Original Post At SUUNews.com

By Dennis Busch, collective opinion of the
University Journal Editorial Board

EDITORIAL: Kids need to hear the president's broadcast


President Barack Obama is addressing students across the nation today live on the White House Web site, and it's causing controversy throughout the country. 

There have been numerous reports of parents who object to their students being forced to watch the president. 

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday that a handful of school districts in Utah have required permission slips for students to be able to view the broadcast.

The White House has stated repeatedly that the speech, aimed at K-12 students, will not be political and will focus on working hard and staying in school.

Despite these assertions, many extreme critics have called the president's address an opportunity for indoctrination.

Top republican leaders in Utah, including Gov. Gary Herbert, have said they have no concerns with the speech.

The University Journal Editorial Board supports the rights of parents to have a say in what their children are exposed to.

However, we think there is cause for concern in limiting children's access to their government in action.

Open and honest discussion about issues is a hallmark of American politics, and to obstruct children from taking an interest does not benefit anyone.

The conservative Drudge Report deemed this address as "unprecedented," yet George H.W. Bush spoke to all K-12 students when he was president.

At the time, conservatives defended Bush, and liberals called it a waste of money.

The tides have turned with a different political party in office, but the arguments are similar.

We think that this should not be about political squabbling, but rather a chance for students to have some interaction with the president and their government.

The White House posted the text of the speech for review on whitehouse.gov, and the majority of it is about staying in school and working hard.

The speech also touches on washing hands to avoid spreading the flu and working to develop new technologies to protect the environment.

The president is not using his platform to urge kindergartners to push for a "public option" or third-graders to advocate increasing taxes on the top 1 percent of Americans.

Because of this lack of politics in the speech, the Journal thinks that objection is unwarranted in this particular case.

That said, we think that president should follow what he has released, and not politicize his words.

Students should be allowed to watch the speech and discuss its content afterward, rather than a wholesale embargo of the President of the United States.
© 2009 Dennis Busch, University Journal