Text of President Obama's speech to the United Nations Mark Leon Goldberg - September 23, 2009 - 10:26am The speech is titled "Responsibility for our Common Future." Here are President Obama's remarks as prepared for delivery.
Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentleman: it is my honor to address you for the first time as the forty-fourth President of the United States. I come before you humbled by the responsibility that the American people have placed upon me; mindful of the enormous challenges of our moment in history; and determined to act boldly and collectively on behalf of justice and prosperity at home and abroad. I have been in office for just nine months, though some days it seems a lot longer. I am well aware of the expectations that accompany my presidency around the world. These expectations are not about me. Rather, they are rooted – I believe – in a discontent with a status quo that has allowed us to be increasingly defined by our differences, and outpaced by our problems. But they are also rooted in hope – the hope that real change is possible, and the hope that America will be a leader in bringing about such change. I took office at a time when many around the world had come to view America with skepticism and distrust. Part of this was due to misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was due to opposition to specific policies, and a belief that on certain critical issues, America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. This has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for our collective inaction. Like all of you, my responsibility is to act in the interest of my nation and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those interests. But it is my deeply held belief that in the year 2009 – more than at any point in human history – the interests of nations and peoples are shared.
The religious convictions that we hold in our hearts can forge new bonds among people, or tear us apart. The technology we harness can light the path to peace, or forever darken it. The energy we use can sustain our planet, or destroy it. What happens to the hope of a single child – anywhere – can enrich our world, or impoverish it. In this hall, we come from many places, but we share a common future. No longer do we have the luxury of indulging our differences to the exclusion of the work that we must do together. I have carried this message from London to Ankara; from Port of Spain to Moscow; from Accra to Cairo; and it’s what I will speak about today. Because the time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interests and mutual respect, and our work must begin now. We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words. Speeches alone will not solve our problems – it will take persistent action. So for those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions that we have taken in just nine months. On my first day in office, I prohibited – without exception or equivocation – the use of torture by the United States of America. I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and we are doing the hard work of forging a framework to combat extremism within the rule of law. Every nation must know: America will live its values, and we will lead by example. We have set a clear and focused goal: to work with all members of this body to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies – a network that has killed thousands of people of many faiths and nations, and that plotted to blow up this very building. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, we – and many nations here – are helping those governments develop the capacity to take the lead in this effort, while working to advance opportunity and security for their people.
In Iraq, we are responsibly ending a war. We have removed American combat brigades from Iraqi cities, and set a deadline of next August to remove all of our combat brigades from Iraqi territory. And I have made clear that we will help Iraqis transition to full responsibility for their future, and keep our commitment to remove all American troops by the end of 2011. I have outlined a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. In Moscow, the United States and Russia announced that we would pursue substantial reductions in our strategic warheads and launchers. At the Conference on Disarmament, we agreed on a work plan to negotiate an end to the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons. And this week, my Secretary of State will become the first senior American representative to the annual Members Conference of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Upon taking office, I appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and America has worked steadily and aggressively to advance the cause of two states – Israel and Palestine – in which peace and security take root, and the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians are respected.
To confront climate change, we have invested 80 billion dollars in clean energy. We have substantially increased our fuel-efficiency standards. We have provided new incentives for conservation, launched an energy partnership across the Americas, and moved from a bystander to a leader in international climate negotiations. To overcome an economic crisis that touches every corner of the world, we worked with the G-20 nations to forge a coordinated international response of over two trillion dollars in stimulus to bring the global economy back from the brink. We mobilized resources that helped prevent the crisis from spreading further to developing countries. And we joined with others to launch a $20 billion global food security initiative that will lend a hand to those who need it most, and help them build their own capacity. We have also re-engaged the United Nations. We have paid our bills. We have joined the Human Rights Council. We have signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have fully embraced the Millennium Development Goals. And we address our priorities here, in this institution – for instance, through the Security Council meeting that I will chair tomorrow on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and through the issues that I will discuss today. This is what we have done. But this is just a beginning. Some of our actions have yielded progress. Some have laid the groundwork for progress in the future. But make no mistake: this cannot be solely America’s endeavor. Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world’s problems alone. We have sought – in word and deed – a new era of engagement with the world. Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.
