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Parents Protest Pro-Obama Song, Pro-Bush Song OK
Remember the school in New Jersey, B. Bernice Young Elementary School, where the kids sang a song praising the President of the United States? Some people were outraged. Today they decided to protest.
The protesters were “reportedly affiliated with Glenn Beck’s ’9/12 Project’ and the ‘tea party’ groups,” according to RawStory and other sources. Regardless of their affiliations, one thing was clear — they don’t like President Obama, and they feel that having children sing a song praising him is tantamount to “political indoctrination.”
But wait.
In 2006, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a group of school children sang the following to First Lady Laura Bush on the White House lawn, during the annual Easter Egg Roll:
Our country’s stood beside us
People have sent us aid.
Katrina could not stop us, our hopes will never fade.
Congress, Bush and FEMA
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us and we join them hand-in-hand!
Did anyone protest then? Nope.
On a report I just saw on WPIX 11 Local News, some of the protesters were calling for the principal of the school to be reassigend. “Education Not Indoctrination” was one of the signs they held. Chants of “Shame on you” rang out.
WPIX reporter Peter Thorne pointed out that the song was sung at the school in February, and at that time, parents were given a copy of the lyrics. No one complained. It wasn’t until a video showed up on YouTube that anyone even noticed. Thorne says at the end of his report quotes a parent of one of the children at the school as saying that the protesters are the ones “trying to push a political agenda, not those singing students.” He points out that the windows of the school were covered with brown paper so that the young kids (kindergarten to 2nd grade) wouldn’t be distacted by the “commotion.” “They’re pawns,” says anchor Jim Watkins. “Yes they are,” replied Thorne, “in a political brawl.” (Cue light local anchorperson chuckling.)
What I find increasingly amazing about what comes out of the mouth of Glenn Beck and his supporters is the level of hypocrisy and the willingness to ignore anything that doesn’t fit into whatever point they are trying to make. If anyone questions the protesters, the reply is “we will not be silenced! You’re trying to silence us!” In the WPIX report, a protester says “The Bible says cry aloud and spare not! That’s what it says in this book!” (Sorry I don’t have the video; if it gets posted on WPIX.com I’ll add it here.) But if you have a right to express yourself, don’t we have the same right? Or is it only OK to speak out if we agree with you?
For the record, no one is saying that people don’t have the right to protest. But at an elementary school? Really? You may have the right to do it. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.
Source: NBC New York, also WPIX
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0 Comments
overcomefear commented on Oct 13 09 at 3:28 amThey just sang this to the First Lady, and it was still last 2006, like as if people would still listen to this song..
jenny tries too hard commented on Oct 13 09 at 9:02 amIsn’t the Easter Egg Roll held on a weekend? All the parents of these kids would’ve (I hope) known where their kids were and what they were doing…The whole singing-to-elected-officials thing is a little creepy, still, but not quite the same as the deal in New Jersey. The kids in New Jersey learned the song and were videotaped during school hours, without the parents’ knowledge, and several of the parents report not knowing about it til the video was shown on YouTube. Yes, they were both creepy political-worship songs and you wouldn’t catch me putting my kids in either group. But with the Easter Egg Roll, the parents (it would seem) had the choice, and the New Jersey parents did not.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Oct 13 09 at 10:32 amThe parents knew what was going on. But that’s not what gets you on TV…
jenny tries too hard commented on Oct 13 09 at 10:39 amso, all the parents who said they didn’t are just liars? Way to make unfounded accusations.
Amanda B. commented on Oct 13 09 at 10:43 amI agree with Jenny. Both incidents are creepy, but the New Jersey incident is worse because it actually happened in a public school without the parents knowing what was going on.
Samsmomma commented on Oct 13 09 at 11:04 amThe parents DID know what was going on. If they didn’t, its because they didn’t bother to go through the papers the teachers had sent home with the students. “WPIX reporter Peter Thorne pointed out that the song was sung at the school in February, and at that time, parents were given a copy of the lyrics. No one complained.”
Bunny commented on Oct 13 09 at 2:26 pmIf you’re afraid of your child being politically indoctrinated by their public school, it might be a good idea to read things the teacher sends home with your child! Paying attention to your child’s education FAIL.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Oct 13 09 at 2:31 pmBunny… you took the words right outta my mouth. Too busy to read the things sent home with your child? Then you win this hot, steaming mug of STFU as far as I’m concerned.
Lisa commented on Oct 14 09 at 8:59 pmYou have to sign permission for your child to be videotaped in most places though some schools do it at the beginning of the year in their registration packets. However, that usually does not cover distribution through you-tube. As a parent, I would have been livid to see my son or daughter appearing in a video on youtube without my knowledge or permission.
I doubt parents knew about the song ahead of time; the reporter just says at the time, not before they learned or performed the song. Further, with accusations of racism dropped at the slightest criticism of Obama, many parents may have felt uncomfortable complaining.
Brett Singer commented on Oct 15 09 at 9:35 amThanks for your comment, Lisa. Re: the videotape, that appears to be correct. Whoever posted the tape had an axe to grind with the song, and it’s not clear where it came from.
re: “I doubt parents knew about the song ahead of time”, multiple reports have stated that the lyrics were sent home for the parents to see before the song was sung. And it seems that they didn’t feel uncomfortable complaining – they held a protest outside the school.
theldara commented on Oct 16 09 at 7:21 am110% agreed with Bunny and Mistress_Scorpio!
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