of having the president impart those messages? You will allow your child to download music that you can't even hear to follow through your child's ears while they are in your backseat, knowing you have no idea Lil' Wayne is really saying - or when is the last time you viewed every text that passed through your child's cellphone or myspace - but certain folks have the nerve to be intimidated by a stay in school speeches for your child? Are you serious? President Obama...please please please indoctrinate my children that SCHOOL IS THE WAY!!! It is what we as parent "preach" to them EVERYDAY!It's been one crazy summer.

Jesus Take the Wheel

A couple of things have been on my mind the last few days with news and such. I waited patiently for details on the economic stimulus package before speaking on it and I'm annoyed about much of what is included.

I'm just trying to figure out how millions going towards teen STDS creates jobs? I definetly support tax cuts for small businesses and working Americans. I also believe there should be another one time stimulus check for Americans. I realize this didn't work with President Bush but now people are definetly hurting and will surely spend the money. I support federal money to build infastruture. That puts people to work as well as making the nation better. On the other hand some of this other crap is simply put, ridiculous. $400 Million for Global Warming? Are you insane? $2.4billion on Carbon Capture projects? What the hell is that???? That does not stimulate the economy. NO! There is entirely too much environmental humbug in this "stimulus package". Those things are definetly worthy but they should be considered in a separate bill! $650 Billion for digital tv conversion coupons? NUTS! $150 million for the Smithsonian and $1 Million for Amtrak???? INSANE!!!If it's costing money SELL IT. It's been losing money for 40 years! Let the private industry run it. There are billions for increasing foodstamps, childcare, medicare. All that having absolutely nothing to do with increasing the economy! Okay, done with this subject. NEXT!


Ervin Lupoe needs to come back to life so we can put him in front of a firing squad and shoot him again. If you have no idea who Mr. Lupoe is. He and allegedly, his wife are the two idiots who lost their jobs last week following an investigation at Kaiser Permanente. They decided (Mr. Lupoe left a suicide note), that they no longer have anything to live for and did not want to leave their children behind so they killed their children and themselves!

A man fatally shot his wife, five young children and himself Tuesday after he faxed a note to a TV station claiming the couple had just been fired from their hospital jobs and together planned the killings as an escape for the whole family. “Why leave our children in someone else’s hands,” Ervin Lupoe wrote in a letter posted late Tuesday on the KABC-TV Web site. Officers rushed to the home in Wilmington, a small community between the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, about 8:30 a.m., apparently within minutes of the killings.

Officers could still smell the gunshot residue in the air. A revolver was found next to his body. Ana Lupoe’s body was found in an upstairs bedroom with the bodies of the couple’s twin 2-year-old boys. The bodies of an 8-year-old girl and twin 5-year-old girls were found alongside Ervin Lupoe’s in another bedroom. All were shot in the head, coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter said. Kaiser Permanente Medical Center West Los Angeles released a statement confirming both Lupoe and his wife had worked there; both were medical technicians. The letter indicated that Lupoe and his wife had been under investigation for misrepresenting their employment to an outside agency in order to obtain childcare.

If grown people wanna off themselves because life gets a little tough, that’s their decision, but taking the children is where the line needs to be drawn. The whole thing is terrible, but the mother participating in it makes it all that much worse. Here's a thought idiot. Go buy yourself a life insurance plan and then drive your car off a cliff and kill yourself since you are an obvious coward. At least your KIDS can have a good life. We've all gone through hard times. Keep it moving or move out of the way so your kids can grow up and be productive citizens. Do you honestly think you'll be with them doing the angel dance in heaven after you commit murder and suicide? There has got to be something in the water lately...gggrrrrr

On a side note - I'm not completely frustrated with life. My insomnia seems to be subsiding. With the new year I've realized that life is too short to be unhappy and unsatisfied. In the word of Andy Dufresne "Get busy living, or get busy dying". I've realized that I have so much more to offer and I am "needed". God had to turn the world upside down in order for us to realize that we needed CHANGE. I'm very excited in what the future has in store.

