Our Eternal Majestic Supreme God whom we know
in the Person of Jesus Christ, is always worthy
to be exalted and praised. The message is to be
envied. I rode my bicycle all the way from the
Haughville area all the way to brightwood and
I am a heart patient with conjestive heart fai-
lure and I am one inch shorter because of the severe cartilege damage in my knees as I suf-
fer from osteoarhtritis in the knees. I have the only church in the state of Indiana that has a policy that requires you to get to church
and they will get you back. Several of them have nice cars and no other obligations that
would hinder them from "bearing one another's
burdens" as the bible instructs us. I always
encourage people to remember the penalities of
forsaking the "least of the brethren".

Reverend

I don't think our conservative so called Christian citizens will like what you have presented this time. You have put a mirror before them to see what they really look like. What we see is very ugly. How can you know God and fight like rabid beasts to stop your fellow human beings from having access to health care. It is unimaginable the number of ignorant reasons to defeat the president's healthcare plan; they will pull the plug on grandma, illegal aliens will benefit, our children will have to pay for it, it will pay for abortions, concerns about the rich being taxed to help pay for the plan, the government will run healthcare, and on and on.

The plan will not cut off grandma or the veterans. There is no plan for illegals but for the legals in our country. Bush and Republicans are the ones who saddled our grandchildren with mountains of debt [Iraq war, tax cut for the richest 1% of Americans]. It is taking more money to overcome the huge deficits that president Obama inherited from Bush.

There is not now and never has been any plan to pay for abortions. The government runs the military, the VA, the Post Office, Medicare, and so much more. There are private colleges and public colleges and the private colleges are still thriving. We have FedEx and UPS and they are doing better than the government run post office. So what is the real problem. I think it is that Black president in the White House.

I pray president Obama will deal wisely with the conservative Republicans and the Confederate Southern Democrats by keeping a strong public option in the healthcare bill. He needs to put pressure on Democrats who are against the public option. They are already being threatened by the labor unions who usually support Democratic campaigns. The party will have to disconnect with Democrats who will not vote to insure that all Americans can finally get health care coverage.

My own congressman said that he is preparing to lose his seat because he will do what is right; and that is to support the public option. I told him that I am a frontline witness in healthcare, I see people dying needlessly because they cannot get care before their situation becomes grave. I think if the president concentrates on what is right and not what is politically expedient, then he will be successfull.

Christians who fight the healthcare plan are not true followers of Jesus Christ. It is very clear what he wants. It is clear what God wanted when He told Moses to go down and tell Pharoah to "Let my people go." He saw the suffering at the hands of Pharoah, working human beings from can't see morning to can't see night. He wants His people to have life and have it more abundantly.

God didn't not want His people suffering and neither did Jesus. What more do the so called Christians want in the way of proof that the God we serve looks out for His children. He has said, "Peter, if you love me,feed my sheep." The Book is replete with examples of God's desire for us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for those who are sick.

Thank you Reverend for such a beautiful lesson for people who should already know what to do when it comes to the sick and infirmed among us. Thank you!!!

Thanks so much for pointing out how un-Christian the mean-spirited, unloving message is that is being promoted by those who oppose health care for all. The one good thing in all of this is that the racism that this country has refused to face for so long is surfacing. Even whites who want to believe we're in a "post-racial" era have had to acknowledge that this hysteria about "socialism" is thinly disguised racism against our president.

History Lesson: One of the most misunderstood myths underpinning this nation is that it was a "christian" nation. It never was and never will be. The Founding Fathers had come to this continent very familiar with the bloody history of mixing church and state. Remember, the King of England created his own religious organization because the Pope would not grant him an annulment from his third barren wife. The king wanted an heir to the throne, but his wives were barren. Creating the Church of England, a Protestant sect, because England was formerly Catholic, threw the nation into turmoil. Blood was shed, wars fought, international relations destroyed and the Anglican Church created all because a man could not produce a male child.

So, the Founding Fathers very carefully created the doctrine of "separation of church and state."

Besides that, the people of Europe invaded this continent and attempted to commit genocide on all native Americans. In some case, completely exterminating some tribal groups on natives.

Then we have the despicable record of slavery in this country that no one wants to talk about. 400 years of slavery and racial discrimination and hatred has brought this nation to it's knees. Someone said a long time ago, "Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap."

Today, we see the exact same attitude displayed as racists finally come out into the daylight where everyone can see them. Why? Because there is an African-American sitting in the White House! Despite the reality, they would rather bring this nation to ruin and their own people with it, then work to salvage what little is left of this country.