If we are honest with ourselves, we need to admit that we are not living up to that responsibility. Consider the course that we are on if we fail to confront the status quo. Extremists sowing terror in pockets of the world. Protracted conflicts that grind on and on. Genocide and mass atrocities. More and more nations with nuclear weapons. Melting ice caps and ravaged populations. Persistent poverty and pandemic disease. I say this not to sow fear, but to state a fact: the magnitude of our challenges has yet to be met by the measure of our action. This body was founded on the belief that the nations of the world could solve their problems together. Franklin Roosevelt, who died before he could see his vision for this institution become a reality, put it this way – and I quote: “The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one Nation…. It cannot be a peace of large nations – or of small nations. It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world.” The cooperative effort of the whole world. Those words ring even more true today, when it is not simply peace – but our very health and prosperity that we hold in common. Yet I also know that this body is made up of sovereign states. And sadly, but not surprisingly, this body has often become a forum for sowing discord instead of forging common ground; a venue for playing politics and exploiting grievances rather than solving problems. After all, it is easy to walk up to this podium and to point fingers and stoke division. Nothing is easier than blaming others for our troubles, and absolving ourselves of responsibility for our choices and our actions. Anyone can do that. Responsibility and leadership in the 21st century demand more. In an era when our destiny is shared, power is no longer a zero sum game. No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation. No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed. No balance of power among nations will hold. The traditional division between nations of the south and north makes no sense in an interconnected world. Nor do alignments of nations rooted in the cleavages of a long gone Cold War.
The time has come to realize that the old habits and arguments are irrelevant to the challenges faced by our people. They lead nations to act in opposition to the very goals that they claim to pursue, and to vote – often in this body – against the interests of their own people. They build up walls between us and the future that our people seek, and the time has come for those walls to come down. Together, we must build new coalitions that bridge old divides – coalitions of different faiths and creeds; of north and south, east and west; black, white, and brown. The choice is ours. We can be remembered as a generation that chose to drag the arguments of the 20th century into the 21st; that put off hard choices, refused to look ahead, and failed to keep pace because we defined ourselves by what we were against instead of what we were for. Or, we can be a generation that chooses to see the shoreline beyond the rough waters ahead; that comes together to serve the common interests of human beings, and finally gives meaning to the promise embedded in the name given to this institution: the United Nations. That is the future America wants – a future of peace and prosperity that we can only reach if we recognize that all nations have rights, but all nations have responsibilities as well. That is the bargain that makes this work. That must be the guiding principle of international cooperation. Today, I put forward four pillars that are fundamental to the future that we want for our children: non-proliferation and disarmament; the promotion of peace and security; the preservation of our planet; and a global economy that advances opportunity for all people. First, we must stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and seek the goal of a world without them. This institution was founded at the dawn of the atomic age, in part because man’s capacity to kill had to be contained. For decades, we averted disaster, even under the shadow of a super-power stand-off. But today, the threat of proliferation is growing in scope and complexity. If we fail to act, we will invite nuclear arms races in every region, and the prospect of wars and acts of terror on a scale that we can hardly imagine. A fragile consensus stands in the way of this frightening outcome – the basic bargain that shapes the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. It says that all nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have the responsibility to move toward disarmament; and those without them have the responsibility to forsake them. The next twelve months could be pivotal in determining whether this compact will be strengthened or will slowly dissolve.
America will keep our end of the bargain. We will pursue a new agreement with Russia to substantially reduce our strategic warheads and launchers. We will move forward with ratification of the Test Ban Treaty, and work with others to bring the Treaty into force so that nuclear testing is permanently prohibited. We will complete a Nuclear Posture Review that opens the door to deeper cuts, and reduces the role of nuclear weapons. And we will call upon countries to begin negotiations in January on a treaty to end the production of fissile material for weapons. I will also host a Summit next April that reaffirms each nation’s responsibility to secure nuclear material on its territory, and to help those who can’t – because we must never allow a single nuclear device to fall into the hands of a violent extremist. And we will work to strengthen the institutions and initiatives that combat nuclear smuggling and theft. All of this must support efforts to strengthen the NPT. Those nations that refuse to live up to their obligations must face consequences. This is not about singling out individual nations – it is about standing up for the rights of all nations that do live up to their responsibilities. Because a world in which IAEA inspections are avoided and the United Nation’s demands are ignored will leave all people less safe, and all nations less secure.
In their actions to date, the governments of North Korea and Iran threaten to take us down this dangerous slope. We respect their rights as members of the community of nations. I am committed to diplomacy that opens a path to greater prosperity and a more secure peace for both nations if they live up to their obligations. But if the governments of Iran and North Korea choose to ignore international standards; if they put the pursuit of nuclear weapons ahead of regional stability and the security and opportunity of their own people; if they are oblivious to the dangers of escalating nuclear arms races in both East Asia and the Middle East – then they must be held accountable. The world must stand together to demonstrate that international law is not an empty promise, and that Treaties will be enforced. We must insist that the future not belong to fear. That brings me to the second pillar for our future: the pursuit of peace. The United Nations was born of the belief that the people of the world can live their lives, raise their families, and resolve their differences peacefully. And yet we know that in too many parts of the world, this ideal remains an abstraction. We can either accept that outcome as inevitable, and tolerate constant and crippling conflict. Or we can recognize that the yearning for peace is universal, and reassert our resolve to end conflicts around the world. That effort must begin with an unshakeable determination that the murder of innocent men, women and children will never be tolerated. On this, there can be no dispute. The violent extremists who promote conflict by distorting faith have discredited and isolated themselves. They offer nothing but hatred and destruction. In confronting them, America will forge lasting partnerships to target terrorists, share intelligence, coordinate law enforcement, and protect our people. We will permit no safe-haven for al Qaeda to launch attacks from Afghanistan or any other nation. We will stand by our friends on the front lines, as we and many nations will do in pledging support for the Pakistani people tomorrow. And we will pursue positive engagement that builds bridges among faiths, and new partnerships for opportunity. But our efforts to promote peace cannot be limited to defeating violent extremists. For the most powerful weapon in our arsenal is the hope of human beings – the belief that the future belongs to those who build, not destroy; the confidence that conflicts can end, and a new day begin.
