Strollerderby
Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration
Across the country, schools will be tuning in Tuesday to let kids watch the forty-fourth president of the United States take his oath of office. But some parents will be keeping their kids home.
So they can celebrate together? Nope, these parents are calling foul on the schools for promoting a “biased, politically motivated hoopla.”
Huh?
The inauguration of the president is biased? Why? Because there’s just one guy up there with his hand on the Bible? Let me explain something to those of you who have cooked up this cockamamie idea: we have a two-party system, but in the end, only one person can win. You voted – let’s hope – and if your guy didn’t win, well, better luck next time. But you can’t turn back the hands of time by convincing your kids that everything that happens for the next four years is just “biased and politically motivated.” That’s teaching them the lesson not of moving forward but of being a sore loser.
Inauguration day happens only every four years. For kids who spend the traditional thirteen years in school, there will likely only be three chances to experience an inauguration. Once they’re out of school, if they’re like the rest of us working stiffs (let’s hope), they’ll have to live vicariously like the rest of us when January 20 falls on a weekday.
Regardless of who is taking the oath, it’s an incredible moment. It’s historical. It’s part of what makes our country . . . our country. There is nothing biased about celebrating President Barack Obama; no more so than teachers requiring their charges to watch the proceedings in Washington four years ago when a Republican president took his oath of office. I wasn’t a parent at that time, but I would likely have made my daughter watch then if she had been – much as I’ll be having her watch with me this year. In four years, I hope she’ll watch it in school. If not, I can imagine finagling a day at home, watching it with her.
For some of us, Tuesday will have added meaning. For others, it should still be marked as the day when a new president took the helm of the White House, because he will be our president – all of ours. And that includes our kids.
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20 Comments
mamallama commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amOk Michelle. I can sort of understand your concern that the other inaugurations were not shown (both Democrat and Republican). But this is the first inauguration of an African-American president which qualifies as a truly monumental event in our country’s history. So what did your kids learn from YOU yesterday? Sour grapes?
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI pulled my kids out of school today, when I showed up and they were running live CNN streaming coverage of the inauguration. They didn’t see Bill Clinton’s or George Bush’s at school because it was not offered, therefore they were not going to see Obama’s at school. Bias? ABSOLUTELY! We were given no warning or notification ahead of time; this is just how it was going to be. If a candidate had won that the school staff didn’t like, they wouldn’t have been showing it. I resent the agenda.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amFor most of you, I don’t think you actually understand what is being required in the public schools today. Yes, watching the inauguration is mandatory but also there will be no order either. Just like the day after the election there was total chaos. I send my children to school for an education in a safe environment and when I know that safety has the possibility of being breached then it is in their best interest to keep them home. When was the last time you stepped into a middle or high school? It isn’t like it was when we went to school. Students have no real limits anymore….verbally or otherwise!
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amSheri:
The Inauguration is costing the taxpayers exactly NO money. The money is coming from people attending the Inauguration and related events/balls and the money is going to DC vendors (airlines/hotels/restaurants/etc…) to stimulate the flagging economy. Who loses here? The big numbers exist only because so many will be attending.Getting a little tired hearing the Republican talking point that is untrue.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amJust for the record, I’m NOT stupid.
And you were perfectly clear in your first post.
Yep, he’s black and this election is historic for that fact. No matter which way you slice it, this economy sucks and this inauguration is costing the taxpayers a ton of money.
My son will be in school watching it. I just hope that if he is still in school when the next Republican is elected, a big deal will be made of it, and he’ll get to watch it too.
Knitty commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amIn this case, Shannon, leaving out the “the” makes a WORLD of difference. Although I wouldn’t want to write “it’s the BLACK, stupid” either. Just… no.
Shannon LC Cate commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amSo I’m the only one here who has heard “It’s the economy, stupid” and its thousands of spin-offs?
See this list for examples.
It’s a bumper sticker folks, not a personal insult. Sorry to be unclear about that.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI am not that old (early 20′s), but I remember watching Clinton’s inauguration both times when in elementary school (1st and 5th grade), and later in high school I watched Bush’s 1st inauguration (9th grade). We also watched the State of the Union Address every year I was in high school. Personally I think starting the tradition of watching the inauguration at a young age is starting the tradition of caring at an earlier age. I know that as a parent it is my job to foster that civic duty and caring, but I won’t complain about schools helping.
