Last month, a video of second graders singing songs in praise of President Obama at a school assembly found its way on to the Internet. Although the songs were performed over seven months ago, they have caused a great deal of controversy over the past couple of weeks. Last week, protesters surrounded the New Jersey elementary school, accusing administrators of indoctrination. This incident has escalated to the point where the school was temporarily placed on lockdown last week, after death threats were made against its principal.
Parents have expressed outrage, claiming that political beliefs, like religion, should not be brought into the classroom. I agree. However, it seems that these songs were more about the celebration of our country than about partisan politics. The songs were taught and performed in conjunction with the school's celebration of Black History Month, and the lyrics seem to be consistent with what elementary school children should be learning on this subject. Lyrics include: "Hooray, Mr. President! You're number one! The first black American to lead this great nationHooray Mr. President, we're really proud of you! And we stand for all Americans under the great Red, White and BlueHe said red, yellow, black or white; All are equal in his sight."
These lyrics are highly patriotic, and send a message of unity and inclusion. There are a few lines in the songs that are a bit more policy oriented, calling for equal pay for equal work, and a desire for the president to "make this country's economy number one again." But these are hardly controversial goals. The songs neither put down Republicans, nor touch on contentious and divisive issues like health care reform or tax policy.
The protesters and others who are criticizing this incident are overreacting. It is important for children to learn civics and to take pride in their country. Kids grow up learning songs and performing plays about our founding fathers and former presidents. I highly doubt that controversy would erupt over the fact that eight year-olds dressed up as George Washington or Abraham Lincoln in celebration of President's Day. So what's the problem with kids learning a song in celebration of the inauguration of the new president? Any inauguration is an important event for our country. And that of the nation's first black president is particularly special. It was an event in which all Americans, regardless of their political persuasion, should have taken pride.
This controversy is similar to that which occurred in early September, when the president formally addressed school children via a televised speech. Upon the announcement of the speech, a number of conservatives spoke out, calling it an attempt by the Obama administration to indoctrinate youth with its liberal agenda. Some parents kept their kids home from school that day, and some school districts did not allow the students to watch the speech. When the president arrived at the Virginia high school where he delivered his speech, a group of protesters was waiting with signs bearing slogans such as "Mr. President, stay away from our kids." Contrary to the predicted language of indoctrination, the president's speech was devoid of policy issues. Instead, he encouraged success through hard work and perseverance, and stressed the importance of personal responsibility. It's difficult to understand why anybody would not want today's youth to hear this personal message from the president.
I am aware of the risks of indoctrination in schools. While my experience with Dartmouth professors has been great, I had teachers in high school who were forthcoming about their political orientation, and were quite unwelcoming to those students who did not share their beliefs. This is not the case with the two Obama incidents. Here, the protesters are simply making a mountain out of a mole hill.
That said, while I disagree with the various groups of unnecessarily outraged critics, I have to admit that their presence gives me some hope: if nothing else, they are a reminder that our country is aware of the potential for harmful indoctrination. If things ever do go too far, there will be backlash. For instance, if a teacher were to preach his or her pro-choice views to fourth-grade students, and then instruct the children to spread the information to their families, parents would respond, and the teacher would be forced to curtail his or behavior. Until that happens, however, I think we can let the harmless songs and inspirational speeches slide.