That is why we will strengthen our support for effective peacekeeping, while energizing our efforts to prevent conflicts before they take hold. We will pursue a lasting peace in Sudan through support for the people of Darfur, and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, so that we secure the peace that the Sudanese people deserve. And in countries ravaged by violence – from Haiti to Congo to East Timor – we will work with the UN and other partners to support an enduring peace. I will also continue to seek a just and lasting peace between Israel, Palestine, and the Arab world. Yesterday, I had a constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas. We have made some progress. Palestinians have strengthened their efforts on security. Israelis have facilitated greater freedom of movement for the Palestinians. As a result of these efforts by both sides, the economy in the West Bank has begun to grow. But more progress is needed. We continue to call on Palestinians to end incitement against Israel, and we continue to emphasize that America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. The time has come to re-launch negotiations – without preconditions – that address the permanent-status issues: security for Israelis and Palestinians; borders, refugees and Jerusalem. The goal is clear: two states living side by side in peace and security – a Jewish State of Israel, with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, and realizes the potential of the Palestinian people. As we pursue this goal, we will also pursue peace between Israel and Lebanon, Israel and Syria, and a broader peace between Israel and its many neighbors. In pursuit of that goal, we will develop regional initiatives with multilateral participation, alongside bilateral negotiations. I am not naïve. I know this will be difficult. But all of us must decide whether we are serious about peace, or whether we only lend it lip-service. To break the old patterns – to break the cycle of insecurity and despair – all of us must say publicly what we would acknowledge in private. The United States does Israel no favors when we fail to couple an unwavering commitment to its security with an insistence that Israel respect the legitimate claims and rights of the Palestinians. And nations within this body do the Palestinians no favors when they choose vitriolic attacks over a constructive willingness to recognize Israel’s legitimacy, and its right to exist in peace and security.
We must remember that the greatest price of this conflict is not paid by us. It is paid by the Israeli girl in Sderot who closes her eyes in fear that a rocket will take her life in the night. It is paid by the Palestinian boy in Gaza who has no clean water and no country to call his own. These are God’s children. And after all of the politics and all of the posturing, this is about the right of every human being to live with dignity and security. That is a lesson embedded in the three great faiths that call one small slice of Earth the Holy Land. And that is why – even though there will be setbacks, and false starts, and tough days – I will not waiver in my pursuit of peace.
Third, we must recognize that in the 21st century, there will be no peace unless we make take responsibility for the preservation of our planet. The danger posed by climate change cannot be denied, and our responsibility to meet it must not be deferred. If we continue down our current course, every member of this Assembly will see irreversible changes within their borders. Our efforts to end conflicts will be eclipsed by wars over refugees and resources. Development will be devastated by drought and famine. Land that human beings have lived on for millennia will disappear. Future generations will look back and wonder why we refused to act – why we failed to pass on intact the environment that was our inheritance. That is why the days when America dragged its feet on this issue are over. We will move forward with investments to transform our energy economy, while providing incentives to make clean energy the profitable kind of energy. We will press ahead with deep cuts in emissions to reach the goals that we set for 2020, and eventually 2050. We will continue to promote renewable energy and efficiency – and share new technologies – with countries around the world. And we will seize every opportunity for progress to address this threat in a cooperative effort with the whole world.
Those wealthy nations that did so much to damage the environment in the 20th century must accept our obligation to lead. But responsibility does not end there. While we must acknowledge the need for differentiated responses, any effort to curb carbon emissions must include the fast-growing carbon emitters who can do more to reduce their air pollution without inhibiting growth. And any effort that fails to help the poorest nations both adapt to the problems that climate change has already wrought – and travel a path of clean development – will not work. It is hard to change something as fundamental as how we use energy. It’s even harder to do so in the midst of a global recession. Certainly, it will be tempting to sit back and wait for others to move first. But we cannot make this journey unless we all move forward together. As we head into Copenhagen, let us resolve to focus on what each of us can do for the sake of our common future. This leads me to the final pillar that must fortify our future: a global economy that advances opportunity for all people. The world is still recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. In America, we see the engine of growth beginning to churn, yet many still struggle to find a job or pay their bills. Across the globe, we find promising signs, yet little certainty about what lies ahead. And far too many people in far too many places live through the daily crises that challenge our common humanity – the despair of an empty stomach; the thirst brought on by dwindling water; the injustice of a child dying from a treatable disease, or a mother losing her life as she gives birth. In Pittsburgh, we will work with the world’s largest economies to chart a course for growth that is balanced and sustained. That means vigilance to ensure that we do not let up until our people are back to work. That means taking steps to rekindle demand, so that a global recovery can be sustained. And that means setting new rules of the road and strengthening regulation for all financial centers, so that we put an end to the greed, excess and abuse that led us into disaster, and prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again.
