The Voluntary Presidency?

This paranoid delusion of HypnObama brought to you courtesy of Glenn Beck's imagination

Seems the presidency has become like sex ed in Texas schools. Austin ISD is allowing teachers and students to opt out of President Obama's "Back-to-School" speech. Even more worryingly, Leander ISD announced it won't carry the speech at all, citing the "logistics of making a webcast available during that time of the school day."

So, nothing to do with Leander Trustee Lisa Mallory organizing a "Protest Obama's School Indoctrination Plan" push?

Here's the ridiculous thing: Showing the speech in the classroom was already and always (and the Texas Education Agency has confirmed this) voluntary. The insanity of the "Obama is secretly indoctrinating your kids on behalf of the Comintern" crew has made this issue political, so that whatever a district does, it looks like they're coming down for or against whatever harebrained accusation is being leveled at the administration this hour.

So when Gov. Rick Perry launched into this yesterday, issuing a statement that he is "troubled that local school boards and superintendents were not involved in the process," he either missed the point, or is engaging in another round of DC-bashing (funny behavior for a man that was widely rumored to be eying a vice-presidential slot last year).

AISD's response to the fake furor is that attendance isn't mandatory, and that teachers will show the speech if they think it's suitable for their classroom. In a press release, the district explains that "such speeches by any sitting President are worthy of Americans’ time, attention, and consideration." However, they add, "It is not the District’s prerogative to emphasize one group’s philosophy and/or values over another."

Here's the problem. In that one sentence, the district seems to be implicitly accepting the premise that the president's speech will be politicized, or at the very least compromising to the tinfoil-hat brigade. But it only seems that way because the issue got so politicized in the first place. AISD Board President Mark Williams said, "My personal feeling is that the kids would benefit" from seeing the speech, and added that he is worried that the district has been caught in the middle on this.

What may be particularly galling is that, after eight years of spreading the myth of unitary presidency, and promulgating a culture of "Doubting the president is un-American," it's hard not to see this call for a boycott of what sounds like a high-powered "Stay in School" message as a tad rich on the behalf of the Beckoids and Limbaughlings.

Here's the AISD press release in full:

Viewing of the Web Address of President Barack Obama on September 8, 2009

September 3, 2009

On September 8, 2009, the President of the United States plans to address students across the nation on the importance of education. The web address can be seen locally in Austin at 11 a.m. (CDT) on the White House website, www.whitehouse.gov/live, and broadcast live on C-Span.

The Austin School District believes such speeches by any sitting President are worthy of Americans’ time, attention, and consideration.

Thus, teachers who believe that a viewing of the President’s remarks are in alignment with their classroom instruction – and offer age-appropriate and meaningful connections related to staying in school, learning, and enhancing opportunities for the future – will allow their students to take advantage of the opportunity afforded them through this address.

The District fully embraces the diversity of Austin, and that includes philosophical and political diversity. We believe that it is not the District’s prerogative to emphasize one group’s philosophy and/or values over another. Moreover, as an educational institution – one that is committed to the development of good citizenship in students – we feel it is our responsibility to offer young people the opportunities to listen to American presidents who have valuable messages for students.

It is AISD’s expectation that viewing of this web address will vary by campus and by classroom. Parents will be advised by their campus principals to alert the school if they have a specific desire to have their child included in, or removed from, the viewing of the President’s remarks.