Nothing New

The absurdity of parents not wanting to have their children hear a speech from the President of the United States needs no further explanation. This issue has been talked about commonly and openly by friends who have nothing nice to say about those parents. I said something like, "When was the last time a presidential speech at a grade school was protested?" - and that made me think. Turns out I was not the only one to wonder that and I found a nice article by the Washington Examiner that points out George Bush's 1991 speech was investigated by Democrats in Congress who believed it was a political appearance.

Both Obama and Bush gave speeches focused on education, rightfully so. Similar themes and nothing really controversial spoken in either speech.

Bush: "When it comes to your own education, what I'm saying is take control."
Obama: "That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. "

Bush: "If you take school seriously, you won't have to settle for a job, just any job. You'll have a career."
Obama: "You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it."

Bush: "Right now in classrooms across this country, in the communities you call home, when things get tough, when answers are hard to come by, there's a teacher, a parent, a friend or family member ready to help you. They want to see you make it."
Obama: "Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it."

Bush: "You may not think about it now, but one day your children will want to look up at you and say, 'I've got the smartest Mom and Dad in the world.' Don't disappoint them."
Obama: "I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down.'

To read Bush's speech, click here.
To read Obama's speech, click here.