On September 3, my children were sent home with a letter from the Davis School District about the upcoming back-to-school address to students nationwide from President Obama. "The message will be directed at students specifically on the importance of education", the letter reads. It goes on to state "...President Obama will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning". The letter concludes by stating "Administrators of the Davis School District support providing students with the opportunity to view the President's address. However, we also want to provide [parents] with the option to opt out of having your child participate, if you choose."
I would encourage those that have received this letter to stop and think for a moment about what this Presidential address truly is, and what the opportunity represents for our children. Simply put, this is a message from the President of the United States to our children telling them to study hard and take responsibility for their education. Former presidents that include Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush have delivered similar speeches to students in the past. What is wrong with the same message being delivered now?
More importantly, the upcoming address represents an important lesson for our children on government and their future responsibility as a citizen of this nation. Such lessons are badly needed in a time when the only examples of civic duty that children can see include cacophonous outbursts at town hall meetings, angry citizens threatening and shouting at senators and congressional delegates, and protesters unabashedly displaying weapons and hateful propaganda directed at our own government and President. Must parents add to this by teaching our children that it's okay to boycott a message from the President of the United States because we don't agree with him or his politics?
The United States of America is fundamentally based on self-governance and public participation in the democratic process. It used to be the case that philosophical and ideological differences were resolved in politics by engaging in meaningful dialogue to reach a consensus. Given the current political climate, it is deplorable and frankly inexcusable to teach children that participation now includes closing your eyes, covering your ears, and going into the next room when a message from our President is one that we do not wish to hear.
Democracy is our gift to ourselves as a nation, and civic duty is not something that is required only at the voting booth. Civic duty is required of all of us on a daily basis through our actions, our words, and our behavior. It is incumbent upon us as parents to pass this responsibility on to our children in a meaningful, constructive manner. Those parents who sign this letter and withhold their children from participating in this process should be ashamed of themselves and the example they are setting. Those same parents have the most need to hear the message on Tuesday.
Andrew M. Williamson
Layton
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