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Obama Youth - Junior Fraternity Regiment


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At first I thought that was hilarious.

But then it made me kind of sad.

"Because of Obama, I am inspired to be the next architect!"

"Because of Obama, I am inspired to be the next doctor!"

"Because of Obama, I am inspired to be the next lawyer!"

I think it's great that they're inspired, don't get me wrong.

But ... it took some guy they've probably never even met running for office to inspire them to pursue a challenging career?

Why not "Because of the sacrifices my mother and/or father made to get me to this point in my life, I am inspired to be the next lawyer!" or "Because of the opportunities in life that I want to give my future children, I am inspired to be the next doctor!"

Are things so bleak for people that they can't find reasons in their own lives to pursue excellence?

-k

{I did love the raised fist gestures, though. It was like Cheer Squad meets the Black Panthers.}

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Guest American Woman

Yep. It's just sooo sad. Because of course no one has ever been inspired by a role model before. :rolleyes:

Take a look at all the grown women who are excited and inspired by Palin. Guess you all have bleak lives too. Sad. Indeed.

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Yep. It's just sooo sad. Because of course no one has ever been inspired by a role model before. :rolleyes:

Take a look at all the grown women who are excited and inspired by Palin. Guess you all have bleak lives too. Sad. Indeed.

Good point. If people are inspired by athletes and rockstars, I don't see the problem with being inspired by Obama.

P.S. The video was removed.

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Good point. If people are inspired by athletes and rockstars, I don't see the problem with being inspired by Obama.

P.S. The video was removed.

Hmmm. I wonder why? Did you see the video before it was removed?

You can read about it here...

http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/120...,obfrat.article

While I imagine that many kids have said "I want to be a basketball star just like Steve Nash!" I don't recall ever hearing of kids saying "I'm going to be a doctor because of Steve Nash!" I can imagine kids might think "I want to be a music star like Jack White!" but I don't think many kids have donned camouflage, formed a fake military troop, and saluted as they pledged their careers to making Jack White proud.

On the other hand, there are people who don military garb and salute as they pledge themselves to Jesus. I find those people creepy and weird. I don't find it any less weird that these young folks are pledging to a living person rather than a religious figure. Rather the opposite, in fact.

According to the above article it was their teacher's idea, however. Intriguing thought, that. Imagine some teacher having their students form a little paramilitary organization devoted to Steve Nash... or Jack White... or Jesus... and imagine what the reaction would be.

Yep. It's just sooo sad. Because of course no one has ever been inspired by a role model before. :rolleyes:

Take a look at all the grown women who are excited and inspired by Palin. Guess you all have bleak lives too. Sad. Indeed.

:lol: Good effort, but no.

-k

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Guest American Woman
Good point. If people are inspired by athletes and rockstars, I don't see the problem with being inspired by Obama.

P.S. The video was removed.

I can't understand why anyone would see a problem with youth being inspired by Obama, either. There's enough negative 'inspiration' out there in the form of rap music, gangs, etc., so being inspired by Obama is a good thing. Today's youth are often inspired by athletes, rock stars, and celebrities, so being inspired by a POTUS candidate would be a step up, imo.

As a side note, there's a video of Palin misquoting Albright saying, 'There's a place in Hell reserved for women who don't support other women,' and the crowd of women she's speaking to cheer her and that idea. Palin responds, 'thank you so much for receiving that so well, i didn't know how you would take it.'

But youth looking towards a POTUS candidate as inspiration is a bad thing? A sign that their life is bleak? Unbelievable, really.

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Hmmm. I wonder why? Did you see the video before it was removed?

Unfortunately, no.

I didn't see the video, so I didn't see the military uniforms. That makes things a bit more....strange.

While I imagine that many kids have said "I want to be a basketball star just like Steve Nash!" I don't recall ever hearing of kids saying "I'm going to be a doctor because of Steve Nash!" I can imagine kids might think "I want to be a music star like Jack White!" but I don't think many kids have donned camouflage, formed a fake military troop, and saluted as they pledged their careers to making Jack White proud.