Also I’d rather they celebrate the peaceful changing of government than having a St. Paddy’s Day party. At least this opens the class up for an age appropriate discussion of politics, voting, and civics in general.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI’m all for Obama, but your “stupid” comment was crossing a line. We need be be respectfull of each other and act like adults.
Knitty commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amSeriously, what’s up with the “stupid” comment, Shannon? I disagree with the folks who don’t think this is a great thing for kids to watch, but they aren’t stupid for thinking as they do. They just have a different opinion.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI refuse to believe that one of the writers (I use that term losly) just called basically all of us or maybe just the posters on this thread “Stupid”.
I think we all know he is “BLACK” – at least I personally picked up on that. Seems to me the subject goes deeper than black and that is what the discussion thread is about…isn’t that why you allow comments? To discuss?
mamallama commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI would expect this piece of presidential history to be taught to my children regardless of who won. This is part of the process and that is one of the many lessons to take away from this.
Never underestimate the power of denial though. So they keep their kids home from school? It isn’t going to change the outcome one bit. It may teach those children that it is ok to run away and hide from things you don’t like but they’ll probably figure out on their own that there are different perspectives out there.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amWho cares if he is a Democrat or a Republican. I would be revelling in the fact that my children could take away from this event the fact that anyone can run for and be elected to the highest office in the land. You do not have to be a certain color, or come from a certain type of family, or have a wealthy background in order to achieve your dreams. Isnt that what is more important than a lot of what ifs? And just for the record, I grew up in DC, I attended some of these events, and yes, there is much pomp and circumstance involved in all of them. We never had to worry about seeing it in school, we always had the day off, and it did not matter who won.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amMy daughter’s kindergarten teacher spoke to the class on election day about how she and her family hoped John McCain would win. I hope she will show the inauguration on Tuesday; to me that seems only fair and balanced.
Shannon LC Cate commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amHello folks. There’s also this little matter of him being BLACK.
Maybe they wouldn’t be watching if it had been John McCain. But let’s say it was Colin Powell for the republicans. Do you suppose they’d be watching then?
I should hope so.
It’s history, stupid.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amWell, the previous posters definitely made me take a hard look at myself. When I first read, I was thinking, “Why would anyone be against showing the inauguration?” This is historic and this is a new president… a new direction (hopefully) for the country.
But what if McCain had won? How would I feel? I wouldn’t be against his inauguration being shown, but if people protested I wouldn’t be so aghast.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI’m not sure this is about valuing one party or candidate over another, and I guess I don’t get the parents’ decision to keep their children home.
I have vivid memories watching swearing-in ceremonies when I was in elementary school. I remember being vaguely happy about it since my parents were Reagan supporters, but I don’t recall having 1/100000 the investment in it as I have as an adult – I don’t think kids generally tend to. To me, it just seemed as important as anything the school felt they needed to show us, such as the first Space Shuttle take-off.
Yes, it is historical for obvious reasons, but it is hard to ignore there will be more people in the District of Columbia (by a significant margin) than in any point in history – eclipsing not only Bush, but every president that came before him. From what I’m reading from some of the commenters, there seems to be resentment over that.
For me, my experience in 1981 was an important civics lesson, as it should be for everyone in 2009.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amDid they do this for Bush? If all inagurations are histroic do they celebrate them all or just this one? Is it historic because he is half black? Would we be celebrating if a woman had won the election? Are we happy for him because Americans dont expect much from blacks so this is extra special? Let’s not all pretend here. I agree, it is political and borders on a coronation. My public school kids would also stay home.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amHistorical??? Yep. And my kids are going to school and I will watch, but do I think that if the other guy had won, my kids would be watching at school??? Nope.
He’s my president and I’m all for change. I firmly believe in respecting the office no matter what political party won. I really like Obama, even though I voted for John McCain. I can like and respect him even though I don’t agree with a lot of his policies.
Wasn’t George Bush lambasted for spending tons of money on his inauguration during bad economic times???
Politically biased??? Yeah.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amYeah, the Inauguration is political. Isn’t it supposed to be political??? It’s a bunch fo government people standing up there, and we’re swearing in a new head to our government…if it wasn’t political I’d be a bit concerned by that.
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