The passage of this legislation will mean little in the long run because America's day is over. The chickens have come home to roost. I advise all to develop a Plan B and right away. The bottom has not even been approached yet. Mark my words.

Keep up the fight. Continue to speak truth to power my brother, although it will do little good. Remember, the Jewish religious leaders arranged the murder of our Lord and Savior because of selfishness and greed. What happened to the Nation of Israel? It was destroyed in 70 CE. If God did not spare Israel, why would it defend a nation that is obviously anti-Christ?

Wes Barnard

We are our brothers and our sisters keeper.

Unfortunately the most harden whites, besides those who never liked Obama anyway, truly believe his premise regarding healthcare, is to provide primarily for blacks and other so-called minorities. Their anger is like blinders, to not see that there are just as many of their own who need it also. But it's true religion and morality has long been something of the past. We now live in a narcissistic society. Oddly few people really can see where self-indulgence will take them.


Peace

Mmoja,

We didn't plan to email you again today. But yesterday, news broke that President Obama will make a big speech to Congress next Wednesday on health care -- an issue we know you care about.

And according to news reports, "although House leaders have said their members will demand the inclusion of a public insurance option, Obama has no plans to insist on it himself." *

In response, we got a truly depressing email from Christian S. in Texas:

"Your recent health care ads are great, they hit home. But Obama has decided to drop the public option and for breaking his campaign promise I am dropping out of political activism for the time being."

This fight is absolutely not over, but Christian's feelings are real. If Obama doesn't stand firm on the public option, millions of people will lose hope.

So today, we're launching a petition to President Obama signed by those who volunteered, staffed, voted for, or donated to Obama's campaign in 2008, asking him to please stand firm on the public option.

If that's you, can you sign this petition today? Click here:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5649/t/4951/content.jsp?content_KEY=2793&tag=pod_main-email1

Then, please think hard about others you know who worked for change last year -- and forward them this email.

The petition says: "We worked so hard for real change. President Obama, please demand a strong public health insurance option in your speech to Congress. Letting the insurance companies win would not be change we can believe in."

We'll make sure the White House gets our message. In addition to delivering the signatures and personal notes from the petition page, we're planning an ad featuring the voices of those who sign.

Obama's speech "is still being debated in the West Wing." * That means there's still time -- we have one week to persuade Obama to do the right thing.

Can you sign this petition to President Obama today? Click here.

Then, please forward this to others. Again, we have until Wednesday, September 9. Thanks for being a bold progressive.

-- Adam Green, Stephanie Taylor, Michael Snook, Evan Miller, Andrew Perez, and the PCCC team

* Source: "Under fire, President Obama shifts strategy." Politico, Sept. 1, 2009.

Text of President Obama's school speech
Obama's prepared remarks for his back-to-school event Tuesday
EDITOR'S NOTE: THE WHITE HOUSE ON MONDAY RELEASED THE FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S PREPARED TEXT FOR HIS PLANNED BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPEECH.

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.

I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

‘Put in the hard work’
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? 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.

'We need every single one of you'
And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.

Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

‘I got a lot of second chances’
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.

‘They refused to give up’
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

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. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

‘Being successful is hard’
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

‘Don't ever give up on yourself’
And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. 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. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32723584/ns/politics-white_house/

MSN Privacy . Legal
© 2009 MSNBC.com

My Lord!!

The President's speech to the nation's children is written above. What is so frightening about this speech that a parent would not want their child to hear it? Where is the indoctrination into socialism? The President's speech is motivation, not socialism! If a parent does not want their child to hear this speech then we know that the parent is rejecting something other than the speech. The rejection is not the speech, but the person given the speech is being rejected. I will hold comment on why he is actually being rejected until I see if those parents and schools opposed to the President's speech continue in their opposition.

Chances are they won't change how they feel, since most have shown they never respected him as a leader from day one. So it would only be bigotry. But I always believed the planet has a way of dealing with the bad vibes it receives from humans.

Peace

Thomas,

I am just trying to give the benefit of the doubt until the doubt is removed.

Reverend

You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool the people all of the time. These parents who are in a wild frenzy about a Black president speaking to their children have gone so far out that they are becoming exposed for being the racist haters that they are. This is the same uninformed crowd that is making so much noise at the town hall meetings.
Any reasonable observer can clearly see that those who are so shrill and noisy about anything that this Black president does are simply anti Black. Their senseless and unreasonable opposition to everything Obama does is so revealing. The Americans who voted for president Obama know that those losers in the last election are out of control and can't stand the fact that their president is Black.

