The Bush and Reagan Speeches to Schoolchildren

There has been a lot of angst about President Obama's upcoming speech to school children. Spokesman Robert Gibbs made the point that both President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush also made addresses to schoolchildren. Just for reference, here is a link to the text of President George H.W. Bush's 1991 speech to schoolchildren.
The Bush speech can be found at The Bush Library online resources hosted by Texas A&M University.

For a transcript of Reagan's 1988 address, I have unearthed a link from the University of Texas: Reagan Address to School Children, November 14, 1988


Once Obama's transcript is posted it will be interesting to compare them. Both Reagan and Bush's were innnocuous, though Reagan did make the case for low taxes, and less governmetn spending. However, neither Reagan nor Bush tried to push the children in any particular direction as the Soviets, the Chinese and the imperial Japnese models certainly do. We shall see if Obama can rise to that level of statemanship - to date he is both more partisan and less willing to reach across the aisle to the opposition than either Ronald Reagan or either of the Bushes ever were.

Hat tip to Allahpundit over at Hot Air.

Whither Common Sense?

One would think that teachers and school administrators, who are supposedly trained professional educators, would be able to distinguish between an actual threat and a sstudent who is merely passing the time by doodling. Apparently in Phoenix Arizona suburb of Chandler, one would be wrong.

According to the Phoenix-area TV station KPHO 5, a 13-year olod student who doodled a picture of a space-ray gun was suspended for five days. Although the school refused to discuss the incident, the station did a little research rto try to discover what the student was suspended for. They reported,

CBS 5 News investigated the rules students must follow while at school. There's nothing in a portion of the student handbook that addresses conduct to indicate the drawing of a weapon poses threat.
There is a rule that says students should not engage in "Threatening an educational institution by interference with or disruption of the school."

It appears that the administration of Payne Junior High School is ignorant of the content of the United States Constitution's First (free speech) and Second Amendments (the right of Americans to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed). It appears that the school's teachers and administrators are also ignorant of basic principles of common sense. While I do not live in Chandler, I would advise the parents of those children who do live there that perhaps it is time to look hard at just what these so-called teachers are teaching. Since they do not appear to have a very strong grasp of either American civics nor of common sense, perhaps it is time to replace them.