quote:

Parents upset over 'leftist propaganda' video

Principal apologizes for showing 'I Pledge' to students.


A school principal has apologized for showing a video at an assembly that a politically conservative group leader is calling "radical, leftist propaganda." Children at Eagle Bay Elementary School in Farmington were shown a short video called "I pledge" on Aug. 28. The video opens with an image of President Barack Obama and part of a speech in which he says, "Let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other." The video then features celebrities making pledges about how they will help the president and the world -- and that's where some say the problem lies.


Many pledges, such as supporting local food banks, smiling more, and caring
for the elderly are noncontroversial. But other pledges, such as "to never give anyone the finger when I'm driving again," "to sell my obnoxious car and buy a hybrid" and to advance stem cell research cross the line, some say.

***

Gayle Ruzicka, president of conservative Utah Eagle Forum, said the video was blatantly political. She said other offensive pledges included, "I pledge to be of service to Barack Obama," "I pledge allegiance to the funk, to the united funk of funkadelica," and pledges to not use plastic grocery bags and not flush the toilet after urinating.

"It's very inappropriate to show a radical, leftist propaganda piece that political to children," Ruzicka said. "If parents want their children to learn about those things and do them in the home, wonderful, fine, but it's not the place of the school to show a one-sided propaganda piece to children without parents knowing about it."

(Full article here).

quote:

White House Withdraws Call for Students to 'Help' Obama

Obama's plan to inspire the nation's schoolchildren with a video address next week erupted into controversy.

The Obama administration is rethinking its course recommendations for students ahead of President Obama's address to the the nation's schoolchildren next week, rewriting its suggestions to teachers for student assignments on how to "help the president,"

The Washington Times reported Thursday that presidential aides acknowledged they helped the U.S. Education Department write the suggested assignments, which stirred criticism by many who say Obama is trying to indoctrinate the education system.

White House aides said the language was supposed to be a inspirational, pro-education message to America's youths, but its unintended consequences were evident.

Among the activities initially suggested for pre-K to 6th grade students was to "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president."

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity


Read the second article, Spinner. Obama is planning a broadcast to every student in American public schools next week, and is having to backpedal away from the original plan.

I'm taking mine to a cultural center / museum that day...

quote:

ORIGINAL: SpinnerofTales
I read the article...but I didn't see anything about the broadcast plans. Can you point me to an article?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth

Seriously starting to doubt that the President has intelligent people working for him. If nobody thought that speaking to elementary school children wouldn't generate historical comparisons and cries of indoctrination they are the disconnected intellectual elitists they've been commonly accused of being.

What's the over/under for a right wing call for a national boycott of school that day?

Someone is going to use this for political hay.

Very strange.

quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl

Maybe im mistaken... but... havent other Presidents also addressed school children?

quote:

Celebrity-Packed Pledge For Obama (VIDEO)
digg Huffpost - stumble reddit del.ico.us

Jan 19, 2009

Hollywood heavyweights made their pledges to Barack Obama in the video below. Directed and edited by Demi Moore, it features celebrity pledges by Cameron Diaz, Hayden Panetierre, Laura Linney, Dakota Fanning, Jaime Pressley, Ashlee Simpson, Nicole Richie, Ashton Kutcher, Tobey Maguire, Diddy, Alyssa Milano, Marisa Tomei, Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette, and others.

From MySpace Celebrity:


Reflecting Barack's call for change, the film features over 50 of the biggest stars in Hollywood revealing how they plan to personally participate in keeping America strong, proud and green. The clip will be presented to our new President during his inaugural celebration.


"There's an assumption that this one man is going to take on his new job full-time and somehow wave a magic wand of change, and I don't believe that to be true," Ashton tells Reuters. "I think that we have to be the leaders, and that's not celebrities--I think that we as citizens have to be leaders of the movement that we want to create."

quote:

Gayle Ruzicka, president of conservative Utah Eagle Forum, said the video was blatantly political. She said other offensive pledges included, "I pledge to be of service to Barack Obama," "I pledge allegiance to the funk, to the united funk of funkadelica," and pledges to not use plastic grocery bags and not flush the toilet after urinating.

"It's very inappropriate to show a radical, leftist propaganda piece that political to children," Ruzicka said. "If parents want their children to learn about those things and do them in the home, wonderful, fine, but it's not the place of the school to show a one-sided propaganda piece to children without parents knowing about it."

quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl


Gayle Ruzicka, president of conservative Utah Eagle Forum, said the video was blatantly political. She said other offensive pledges included, "I pledge to be of service to Barack Obama," "I pledge allegiance to the funk, to the united funk of funkadelica," and pledges to not use plastic grocery bags and not flush the toilet after urinating.

"It's very inappropriate to show a radical, leftist propaganda piece that political to children," Ruzicka said. "If parents want their children to learn about those things and do them in the home, wonderful, fine, but it's not the place of the school to show a one-sided propaganda piece to children without parents knowing about it."

quote:

ORIGINAL: SpinnerofTales

quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl


Gayle Ruzicka, president of conservative Utah Eagle Forum, said the video was blatantly political. She said other offensive pledges included, "I pledge to be of service to Barack Obama," "I pledge allegiance to the funk, to the united funk of funkadelica," and pledges to not use plastic grocery bags and not flush the toilet after urinating.

"It's very inappropriate to show a radical, leftist propaganda piece that political to children," Ruzicka said. "If parents want their children to learn about those things and do them in the home, wonderful, fine, but it's not the place of the school to show a one-sided propaganda piece to children without parents knowing about it."

Her quote was actually "If parents want their children to learn about those things, then do them in the home, with their father and four mothers, three of which are fifteen or younger, to teach them as Joseph Smith and God intended"

This is, after all, Utah.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity


The president also plans a controversial live broadcast to all the public schools across America:

quote:

ORIGINAL: SpinnerofTales
My God! The president urging kids to stay in school and learn something. Whatever shall we do? Next he'll be advocating that our young people eat their vegetables and return their library books. This must be stoped NOW!

I think the clock on the wall reads "Time to get over this one"