Another school year is upon us, and, for once, teachers aren't feeling the heat; just yet, that is.  That honor goes to the President of the United States.  It would appear that many Americans objected to having his "Welcome Back to School" speech branded as subversive, policy-driven, and even a few charges of brainwashing.  Of course, some of these charges have been thrown around by conservative Republican groups (who would appear to know quite a bit about two things:  self-serving accounts about definitions such as "socialist, communist, brainwashing," and, second, the inability to check facts or even be bothered to promote public education).  On the way back from the speech, a few protesters lined the route, one of whom apparently brandishing a sign saying: "Mr. President, stay out of our schools." 

Interesting.  But, this could be a back-handed compliment.  After all, what if there were a national emergency that required his attention, only to have him stationed away talking to those ungrateful teenage louts who probably will never appreciate the fact that the man who won the most celebrated election event in the past 100 years and who has had been instrumental in having almost 70% of the world approve of America's position in the world (from around 18% in the last Administration) come to speak at their school, and have the opportunity to talk to him first-hand. 

No, they probably won't remember that for the rest of their lives.  Going back to the "stay out of our schools" protester, I'm willing to bet that this person would be interested to know how our public schools are funded (by taxpayers, yes, but the Federal Government signs over the money). 

However, maybe some people didn't want the Leader of the Free World stuck in a school.  We all remember what happened last time a sitting president came to a school:

"Mr. President, I know you really wanted to learn more about goats, but your opportunity to become one just arrived."

Besides, parents wanted the opportunity to read the President's speech to their children before they heard it for themselves (or, as some say, to proofread it).  Either way, to have people this upset over a speech to welcome people back to school, to begin another year to achieve great things and put American education at the top of international education will have to wait because some blowhards can't get it through their heads that some people out there really do care about the education of Americans. 

It is unfortunate that some American parents can't be put in that category, and that the minority of voices carrying that opinion tend to dominate the airwaves, and especially, our "progressive, modern, intelligent" society.