At a time of such interdependence, we have a moral and pragmatic interest in broader questions of development. And so we will continue our historic effort to help people feed themselves. We have set aside $63 billion to carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS; to end deaths from tuberculosis and malaria; to eradicate polio; and to strengthen public health systems. We are joining with other countries to contribute H1N1 vaccines to the World Health Organization. We will integrate more economies into a system of global trade. We will support the Millennium Development Goals, and approach next year’s Summit with a global plan to make them a reality. And we will set our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time. Now is the time for all of us to do our part. Growth will not be sustained or shared unless all nations embrace their responsibility. Wealthy nations must open their markets to more goods and extend a hand to those with less, while reforming international institutions to give more nations a greater voice. Developing nations must root out the corruption that is an obstacle to progress – for opportunity cannot thrive where individuals are oppressed and business have to pay bribes. That’s why we will support honest police and independent judges; civil society and a vibrant private sector. Our goal is simple: a global economy in which growth is sustained, and opportunity is available to all.
The changes that I have spoken about today will not be easy to make. And they will not be realized simply by leaders like us coming together in forums like this. For as in any assembly of members, real change can only come through the people we represent. That is why we must do the hard work to lay the groundwork for progress in our own capitals. That is where we will build the consensus to end conflicts and to harness technology for peaceful purposes; to change the way we use energy, and to promote growth that can be sustained and shared. I believe that the people of the world want this future for their children. And that is why we must champion those principles which ensure that governments reflect the will of the people. These principles cannot be afterthoughts – democracy and human rights are essential to achieving each of the goals that I have discussed today. Because governments of the people and by the people are more likely to act in the broader interests of their own people, rather than the narrow interest of those in power.
The test of our leadership will not be the degree to which we feed the fears and old hatreds of our people. True leadership will not be measured by the ability to muzzle dissent, or to intimidate and harass political opponents at home. The people of the world want change. They will not long tolerate those who are on the wrong side of history. This Assembly’s Charter commits each of us, and I quote – “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women.” Among those rights is the freedom to speak your mind and worship as you please; the promise of equality of the races, and the opportunity for women and girls to pursue their own potential; the ability of citizens to have a say in how you are governed, and to have confidence in the administration of justice. For just as no nation should be forced to accept the tyranny of another nation, no individual should be forced to accept the tyranny of their own government.
As an African-American, I will never forget that I would not be here today without the steady pursuit of a more perfect union in my country. That guides my belief that no matter how dark the day may seem, transformative change can be forged by those who choose the side of justice. And I pledge that America will always stand with those who stand up for their dignity and their rights – for the student who seeks to learn; the voter who demands to be heard; the innocent who longs to be free; and the oppressed who yearns to be equal. Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path, and no path is perfect. Each country will pursue a path rooted in the culture of its people, and – in the past – America has too often been selective in its promotion of democracy. But that does not weaken our commitment, it only reinforces it. There are basic principles that are universal; there are certain truths which are self evident – and the United States of America will never waiver in our efforts to stand up for the right of people everywhere to determine their own destiny. Sixty-five years ago, a weary Franklin Roosevelt spoke to the American people in his fourth and final inaugural address. After years of war, he sought to sum up the lessons that could be drawn from the terrible suffering and enormous sacrifice that had taken place. “We have learned,” he said, “to be citizens of the world, members of the human community.” The United Nations was built by men and women like Roosevelt from every corner of the world – from Africa and Asia; form Europe to the Americas. These architects of international cooperation had an idealism that was anything but naïve – it was rooted in the hard-earned lessons of war, and the wisdom that nations could advance their interests by acting together instead of splitting apart. Now it falls to us – for this institution will be what we make of it. The United Nations does extraordinary good around the world in feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and mending places that have been broken. But it also struggles to enforce its will, and to live up to the ideals of its founding. I believe that those imperfections are not a reason to walk away from this institution – they are a calling to redouble our efforts. The United Nations can either be a place where we bicker about outdated grievances, or forge common ground; a place where we focus on what drives us apart, or what brings us together; a place where we indulge tyranny, or a source of moral authority. In short, the United Nations can be an institution that is disconnected from what matters in the lives of our citizens, or it can be indispensable in advancing the interests of the people we serve. We have reached a pivotal moment. The United States stands ready to begin a new chapter of international cooperation – one that recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all nations. With confidence in our cause, and with a commitment to our values, we call on all nations to join us in building the future that our people deserve. Thank you.