There are No Words - President Barack Obama

President Obama. There are no words to describe the way I feel today. Thank you

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen - Matt 20:16

I woke up feeling a little different today. I thought I'd feel different than yesterday but I'm still smiling. A little stronger, a little more powerful. I told my son last night "Do you realize what has happened? Do you realize you can now be ANYTHING you want in this world". A received a text that said "Rosa sat so Martin could walk, Martin walked so Barack could run and now Barack ran so we could fly". Our vote does in deed count. Nothing has ever felt more powerful than watching that man stand on a stage in front of the entire world and say "YES WE CAN"...Yes we did. I feel the tears of happiness again approaching. I looked back and Michelle and her face said "hhumpf, I knew it all the time, ya'll just didn't know it...now ya know". I will be forever grateful to Barack Obama for knocking down that door. It even felt good to watch The View yesterday and see Elizabeth Hasselback the "McCainiac" say, "he is our President and I will support him", with all sincerity in her eyes. I feel so damn good right now. I can't stop smiling. Look at what people can do in numbers...not colors....but numbers. O-bama! (la, la, la, la, la....we can change the world) -if you can't catch the tune is my previous post "We are the Ones

Some psuedo intellectuals "hating" on Obama

I always thought this was the stupidest saying until I saw true "haterism" at it's worst while flipping through some youtube clips. After watching this clip I was disgusted. There was a "crabs in a bucket" meeting recently hosted by Tavis Smiley interviewing Cornel West and Julianne Malveaux. These pseudo intellectuals took time to blast Barack Obama’s DNC nomination speech. Jesse “I want to cut off his nuts” Jackson is not the only negro who knows his time is up, Tavis Smiley and Cornel West know their time is up too, and are desperately trying to hold onto their last 15 minutes of fame. That old school ‘Afro-negro’ intellectualism is not going to cut it anymore and these hardcore chitlin eatin' negroes are fighting back. They don’t understand that Barack wants to win. That is the prize. They would rather have Obama speaking at a Jena 6 rally than continue to be on a mission to becomnig the Leader of the Free World. Cornel West is the same guy that made whether he was going to teach at Harvard or Princeton a national racial issue. West also criticized Obama for not marching or speaking for Jena 6. Tavis criticized Obama for not coming to his State of the Black Union meeting. Next thing you know these folks will want Barack to throw on a bow tie and give a speech on the corner while holding up a bean pie. Envy breeds some of the stupid folks ever.

Late add - In a discussion I just received in an email I found this point interesting "Isn't it funny when some of the people and commentators on tv say that John McCain is catching up to Barrack Obama in the polls because the people don't know him --He has no experience and has only been a senator for four years, and just a few years of experience in Illinois before that--
and KaBoom!!!, within hours of being introduced as the Republican candidate for Vice President-- never having been seen before--Sarah Palin and guess what? She's immediately and completely accepted... Makes you say hmmmm"

Barack and Michelle - Black Love

Regardless as to who you vote for this year - you’ve got to give Obama props for not only showing the world how strong and intelligent Black men are, but for images like these. A strong Black couple- supporting each other to the fullest!For too many years we have been considered somewhat of a caricature to those watching from the outside. We’ve appeared materialistic, overly accessorized (bling), overly self medicated, overly sexed, violent and under-educated.
Thank you Obama and Michelle for putting your world on blast and letting folks know that there are many layers to us.

