Conservatives are literally up in arms over the recent discovery of a video of school children singing in celebration of the first African-American U.S. President, Barack Obama. Fox News, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and the usual band of misfits have been recently stirring the hate-pot, saying the song is brainwashing children to follow the policies of Obama, and is reminiscent of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. The video and the ensuing story has received so much media attention from Fox News lately, that the Principal of the B. Bernice Young School has received death threats, forcing the school into lockdown. Interesting!
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But what Fox News, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and the other usual band of misfits failed to mention, is that the video is nearly a year old, was made BEFORE Mr. Obama was inaugurated, was one of hundreds of celebrations by America’s children which led up to the historic Obama inauguration, and was done with the FULL CONSENT of all the parents. They also failed to mention this is not the first time school children have sung the praises of America’s Commander-In-Chief. After the Bush Administration’s failed response to the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, children from the disaster were invited to the White House for a 2006 Easter Egg Roll, and sang a song for President Bush to the tune of “Hey Look Me Over,” which included these lyrics:
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“… Congress, Bush and FEMA
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us
and we join them hand-in-hand!”
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us
and we join them hand-in-hand!”
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So, that song, delivered during a national event on the White House lawn and meant to bolster Bush following his colossal failure handling Hurricane Katrina — that was OK. But a “parent-approved” song from a year ago, delivered in a mostly empty and obscure school auditorium, meant to honor the historic relevance of Barack Obama as the first African-American President of the United States — that was NOT OK?? Hmmm…
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I've checked out 3 of the "Children Singing Praises to Obama" videos (I believe there are 6 videos posted)_and the truth is, I'm reminded of the phrase: "Two wrongs don't make a right".Let me be clear:I have absolutely NO problem with children learning and reciting historical speeches like “The Gettysburg Address” by Pres. Lincoln or the “I Have A Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King.However, when it comes to children actually being taught IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL by PUBLIC SCHOOL staff to sing the praises of ANY President based on that President’s policies and/or ideological persuasion???_well, that’s just BAD business _a “slippery slope” kind of thing IMO.It stinks to high heaven when right-wing extremists “indoctrinate” children with PRO-Dubya propaganda…which BTW still goes on all the time. A "double-standard"? You're darn skippy it is! Nevertheless, it stinks when left-wingers do the same with respect to Pres, Obama.