• Selfishness or Fear: using selfishness or people’s fear of paying for others. • Resentment: using resentment or hatred towards illegal immigrants, which can also involve racism. And using these two emotions or feelings to attack Health Care Reform. • Selfishness or Fear + Resentment = Attack on Health Care Reform
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Speech Ban Draws Crowd at Board Meeting
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32750708/ns/local_news-delaware_valley_panj/
"Schools Differ Over Obama Speech" article in local press
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/buffalogrove/news/1760446,bg-obamaspeech-090909-s1.article
Now that I've heard President Obama's speech to schoolchildren,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iqsxCWjCvI
I'm even more disappointed in the furor that caused school districts (including my own) to not air it live. Why? Because it was more inspiring than I thought it would be. Interestingly enough, it was a speech any conservative, any Republican president, would have been proud to give. It was about personal responsibility. It gave compelling reasons why school is relevant. And it was clearly effective. How much more could one ask from a speech?
In my quest to continue to understand why my school district did not air this speech on September 8th, I've researched precedent and spoke to those in my school district who were willing to speak about this, a total of one person. All of the letters I wrote, the inquiries I made, only one person from the school called me and it wasn't even the individual who wrote the letter to the parents announcing the banning of the speech.
Because I don't want to publicly express who that person was who did call me, because I did not indicate to them that I would be publicizing their comments, I will use that shadowy press term I've always wanted to use: It was "a very highly placed source." Oooooohhhhhhh.
My source indicated that they could not yet give an official response to my letter I sent to the superintendent, because apparently, there is going to be some official more general reiteration of the district's stance down the road. This confused me a bit in that I thought they already had a stance iterated.
My source did want to assure me that "the District's decision to not air the President's speech live was not politically motivated", though their own letter explaining why they would not air the speech said, "the airing of this speech has already become a very politically charged topic in the press and a significant concern for many of our parents."
I explained that I never made a claim that the board itself was casting a political statement by not airing the speech, but instead, bowing to pressure from constituents who had a political or personal agenda against the President of the United States. Furthermore, I explained, as I explained in my letter, that there were a whole host of other reasons this was poor judgement to not air the speech. Not the least of which is that it would be good for children to hear and not airing it broke with precedent as many other presidents made similar speeches in the past to much less resistance.
While there was some typical partisan dissent in the past, it never elevated itself to the wackyness of the current fervor (child indoctrination claims, brainwashing) nor the wholesale deletion of the event from school agendas. Though to that point, I challenge my board: I cannot definitively find record of my school district airing the Reagan and the George H.W. speeches, but I find no record they didn't either. I would be interested in a public statement from the board indicating what did happen on October 1, 1991 when George H.W. Bush gave the speech and in the 1980's when Ronald Reagan gave his speech. It might prove enlightening, it could even make their case that this is precedent for this school district to not air such speeches (precedent I would still disagree with).
My source also interestingly said that the superintendent had final power re this decision and that the board supported it. Really? The superintendent has final say? Now, I'm no expert here, but I thought in most municipalities that the board is elected and the board had hiring and firing power over the superintendent. Doesn't that give the board final say? How could the person being hired have final say over the person hiring them?
So I looked up some past cases. Here's an excerpt from a legal case in Harrisburg, PA concerning a curricula decision regarding "intelligent design."
HARRISBURG, Pa. - The school board, not teachers, should decide what belongs in the public-school curriculum, said the assistant superintendent of a school district being sued over whether "intelligent design" belongs in science classes.
The Dover Area School Board decided in October 2004 to require students to hear a statement about intelligent design before ninth-grade biology lessons on evolution. Teachers were opposed to the statement, which says Charles Darwin's theory is "not a fact" and has inexplicable "gaps," and which refers students to the textbook "Of Pandas and People" for more information.
The board has final say on such curriculum decisions, Michael Baksa, the assistant superintendent, testified Thursday during the landmark federal trial. "Once the board makes a decision, whether you agree with the decision or not, it's your responsibility to implement it," he said.
Well, that's interesting. If Illinois law re school boards is like Pennsylvania law, then the board should have made the decision about whether to air this speech, not the superintendent.
My source also indicated that the "grade level" of this speech (apparently graded by Microsoft according to my source, who I wasn't aware was in the grading of speeches business) was at "7th grade" and therefore inappropriate (or not understandable) for other grades (below I assume). I tried to wrap my head around this and carry it to it's logical conclusion. One would have to either have the sitting president create 12 different speeches to accommodate each of the grades and in addition, due to curricula concerns my source had, also coordinate with the board (or the superintendent) to correlate the speech to existing curricula mapping of our school district or not give the speech.