Michelle Obama...Powerful Beyond Measure

This week, I had the pleasure of conversation with three of my very intelligent, very enlightened girlfriends. It was really more of a friendly debate, two against two - two arguing that Senator Obama is electable and worthy of the presidency, and two arguing that the Hillary is the better candidate. I'm fairly certain I don't have to tell you which side I fell on (silly grin). The real fireworks started when one of the ladies remarked that one of the 'real' reasons she didn't want to see the Senator elected is because 'they gon' kill him, and I just couldn't stand to see that!' ggrrrr. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've heard that from black women and a few men. Obviously, in light of our history in this country and what our ancestors had to endure at the hands of racists, their concerns are understandable; I've allowed myself to think the same thoughts at times, and undoubtedly, Michelle Obama has had the thought run through her mind a time or two. Ironically, the very next day after my conversation with my colleagues, I stumbled upon a video on you that says it better than I ever could - watch it for yourself at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZPm0jyBeEU. An amazing coincidence? Maybe not. Maybe the Lord God at work. Out of Michelle Obama's own mouth - she refuses to allow thoughts of losing her husband sway her from doing what she knows in her heart is best for the country. She gave her blessing to the Senator to throw his hat in the ring for the presidency because as she put it, she was 'tired of living in fear'. There is no better way to say it - my job is done here, except to say that we could and should learn a lot from this strong black woman. It is so easy for us in our lives in general to let fear prevent us from taking the steps to do more, be more, and give more. Michelle Obama is making the ultimate sacrifice of her time, her family's quality of life, and yes, her peace of mind, in light of the fact that there is a very real danger that some lunatic will try and hurt her husband. But as I watched her in this video, I saw visions of Coretta Scott-King, Winnie Mandella, and a host of other remarkable black women around the world who knew with out doubt, even if not without fear, that the cause to which their husbands were called was greater than that fear, greater than their hopes, and greater even than their simple dreams of a long life with their spouses. And because she has given so much to the cause of moving this nation in a better direction, it means that no matter what happens this next election year, Michelle Obama is my hero for life, and another shining example for the young black women in this nation to live by. So to my friends I say, suggesting that we should allow fear to prevent us from doing everything in our power to elect Senator Obama, is like saying that we would some how undo the entire civil rights movement itself if we could only get Martin Luther King Jr. back. The idea is ludicrous and counter-productive; I don't believe either man would even entertain the thought, neither would their wives. So as black women, it is time for us to beat down our fears like they owe us child support, and wrap ourselves in the hope of a better future for our families, our communities, and our nation. It's the only way that change will come, and isn't that what it's all about?

Maria Endorses Obama

California First Lady Maria Shriver was the surprise guest this weekend at the Oprah Winfrey/Caroline Kennedy/ Michelle Obama UCLA rally. She came out officially to endorse Barack Obama. When I saw this on the news my mouth dropped open! You go mama!!!! She said she was standing not because she was cousins with Caroline Kennedy or because she she was friends with Oprah. She said if Barack were a state he'd be California! Her husband officially announced his endorsement of John McCain last week...as I knew he would. My husband and I don't always agree on everything but this is the height of different sides now isn't it. I believe that Maria has shown courage and judgement. She is absluetly correct (IMHO) regarding her endorsement and it underlines that "something is happening here!". I love that the Schwarzenegger household's ideology that it consists of a husband and a wife who think for themselves, regardless of stereotypes or party affliliation. Maria is not just "Arnold's wife". She is a journalist, a mother, the First lady of California and a proud Democrat who happens to be intelligent, independent-minded and yes...a Kennedy. The momentum continues to build. If Barack can carry California, I think he will be our nominee. His inspiration is astonishing. Only one mention of "Clinton" in my thoughts for today. Yesterday during a speech at a black church he said "All my life I wanted to vote for a woman, all my life I wanted to vote for an african american, God answered my prayers" Amen....tomorrow's decision is important. Please remember to take part. Your vote does count.

Obama and the Audicity of Hope

In July 2004 I watched BO electrify the Democratic National Convention with his address that spoke to Americans across the country. His main focus was what he called the "Audacity of Hope". Obama calls for a different style of politics. Politics that is rooted in faith, nobility of the spirit at the heart of our experiment with democracy. He dares to explore the forces, the fear of losing to the need to raise money to the power of the media that sometimes hurts the most well intentioned politician. I enjoyed reading the Auducity of Hope so much, and his self-deprecating humor, especially about settling in as a senator, trying to find balance with the demands of public service and family life, and his religious committments. Obama's vision of moving beyond "ourselves" to tackle problems was awesome. Especially touching on the growing economic insecurity we have reached, racial and religious tensions within politics, and terrorism beyond our nation. His discussions with how faith plays itself in politics was interesting, especially about how it must never intrude. (more on this late as the next few weeks shape the "new history" of the US)