Their irrational objection to the motivational speech to their children is what the rest of America and the world need to see; these Republican conservatives happen to be isolated mainly in the South and are known to be less educated Americans.

What these ignorant haters of Black America don't realize is that they are helping president Obama by being so obviously racist. They are without any shame. It reminds me of the White adult men and women who cursed and verbally attacked little Black children trying to integrate White schools in the 1960's. Those rabid White Confederate beasts are still among us in 2009. We had to mourn the death of four little girls who were killed in a Birmingham, Alabama church that was bombed by such animals who resemble these same haters of president Obama and Black people in America.

We who live in this backward and ignorant South have had to fight these White haters all of our lives. That is why some of us were shocked that Barack Obama was elected president. Thank God for the decent Whites [liberals and progressives] who outnumbered the ignorant racists in the November election which gave us our first Black president.

We are seeing the demise of these hateful anti Black racists and one day they may become irrelevant. But until that day comes, we have to take them seriously because they are lethal and can hurt our president.

john

Good post! Years ago we had people who said Medicare would turn our country socialistic. Today, people with the same mindset label a public option for healthcare as socialism - while they carry a sign saying "Keep your hands off my Medicare." Go figure!

Rather than socialism, I think the problem is me-ism. They will fight a public option to benefit the masses without healthcare saying it is bad economics or socialism, but when it passes and functions well, it will be their God given right and don't you forget it.

Thanks for including the speech to students. When I was in the 7th grade, the only time I remember skipping any class was to go home with a friend at lunch to watch Kennedy's innauguration speech. We returned to school so inspired by the words of our country's new president. I truly believe it is time a U.S. president addresses students. They deserve that attention and can certainly benefit from it. We all remember President George W. Bush spoke to an elementary school class on 9/11, Why isn't President Obama being praised for utilizing today's technology to make himself available to all K-12 students and have a positive impact on their lives? His printed message is inspiring and motivational. letting students know they can achieve and that he has great expectations of them. It could have even more impact than President Kennedy saying "Ask not what your country can do for you..."

Nancy

Good post! Years ago we had people who said Medicare would turn our country socialistic. Today, people with the same mindset label a public option for healthcare as socialism - while they carry a sign saying "Keep your hands off my Medicare." Go figure!

Rather than socialism, I think the problem is me-ism. They will fight a public option to benefit the masses without healthcare saying it is bad economics or socialism, but when it passes and functions well, it will be their God given right and don't you forget it.

Thanks for including the speech to students. When I was in the 7th grade, I remember skipping class (the only time) to go home with a friend at lunch to watch Kennedy's innauguration speech. We returned to school so inspired by the words of our country's new president. I truly believe it is time a U.S. president addresses students. They deserve that attention and can certainly benefit from it. We all remember President George W. Bush spoke to an elementary school class on 9/11, Why isn't President Obama being praised for utilizing today's technology to make himself available to all K-12 students and have a positive impact on their lives? His printed message is inspiring and motivational. letting students know they can achieve and that he has great expectations of them. It could have even more impact than President Kennedy saying "Ask not what your country can do for you..."

Nancy

John,

I feel your passion. I don't think that we should cover our eyes to the underlying reasons why people oppose the President, of which racism is surely one, However, I think it is not to our interest to stoop to their level. We must call them out. However, we can't return their rabid rhetoric with the same because it will affect our capacity to love them if they change their ways. I mean we should love them unconditionally. We can love them while truly disliking their behavior.

Nance,

This is where your words are so insightful. You depict how people carry signs that say hands off of my medicare now, when years ago they were agaisnt it. The people that oppose the President now are just short sighted. Time, and the prays of the righteous, will eventually help them to see the errors of their ways. They will become clear that to be concerned about our neighbor is not socialism, but what God would have us to do. Keep the faith. God will see this thing through. God bless you both.

