What Obama said (and should've said) to students
Now that we've heard President Obama's speech to U.S. school kids, can we now admit that some Americans may have overreacted? No, probably not. When the president is the anti-Christ, even a benignly wholesome message about education and perseverance is a bad thing.
We can only hope that some of the children of those naysayers will grow up to realize that it's possible to take a positive message from leaders they might not agree with on every matter of policy and governance, and that some goals are admirable and universal no matter which party espouses them. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gets it. Conservative talk radio, generally speaking, does not -- but that's the way the game is played.
Obama hit most, but not all of the points he needed to make in his nationally broadcast welcome-back address to K-12 students Tuesday morning.
In a 15-minute speech to Wakefield High School students in Arlington, Va., and millions of other students watching on television screens around the country, Obama made these observations:
* "You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers."
That's vital information that even older students may not grasp. Today's information technology environment makes some degree of math and language sophistication essential, even in more physically oriented careers.
Though the reference was passing, Obama plugged the armed forces as a viable career alternative. Obama might have underscored that option a little more forcefully by spending another moment or two on the availability of careers in the military or quasi- government service organizations. He could have done so without detracting from his overall message.
* "Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is."
True again. There's a career (or three) out there for every high school graduate. Not all will require college, but almost every career will require special training that goes beyond what's available on most high school campuses. Obama might have better served his listening audience by mentioning the importance of the trades. Post-secondary vocational education is vital to our economy and our standards of living, and Obama was remiss in neglecting to mention it.
* "I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things."
How many of us have heard kids announce career plans that involve fame? There's nothing wrong with shooting high, but as Obama pointed out, it's good to have a fallback that involves basic academic competence.
The reference to rapping and basketball might sound like Obama was speaking to black youth. If he was, good, given the specific challenges that community faces -- and the barrier-shattering example of the possible that this president represents. But unrealistic expectations cross all demographic lines, and Obama was wise to address it.