Clearly, when one tries to carry this to it's logical conclusion, it simply isn't logical. This speech cannot be measured as though it's part of standard curricula. It's not meant to be and it cannot be judged in that way. It's an historic event. It's an inspirational speech given by our President to help our children and our society. It's simply much ado about nothing to be against airing it live or otherwise. To somehow say that down the road the board (or the superintendent?) will review the speech and then they might air pieces of it "not live"is simply missing the point, besides smacking of censorship. Airing the speech preferentially later would be like airing the moon landing only after review. Yes, I hear the criticism already, "this is not the moon landing." But the speech was historic (first black president, remember?). It's also helpful for our educational system. The point, quite simply, is that it should not have been "banned" because t was meant to inspire kids and who could argue with that?
And there was another issue the source had with my argument. They said the speech wasn't "banned" but they didn't offer an alternative adjective. Then what was it? Temporarily banned? Forbidden but not really? Ban means to forbid something. If you later then allow it, you lift the ban. This is simply semantics to say it wasn't banned. It was clearly forbidden to be aired live. So the live broadcast was banned. Simple as that. This argument over minutia is one of the issues, as it's trying to create rationale through loophole. When things are wrong, we tend to use fine print to make them seem right and that is wrong.
So what did I do with my six-year old that evening of the speech? We watched the speech in bed as his bedtime story. Contrary to concerns about this being above my son's ability to comprehend, he understood quite a bit of the speech thank you. My son, to be fair, wandered at points, he asked questions, he did all of the things we all do when listening to speeches (or reading long blogs). But he got a lot out of it. Though not as much as he would have, had he been with the entire school sitting together in an auditorium. There's a reason we have movie theaters. There's simply something more important about an event when it's shared.
I would hope that the world sees that sharing, tolerance and togetherness, is what we need more of, and divisiveness, hatred and prejudice, is what we need less of.
Second of all, surely we all agree that this is a positive message and one that our students desperately need to hear. Is anyone suggesting our kids should not do well in school or that they should drop out?
I think his critics need to get a grip on themselves quickly because it is now becoming a question of either intelligence or hatred. At this point, it is hard to tell if they are ignorant when it comes to the facts or if their hatred has simply blinded them to the truth. It has been said that ignorance is bliss but that is not the case. Ignorance is simply ignorance. Bliss requires knowledge of and appreciation for your circumstances thereby ruling out ignorance. FYI, ignorance is not a good look.
According to a news article, the President’s critics seem to have a problem with the questions on the study guide that has been provided to assist in a discussion session to follow his speech. Questions such as “What do you think the President is trying to say to you?” Where is the offense? If the President is the one who gave the speech, isn't it legitimate to ask, “What is the President trying to say”? This is simply getting ridiculous. Instead of making intelligent points, they are grasping at straws and making themselves look less than intelligent. Much less.
Our country is falling behind other countries and our children need encouragement from every quarter and President Obama’s critics want to play politics! You know what? President Obama is not perfect. If he makes a mistake, he should be called on it but this petty straw grasping does not reflect well on his critics at all.
I do, however, have to give our President credit for his incredible ability to stay above the mess. I hope in a similar situation I could react the same but as agitated as I feel now on the sidelines, I don’t think I would handle it as brilliantly as he does.
I should not continue to be surprised at the low level tactics of his critics, yet I am. I am disappointed as well. See, having been born post slavery, it has always baffled my mind that this great country I live in could have such a period of shame in its history. Yet, as each day passes and the hatred becomes more blatant, my mind becomes less baffled.
A speech on the importance of education is now a BAD thing? The President is being criticized for sending out questions to get students thinking about the speech he just made? Not comments, mind you, but questions? So, the students should listen to his speech and then what? Not discuss, not think about it ever again? Not question the message they just heard? I think it is a sign of strength that President Obama didn't just expect to give a speech and have students mindlessly swallow it whole. Instead he chose to spark discussion with the students about the value of education and the wisdom of staying in school. He chose to get them thinking and talking.
Show me the downside! It’s wrong? Really?
I’ll tell you what’s wrong. What's wrong is that it is 2009 and this conversation is historic in that it has never been done quite this way.
When graduation rates dropped, this should have been done!
When the achievement gap widened, this should have been done!
When other countries began to surpass us, this should have been done!
If you want to point fingers, let’s at least point them in the right direction!
I am more than ready for people to stop politicking, roll up their sleeves and get to work! Let’s get to the hard work of getting us back on track! Our situation is entirely too serious for us to still be playing politics! Let’s get to the hard work of getting our kids to see the value of education, what it means for their future and for the future of our country.
It’s time for some people to wake up! Instead of worrying about us drinking the Kool-Aid, I sincerely wish they would start smelling the coffee!!
I am disappointed that my child won’t be hearing President Obama’s address to students with her fellow students on Tuesday AM. I would think that any President, Republican or Democrat , taking his time to address American students with a positive message about the value of education merits a change in schedule and routine. President Obama is a shining example of what you can achieve when you work hard in school. What a missed educational opportunity for teachers and administrators to discuss not only his message, but the American political process and what it means to be a citizen in a Democracy. By speaking directly to students, any public leader, regardless of political affiliation, contributes to their self esteem, since such an address sends the message that our children are important and valued members of our society.