Greetings my beloved comrad in the Gospel and
also in the struggle. This is not an unusual
situation in our christian history. The enemy
has always surfaced against supreme progress
and standards even from the very throne of God.
Did this not happen by Luicifer himself against
God Himself???Again in Egypt??? Again in the
mountains when Satan challenged Christ??? The
bottom line is that every time God's will pre-
vailed! Amen and Selah!!! It is a fact that our
president will prevail in his plan if they are
favored by God. This plan is actually for the
natural man. Before Wishard was a brazen ser-
pent upon a pole. Before Obama was another Com-
forter. Before the republican party was a risen
Savior that came and healed us by His stripes.
Before the opposition party was these words;
"My kingdom is not of this world". "If my king-
dom was of this world, then would my servants
fight"."we have a fight alright". Fight the good fight of faith. Now then faith is the substance of things hoped for. It is the evi-
dence of things not seen. I speak these words
to those that oppose treatment are opposers of
"healing". Be confident that our healthcare
plan is already in place. Support Obama all the
way if that be your desire. Anything concerning
the "government will be controlled by the U.S.
Constitution. That has never been the benefit
of the minority families to this day.To this
very day slavery is still legal against convic-
ted felons. There is more than corn in Indiana.
We make more proceeds off prisons that we do
off of corn. Prisoners are legal slaves. Read
your constitution and clearly understan what you are reading. Don't you see the chains and shackles??? Don't you see the clothes??? Then
should we really trust our health and life to the same people that are enslaving us and are
inflicting the death penalty against us??? Not
me? I am the sole surviving brother of 18 boys.
15 of my brothers died in hospitals and four of
them were veterans of the United States Armed
forces. Do we need a overhauling of the entire
medical system in the U.S.A.??? Absolutely!!!
Is our constitution qualified to bring resolve
to our current crisis??? Absolutely not. The
constitution is currently designed to allow the
"government" immeasureable power to exercise
enormous control over the medical system that is currently in place. The churches need to
meet with the veteran organizations and exlore
their experiences of a governmentally control-
led medical system. Not to mention the Walter Reed Hospital. A government controlled hospital
can allow you to go months with no treatment
on non life threatening conditions without any
pain medications such as dental and appendix
problems. Get with the veterans and government
employees investigate this issue in depth be-
fore you make a competent decision. The bible
says; "Come let us reason together". "Let every
man be persuaded by the opinion of his mind, but let it be a good one". My point here is to
know exactly to "WHOM" do you put your trust?
I command every servant of the Most High God in
Christ Jesus, to trust in the Lord with all
thine heart and lean not unto your own under-
standing. IN "all" thy ways acknowlege Him and
He shall direct thy paths. You must consider
the complete contents of the healthcare plan
along with the "powers that be" in the consti-
tution. When you have to deal with litigation in the federal courts, it is a whole different
ball game and is very well detailed and very
time consuming, not to mention that the court
are unreachable for most citizens.

I am outraged of the manner that our President
was challenged for his visitation to students
and I waited patiently to see just how far that
this would be carried out. Carried out they did
to the max. Anybody that has or knows a child
that is in school now knows that we are in a
extremely critical crisis. We have no prsyer in
school. We have nearly no home discipline and
our schools have fallen prey to crime and drug
abuse not to mention the violent hate groups
that have infratrated our schools. I have never
in my lifetime experienced such unwarranted and
extended hatred as was demonstrated over this
school visitation. There is no outrage that is
expressed against the classes that teach homo-
sexuality in our schools. There is no outrage
that there are no substitute programs to offer
education to children to respect their parents
and to honor their elders and neighbors. There
were some schools in certain regions that abso-
lutely were completely defiant and did not al-
low the viewing of the tape in their schools.
After reviewing the message, I was impressed
that he reached many of the children and many of them were inspired by his encouragements. I
say to President Obama that he should make it his business to continue his outreach and to
even produce a book to initiated into the school system. There is a course that is being
taught in school called; Madonna that teaches
the behavior pattern of the singer "Madonna".
There is no opposttion to this kind of teaching
yet there is opposition to our President that
has the greatest reason in the world to inspire
our children. Now is the time for us to come to the platform of the foundation that Dr. King
has laid and the principles of Mahatma Ghandi to bring back the resounding voice of Boycotts
and civil unrest until we open the ears of the
deaf that are insensative to the cries of the
oppressed. Rise up o men of God! Rise up from
your valleys of dry bones. Sound an alarm to the oppressors. Ehere the spirit of the Lord is
there is liberty.

I was wondering when the contradiction was going to raise its ugly head. The school in Texas would not let the children see President Obama's speech but is busing the children to see former President Bush. The school says the difference is to see the former President is a field trip that the parents gave permission to do. The school did not show President Obama's speech whether the parents would have given permission or not. The only genuine difference in these children hearing a President speak is the President's race. Lord help us today. The artice is below:

Texas school district that declined Obama speech will bus kids to see Bush
Buzz up!Like this story? Share it with Yahoo! Buzz
A Texas school district that declined to allow students to listen to President Obama's speech to students on Tuesday will bus about 500 students to attend a Super Bowl-related event this month where former president George W. Bush will speak, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Arlington school district spokeswoman Veronica Sopher tells the newspaper that the two events are different.

