Wow!  President Obama's speech to teens about education has caused a lot of controversy.  Why? Oh, that's right most Americans don't like to take responsibility for anything let alone their lives.  It makes sense that they'd think the President is trying to "brainwash" kids by telling them that they're responsible for their education.  News flash....he's right!

Parents’ outrage about President Obama’s education speech was so strong that some states banned teens from watching it.  What’s the controversy really about?  Is it that he’s asking kids to be more proactive (take responsibility) when it comes to their education?  What if the real issue was the color of his skin?  After all, Presidents Reagan and Bush spoke to children about saying “no” to drugs and the importance of education.  No one had a problem with their speeches.  It's just another perspective to consider.

President Obama is right to tell children to be responsible for their education.  You can have the greatest teachers in the world, but if you goof off and skip school it won’t matter.  It’s up to you whether or not you take your education seriously.

Don’t just rely on teachers to educate you.  Draw your own conclusions by reading and researching.  Instead of playing hours of video games pickup a book, read it, and learn something new.  Become a seeker of knowledge and apply it to your life.  That’s real power! 

You can’t believe everything you read in textbooks.  For example, history is usually written from the winners’ point-of-view.  What about the other side?  What’s their story?  Find out what really happened.  You may be surprised that the “truth” has been stretched and distorted.  In addition to your teachers, seek out others who can educate you.  Volunteer at a senior center, a military hospital or center, or your local library.  Getting information "straight from the horses" mouth can help you separate fact from fiction.

Educating yourself is the best thing you can do.  The sooner you learn to “think for yourself” the better off you’ll be.  People will do their best to “push” their beliefs onto you without taking into consideration your beliefs.  You can put a stop to this by arming yourself with a good education.  Learn to think and speak for yourself.  If you disagree with someone’s point-of-view, speak up and voice your opinion.  Your opinion matters just as much as theirs does; agree to disagree.

If you didn’t have the opportunity to hear President Obama’s speech, you may want to do an internet search for it.  As you know, you can find anything on the internet.  Don’t allow others, even your parents, to take away your right to discern information.  By the way, President Obama’s speech is a great lesson in discernment.  You decide if his speech was propaganda or a way for a leader to reach his people including the youth of the USA.

What do you think?  Was it right to ban President Obama's speech?  Share your opinion.