Thank you ,
I received a thoughtful reply from the school administrator who agreed with me but said that they were so inundated by parents protesting that they would have had to get signed permission slips for kids to view the speech - is this happening only in Red States? I think that the protestors are just so much more vocal then those who support and want their children to hear his speech in schools. So if you have a child and your district is in the uproar mine is, let your principal no that you want your child to hear the speech!
by Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo, a Philosophical Advisor to The President.London, England - June 5, 2009. There should be no doubt about it, the Historic speech made in Cairo, Egypt by President Barack H. Obama and delivered with great confidence to the Islamic Nations and peoples of the World, and to Arab Muslims in particular, had a lot more nuance and purpose in it than one would first sense by only listening to its words! Every breath between every thought uttered by President Obama held in it an air of deep wisdom whose purpose is greater than the sum of the words contained in his speech. The tone and the facial expressions of President Obama were like the invaluable markers used in the Hebrew Alef-Bet to denote specific sounds, vowels and consonants, without which it would be impossible to be even relatively sure what the author meant to write or the speaker really meant to say! Mind you, I will not go into a detailed analysis of what exactly was meant by every gesture, expression, intonation, word, sentence, etc., for that could really take up a lot more time and space than is needed to make my point in this article. Suffice it to say, President Barack H. Obama's speech held in it both great promise and a stern warning, as well as what might be considered a coded sub-message! The great promise was one of almost infinite hope and faith in the principle that has been President Obama's legacy thus far: that almost every Human Being in the world, every child of the Great Spirit of H'SH'M, including the vast majority of Muslims, Jews and Christians, desire exactly the same basic things in this Life, World and from each neighbor and stranger! In effect, that almost all of us really do understand that there is a need, and thus a compelling possibility, for true compromise and tolerance based on the principle that without such we will never see an end to all the senseless extreme fear, irrational hatred, dehumanizing injustice, barbaric brutality, insensible threats and horrific violence that has plagued the world for millennia and might continue to plague us till we either come to our best senses or end up, unfortunately sooner than later, causing a world conflagration and final man-made disaster that will wipe out virtually everyone and every ounce of beautiful art, artistic design and imaginative creation we humans have ever produced! And also included in that great promise was an understanding that H'SH'M (G-D All-Loving) would not want us to murder one another in the name of any system of belief, faith or dogma, and that the true essence of what binds all the major religions and Spiritual Philosophies of the world must be the commonality of the Law of Love of H'SH'M; "Do Unto Others As They Truly Want To Be Done Unto and Do Nothing Unto Anyone That They Do Not Really Want To Have Done Unto Them!" True, President Obama inadvertently used the old and inaccurate version of what he really meant to say (he used the "Do unto others as you would want unto thyself!") as someone who I know cherishes the best of True Free-Masonic Ideals (mind you; not to be confused with the current mish-mash abusing the good name of Freemasonry!), as one who has studied the wisdom and compassion of Saladin (Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb), a wisdom that gave rise to The Knights Templar and eventually to the Freemasonry that helped bring about such great individuals as His Majesty King Charles The Second (King Charles II of England), Baruch Spinoza and Sir Isaac Newton (forgive me for not mentioning the Islamic and Jewish scholars of Islam's Golden Scientific Age, whom we should trouble ourselves to learn more about) who were very much part of The Rennaisance and The Age of Enlightenment, without which we would probably have gone into extinction by now!
In essence, President Barack H. Obama was actually invoking the memory of the Clash of Civilizations known mostly as The Crusades, which could easily have caused the collapse of all civilization in the World, had it continued and spread its megalomania elsewhere! And therein lies also President Obama's warning! For his predecessor, probably not fully aware of it, had almost served the full interests of those who almost succeeded in igniting another Worldwide Clash of Civilizations that would have caused a permanent and irrevocable divide, leading to all manner of megalomania and violence, between one side and the Islamic World, which numbers over 1.3 to 1.5 Billion people...over one-fifth of the World's total population at present!!! Anyone in their right mind can clearly see what that would have meant! No religion on Earth, no dogma or ideology, Spiritual or otherwise, can manage to dominate the world by force or even by gradual efforts at full conversion! Like it or not, we're going to have to accept that H'SH'M is above traditional religion, and that the True Way to Live by G-D's Golden Law of Love is to be found in our own individual, special, self-realized connection to H'SH'M!We must be steadfast in our resolve to support President Obama and his efforts, through his Administration and as CEO of The United States of America, to bring about the Peaceful World Order he and most people in the World desire, need and should already have had ages ago!
Violence Is A Dead End
Very many listened from many countries too
I watched as again he sculpted history in his Cairo debut
Obama is never surprising but my admiration grows
Learning each time the wisdom of what he knows
Experience is a great teacher but faith is best
No doctrine has every superseded its test
Countries in their pursuit of freedom and rights
Exterminate other countries in brutal fights
Islam and Christianity have similar belief
So why do these religions sustain so much grief
As a young boy in Indonesia where people were predominately Muslim
Didn’t prohibit the Christian few from their worship, didn’t stop him
Even though he was but a boy he fully understood
A people shouldn’t be stopped when their values are good
Do on to others as you would have that they do onto you
Explains the paths of these religions and there are others too
No future lies ahead when religions are identified by cruel trend
Defined by bloodshed, not when Violence Is A Dead End!
