http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvEJBAnmNu0

hehe i think it's super cute. this is pretty much how i feel about the whole health care deal summed up in a song :P

If you guys don't want to be pissed off for the night, just don't read the comments. Please.

i read them, i'm pissed.

If my child came home singing about Obama... there would be hell to pay.

God forbid they don't share your opinions, eh?

Nope, God forbid they push their opinions on a child that does not belong to them. As teachers, we have a responsibility to keep our opinions and beliefs from the children that we teach. It is our responsibility to let the children make their own decisions, and if they are too young to do so, that is their PARENT'S responsibility. Whether *I* like it or not, my students are not MINE, therefore I cannot lay my beliefs, politics, religion etc. on my students. That is a parent's right, and a parent's right ONLY.

How would you know that any opinion they come home with isn't their own?

If they came home singing a song about Obama, does that automatically mean they were brainwashed by their liberal teachers? What if they just like the song?

To address, "That is a parent's right, and a parent's right ONLY."

I don't even believe it's the parent's right either. I believe it's the right of the child to make up his or her own mind when they're old enough to form a valid opinion.

You're not around children much, are you? These Elementary school children believe that everything their teacher says is GOLD. Which is why as teachers we have to be very careful about what we say and do. And, when a child is 6, 7, 8... they don't understand enough to form opinions on these issues based on fact. A typical 6 year old has NO CLUE about politics, so a teacher has no right to share his/her opinion. Give facts, truths, yes... NOT WHAT A TEACHER BELIEVES TO BE TRUTH, but the actual truth. If they can't do that, then they should not be a teacher. And, yes, at the age these children are... it is a PARENT'S right... MY RIGHT as a parent. I don't want her singing a song about Obama. I don't want her taught a song about Obama. THAT is MY right. And, only mine.

You're right, I'm not around children much. However, I believe a child's opinion is more valid than anyone else's opinion. Everything can be explained in the simples terms.

You give me a child, and teach him the bare basics of what's happening and explain it so a child could understand.

"The grown ups pay for certain things the government wants them to pay for. The government wants the people to pay for a big doctor's office that is free for other people to use. Some people don't want to pay for it because they may not want to use it but other people will."

But if you were to say something like, "I don't want to pay for those lazy people who don't have jobs and taking up all my money because that's how they want to live!" - I believe that's on par with abuse and morally wrong in my book.

Also, I wanted to mention one more thing, and I sincerely apologize to you if it offends you, but it needs to be said:

"Give facts, truths, yes... NOT WHAT A TEACHER BELIEVES TO BE TRUTH, but the actual truth."

We are really going to have to evaluate what constitutes truth in your opinion, and why you feel the way you do.

I don't talk about politics much in my class. I did talk about what an amazing time for our country it was when a black man was elected as president, last year. I did let the kids ask questions, however their questions had no real political value, just their curiosities. I would NEVER make a statement like the above that you've so eloquently written. Not to my students, nor to my child. And, YOU don't have to evaluate anything when it comes to what I believe is true. Lucky for me... there is not a single teacher in my school that would EVER dream of teaching their students a song about Obama. And, if there were... well, I choose her teachers, so I'm a lucky parent I suppose.

Well it's an interesting subject to me, because no offense to you, or any other conservative, but lately when it comes to health care, I haven't met one Republican/Conservative who had an accurate view of the situation. It's just kind of frightening to me to know that the majority of people at the 9/11 tea party protest have children.

Well, I suppose that doesn't actually concern you. Not that I was at any of the Tea Parties, however, unless it's your child, it's not your concern. That's the black and white of it. We all have the right to instill our beliefs, whether political or spiritual... I just do not believe that a teacher has the right to teach my child anything that goes against the things I've instilled in her. Especially when I believe that my child will grow into a lovely, caring, giving woman because of the love, care, concern that I give to her. My main concern is not to PUSH my beliefs upon my child, my concern is that she is brought up in a Christian home, that she will grow to have a conscience and the intelligence to learn to make the right decisions in any situation. The belief system, and parenting that gets a child there is different for every family, and it is ultimately that family's right to do what is best for THEIR child, based on their beliefs.

Sure.

Oh, one more thing. I said nothing about brainwashing... I'm not psychotic, and I don't believe a child can be brainwashed by singing a song. I simply do not want my child singing about that man.

Well my question still applies. Just replace the word "brainwashed" with "influenced."

as far as i can tell, the song doesn't lean either for or against the healthcare reform. it's just a cute little song about a current event that expresses the worries and wants on both sides. it's a private school too, btw

Uhm, it agree with that. Even if I was an Obama supporter, I'd still be upset if my kid came home singing about him.
School is to learn how to read, write, do math. Not sing songs about politics.

I was also taught social studies my entire elementary and middle school career. Also, who's to say this wasn't extra curricular?

OH SHUT YOUR FACE. I wasn't about to sit and name off everything I learned in school ;D

But, if it were extra curricular, it would more than likely be in addition to school, yes?
In which case I'd probably know what was going on, and I wouldn't like it either way.

Well the general feeling that I'm getting from this thread is that some of you think that these kids were somehow forced into doing this. I know it wasn't explicitly stated that any of you believe that, but it feels like you guys are saying that these kids are only doing what their teachers told them to do, and that doesn't seem like the case at all.

Well after just watching the video, no it doesn't look like they were forced into it.

But I was talking about the whole thing in general. Like if my kid just came home singing that.
And to a Miley Cyrus beat no less, (gag).

I can honestly say at the age they look (which is about my nephews age, so like 12?) I was most definitely NOT thinking about politics.
I was thinking about cool songs, boys and lip gloss. I'd bet money if I went and talked to my nephew and his friends, they could care less about it.

I personally think that these kids don't really care one way or the other about what they're singing about. Someone probably just said "oh you guys, sing this song and we can be on TV!"
Which is the impression I get from that video. Since they're all having such a dandy effing time. :|

Well I'm sure they were briefed on the subject at LEAST minimally.

And that oldest one has got to be around 15.

Well the oldest one, maybe.
But one of them kids looked like they were ten.


Get your ass on msn.
I love you.
No Homo.

You do realize the song is in support of healthcare reform, right? Not in support of Obama specifically, just in support of the health care reform he says we need. Because we do need it. Just because it mentions Obama you're going to get that irate about it? People need to stop focusing on the one minor part, and look at the message. The message is not in support of Barack Obama, the message is in support of health care reform.

I'm TOTALLY with you on that.