After the White House announced last year's speech, some conservatives accused Obama of trying to foist a political agenda on children. Some parents threatened to pull their children from class rather than have them hear directly from the president.
A similar outcry is largely missing this year.
In his speech the president urges students to stay in school, study hard and take responsibility for their education. Obama long has said an educated work force will help the U.S. compete globally in the 21st century.
Good for the president. It doesn't hurt to remind our children of the importance of education.
Last year, I was certainly annoyed at the event. But not because the president was speaking to the children about the importance of education. I was annoyed because of the reaction of school staff who treated it like a modern Sermon on the Mount. It simply wasn't the president's fault that his still enraptured supporters were figuratively lashing themselves in near-religious frenzy over his every utterance.
Time and public opinion polling have taken care of the over-the-top reactions of the president's supporters, leaving us with a good message to our children to work hard in school to prepare for the future.
Yes, the geeks shall inherit the Earth. So hit the books. And thank you to President Obama for taking the time to send that message.