It took me a while but here is a link to Michelle Obama's full speech to the students in London. It is 16 minutes in length.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7982563.stm
I was still shocked to learn that Canada slaughters hundreds of thousands of innocent seals for their fur every year. These animals, often babies who are just weeks old, have their skulls smashed in or are shot. Then they are skinned for their fur - often while they are still conscious. How can we still let this happen! As a American sports enthusiast, I cannot support the games in all honestly if this continues to go unnoticed. It's just like in China, where I learn the hundreds of thousands of innocent cats and dogs were and perhaps still being slaughers for their fur. Just like the "Wild Mustang Horses" http://www.wildhorserescue.org/, Example: Illinois bill threatens to re-0pen horse slaughter plant! http://www.wildmustangcoalition.org/id15.htmlAll eyes are on Canada, (I hope you are Pres. Obama) as it prepares to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Please help end the seal slaughter immediately so that the reputation of the Vancouver Olympic Games won't be tarnished.
Thanks
I liked your speech tonight.
Keep up the good work.
-Drew
The Truth HURTS…
This economic problem has always been about choice…what you decided to do with your money in the past and in the future is your choice that you have everyday of your life…AMERICA faces these choices and ALL of the AMERICAN PEOPLE will have to decide…
FACT: you paid off your house
FACT: you paid off your car
FACT: you paid off you credit cards
FACT: you paid off your investments
FACT: you paid off your bills
FACT: you paid off your expenses
FACT: you paid off your children’s educational expenses
FACT: you paid off you children’s college bills
FACT: you paid off your taxes
FACT: you paid off everything
FACT: DID YOU REALLY PAY and then some…so everyone can do WHAT EVER they desire…even for WRONG THINGS…for other peoples houses, cars, sunroofs, tinted glass windows, gas, tires, trucks, options, investments, summer homes, time shares, tips, trips, vacations, heat, electricity, clothing, food, college, medical, insurance, stocks, interest, bank loans, credit card bills, EVEN WRONG business CHOICES…did you…make these choices…take these risks…live this lie of fake prosperity.
The banks, brokerage houses, insurance companies and government offices…
all are having fun making choices with other peoples money…
yes everyone…especially those that might be considered too big to fail?
REMEMBER the BASICS (part of the costs of doing business is loss in theft, shrink and bad accounts…this is in all business models as experts are taught by experts…PROFESSORS teaching MBA’s and CPA’s for CEO’s and Presidents)
All the experts…
take their pay for whatever good or bad decisions and answers they tell you…
TALK IS CHEAP…but YOU PAY for all the CHOICES
YOURS…THEIRS…and everyone else in between…
every person not living by the Facts…
but by the MYTH…
Is sold on the idea to fill up every living Mystical Fantasy and Desire…
that is the Prophecy of EXPERTS…
fed to the people on both ends of AMERICA
Economic and Political
FACE the MUSIC…
BROKE is BROKE…
Do not hand me your meal ticket…I did not eat your lunch!
I did not own your business, bank, brokerage company, bakery, battery company, best shop or basket case…
do not give me your bills…
I didn’t get any of your pleasures, profits or perks…
I didn’t benefit from any of your lavish life style…
I didn’t get any thing before…
I don’t want anything now…especially, not any of your bills!
YOU went broke…not me…
You didn’t pay any of my bills…
You didn’t worry about feeding my children or sending them to school…
YOU KEEP YOUR OWN choices to yourself this time too…
IT'S YOUR CHOICE to keep the TRUTH...
PAIN FREE!
As I predicted, a great speech, and imo, one of the best inauguration speeches ever. Not quite as good as Lincoln II, but better by a long shot that Lincoln I (where he came out in favor of continuing slavery).But as I reflect on it, all of the focus, before and after, was on if it would be a great speech, or only a mediocre speech. Would it be as good as Lincoln's Second Inaugural, or only as good as his First?Where was the discussion of the speech itself- of how it impacted us individually, and how it changed us? After all, that is the point of a speech. Not to get up there and win an award, but to persuade and change people. Was his only goal to get up there and live up to expectations? Or was it to lay out something new, and begin to move the ball forward? That was his goal, but I think so many pundits were focused on the pure rhetoric, that they missed the purity.I challenge you now, if you haven't done so before, to go back and listen to the short 18 minute speech, and truly listen to it, and allow yourself to be impacted.
"We reject as false, the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to ensure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedient's sake. And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village in which my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman, & child who seeks a future of peace & dignity, and we are ready to lead once more."
Hi! I just started this community blog. But here are my two cents on today.
Read.