"The distinction is it’s a field trip that parents have to grant permission for students to attend," she says, according to the Star-Telegram

With parental permission, the selected classes will attend a field trip at the Cowboys Stadium, where they will hear from several different speakers.

Dwight McKissic Sr., the senior pastor of Arlington's Cornerstone Baptist Church, said he's concerned about the district's decision to not broadcast Obama's message while transporting students to hear a message from Bush.

"I do not understand the duplicity in this situation," McKissic said in a news release, according to NBC. "I believe the students and the public deserve and need to have these differences explained."

The church presented Obama's speech on Tuesday and arranged with the school district for any student who attended to get an excused absence from school.
(Photo by Bill Pugliano, Getty Images)

Posted by Doug Stanglin at 10:57 AM/ET, September 09, 2009 in Politics, Washington | Permalink

Reverend

President Obama proved on yesterday that he is truly under divine guidance because I don't think any human being could have crafted such a piecing and timely speech as his address to the United States Congress.

He did not come to play and he called out the liars and the deceivers who have gone mad with their foolishness. He gave us a plan that should shut up the Republican conservative lunatic fringe and the Blue Dog Democrats and other Southern Confederates who hate this Black president.

I am overjoyed to hear him say that he will call you out if you continue to smear and misinform the people. He sounds like he has run out of patience with his Democrats who will not get behind him and help save the millions of Americans who are dying like flies because they can't get health care.
He was able to reassure the citizens who have private insurance that they have nothing to worry about and gave assistance to those who have no insurance at all. He made it crystal clear that the insurance industry has ripped off the American people by cherry picking the healthy Americans and to hell with the sick ones, all in the name of greed and profit. He was on point about the fact that the insurance companies will drop you, down grade your reimbursement, cause you to lose coverage if you change or lose a job, and become a barrier between you and your doctor.

Whenever you have an intelligent president with strong cabinet and appointed members of his team, we win and win big. We won big with Bill Clinton because he and Hillary were an intelligent couple who made it happen for America. Barack and Michelle are so much like the Clintons. Both finished prestigious universities, both are lawyers, and both are very bright. We did not have this type of leadership under Bush. As he was a former substance abuser, he depended on Cheney and Rumsfeld to think for him and he left America in ruins and in the toilet. That is what an ignorant leader can do to a nation.

Finally, many Whites in this country are so hateful and jealous of Barack Obama that they would rather destroy America than to allow a Black president to be successful. The world is watching the haters and the destroyers of this country who are bent on proving that Whites are supreme. These rabid racists cannot stomach the fact that their time has run out and they can't continue to fool the people. Intelligence comes in all colors and nationalities; and Obama has dispelled the myth of White Supremacy.

The world is watching how embarrassing it must be to decent Americans to have adults protesting the president of the United States speaking to the nation's children. The world watched how they treated Justice Sotomayor, first Latina on the Supreme Court. The world knows how many minorities are imprisoned in this country as compared to the rest of the civilized world. And finally, the world has not forgotten that George Bush lost the first presidential election against Al Gore in 2000; and as Hillary Clinton said, Jeb Bush of Florida, had the deciding votes to get his brother elected. The world is watching.

John

22--that's the number of minutes that passed from the start of the CSPAN broadcast to the end of President Obama's speech today on education. I saw it and you can see it too eventually on www.whitehouse.gov, youtube or whatever internet preferences you use.

If our schools don't have the flexibility in their day for one of the most impactful 22 min. messages on education you'll ever hear than this nation is more doomed tha n I thought.

Here are some additional responses I've rec'd today. Again, if you're compelled to share your thoughts please "respond to all" if you have the option. FISHERS AND HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN RESIDENTS: PLEASE NOTE THE MEETING WITH YOUR SUPERINTENDENT TONIGHT that's been brought to our attention via Mia London. Thanks Mia!

From Mia London:

From Annette Henderson:

Below is my email to Supt. Underwood yesterday, her 'canned' reply to my email and my reply to her. You may share it if you want.

Dr. Underwood.

What a great Civics/Government lesson you are opting to dismiss!

Why not let the children hear a positive message from the President of the United States?

Please reverse your terrible decision.

Annette Henderson

Each of our teachers have the option of showing President Obama's speech to his/her classes. We believe this is the most appropriate approach because teachers are the best judge of how this will affect their instructional plans for Tuesday.

Dr. Underwood, thank you for your quick response.

I respect your opinion that "teachers are the best judge of how this will affect their instruction plans."

As a former teacher, I, however, am as convinced that teachers are NOT always the best judge. Sometimes they have to be given guidance.

Concerning instruction plans for the day: all teachers know how to juggle on any given school day. I cannot believe that the day after a holiday would be so crowded that an interruption would cause upheaval. Unless, of course, ISTEPS were being administered.

In this instance, I would have preferred that the option of choice not have been an option.

Thank you again for your reply.

Annette Henderson

From Jimmy Meadows:

There are some concerns we as African American families need to address with schools in Hamilton County. It needs to happen soon. The lack of cultural competency training and knowledge in the school district is unacceptable let alone minority teacher and administration representation. I believe Hoosier Road has 1 black teacher! Two years ago, I hired a black female teacher from Hamilton County to my building. She was going to leave away due to feeling isolated at her all white school. Can you imagine how our students feel?

I personally know a friend/colleague..Dr. Roger Cleveland that could do a cultural audit for the district and individual schools so they can appropriately respond to the needs of all students of color. After the audit, Dr. Cleveland would work with Supt. and building leaders on a timeline to implement changes. We need to meet as parents first, prioritize, then organize our efforts to make a positive difference for our children.

My wife and I spend quality time giving our children experiences that will let them know who they are, culture, history etc.. yet their white friends are ignorant to our culture, history etc. unless they interact with us on a personal level. Erika and I are putting in extra time at home when the district could be doing their part. Let me know when the organization will meet..time, date and location…We will be there..I know others from my neighborhood would be there as well.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Meadows, Jr.

Principal

Stonybrook Middle School

Indianapolis, Indiana 46229

The time is now!

We have never been so close to making health care reform happen in the U.S. But what
that reform will look like depends on who has the ear of our elected leaders. If we
want a health care system that reflects our faith-inspired values, it will be up to
us to communicate those values.

On Tuesday, September 15, we will have the opportunity to overwhelm the Capitol
Switchboard with calls during a massive nationwide call-in day for people of faith.
We will raise our voices with messages of hope, compassion, the common good, shared
responsibility, concern for those who are vulnerable, and faithful stewardship of our
abundant health care resources.

But we can do that only if you commit to making your 3 calls: one to each of your
Senators and one to your Representative. Set aside just a few minutes on Tuesday to
make your voice heard - and ask your family, friends, and colleagues to make calls as
well. Don't assume that your voice isn't needed - every voice matters at this
strategic moment!

If you are new to making these calls, just follow the simple steps below and adapt
the sample messages with your own words.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tips for a successful phone call:

1) Dial the toll-free number 1-888-797-8717.
2) Once you are connected with the Capitol Switchboard, ask for the offices of your
Senators or Representative by name.
3) Once you are connected with the office, ask to speak with the health care staffer.

Sample message:

Introduction: Hello, my name is ________________. I am a member of [name of your
congregation/organization] in [city, state].

Short message: I am calling Senator/Representative __________ because I believe it
is a moral imperative that we enact health care reform this year. I urge the
Senator/Representative to do all he/she can to make that happen. [If you already know
he/she is supportive, acknowledge that!] Thank you!

Longer message: If the opportunity presents itself, pick ONE statement from below
and add it to your message, based on what values are important to you, or what you
know about the Senator's/Representative's views.

I believe that:
. Health care is a shared responsibility that is grounded in our common humanity. I
urge Senator/Representative _________to support legislation that demonstrates our
care for one another, promotes human dignity, and shows compassion by protecting
those who are most vulnerable.

. Humanity is sacred. I urge Senator/Representative __________to support health care
legislation that contributes to our health and wholeness, so that we can live out our
fullest potential as individuals and as contributing members of society.

. We are blessed with the abundant resources necessary to meet each other's needs. I
urge Senator/Representative __________to promote legislation that demonstrates good
stewardship and distributes our health care resources effectively, efficiently, and
fairly.

Further, I urge the Senator/Representative to [add a particular policy provision that
is important to you].

Thank you!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This toll-free number was made possible with support from the United Church of Christ
Justice and Witness Ministries and the General Board of Church and Society of the
United Methodist Church in collaboration with Faithful Reform in Health Care.

_______________________________________
Rev. Linda Hanna Walling, Executive Director
Faithful Reform in Health Care
3000 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
Tel: 216-325-0010; Fax: 216-432-0134
walling@faithfulreform.org
http://www.faithfulreform.org