It's not something that I would ever do...but saying that Obama is inspiring these people to be successful is still less strange to me than people aspiring to be like rock stars/rappers/Paris Hilton/Insert-pop-culture-icon-here....(military uniforms aside ;) )

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"Because of Obama, I am inspired to be the next architect!"

"Because of Obama, I am inspired to be the next doctor!"

"Because of Obama, I am inspired to be the next lawyer!"

I think it's great that they're inspired, don't get me wrong.

But ... it took some guy they've probably never even met running for office to inspire them to pursue a challenging career?

Why not "Because of the sacrifices my mother and/or father made to get me to this point in my life, I am inspired to be the next lawyer!" or "Because of the opportunities in life that I want to give my future children, I am inspired to be the next doctor!"

Coming from a single mother who had to use food stamps to the likely next president of the United States is pretty darn inspirational. To the kids it shows that, regardless of the adversity you may face, you can succeed. I am sure the kids find inspiration from multiple sources, no need to think that finding Obama inspirational means you think your parents are dead wood.

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On the other hand, there are people who don military garb and salute as they pledge themselves to Jesus. I find those people creepy and weird. I don't find it any less weird that these young folks are pledging to a living person rather than a religious figure. Rather the opposite, in fact.

Well at least it is a real person and not some mystical person who may have never really existed in the first place.

[According to the above article it was their teacher's idea, however. Intriguing thought, that. Imagine some teacher having their students form a little paramilitary organization devoted to Steve Nash... or Jack White... or Jesus... and imagine what the reaction would be.

:lol: Good effort, but no.

-k

So blame the teacher and not the students.

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Guest American Woman
I didn't see the video, so I didn't see the military uniforms. That makes things a bit more....strange.

It's a drill team, and drill teams wear uniforms and march to chants, so that part of it isn't so weird. The teacher was reprimanded for teaching partisan politics and for posting the video on the internet, but the part I find strange is that some people here think it's strange that black youth would be inspired by Obama. Most 8th and 9th graders look outside the home for their 'heroes,' those they emulate and aspire to be like. As has been pointed out, youth today are 'inspired' by rap, gangs, Britney Spears et al, rock stars, movie stars, what have you. That people should be critical of youth who are inspired by a presidential candidate is truly bizarre.

It's not something that I would ever do...but saying that Obama is inspiring these people to be successful is still less strange to me than people aspiring to be like rock stars/rappers/Paris Hilton/Insert-pop-culture-icon-here....(military uniforms aside ;) )

Exactly. And a drill team in the actual military does march to that type of 'chant,' but this particular video, this chant, has nothing to do with Obama and/or the Democratic part-- and everything to do with the teacher, who was suspended for insubordination.

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Guest American Woman
Fair enough. I don't know, I didn't see the video so it's hard for me to comment.

From what I've read, it's not a military chant-- they're chanting and performing a routine in the style of a step show, a dance that's apparently popular among African-American fraternities at universities. The school in question has an enrollment of just over 200, with a 95% minority population, and the drill team is a junior fraternity. The school is a charter approved school that's 'sponsored' (not sure if that's the correct word) by the University of Central Missouri. The drill activity (activities are allowed once a week) came about after having studied Obama's economic plan.

You can watch the video here.

Again, there's a problem with teaching partisan politics in a tax funded school, but I know in Canada you have religious schools sponsored by tax payers, so is there much difference? For us Americans, I don't approve of partisan politics or religion being funded by the taxpayers; so in that regard, I don't support this activity-- but my posts have been in response to how ludicrous it is to find fault with black students finding inspiration from Obama. I only hope there aren't any tax funded schools saying that Palin could be a role model, an inspiration, for girls/women. <_<

Edited by American Woman
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It's a drill team, and drill teams wear uniforms and march to chants

Yeah, a paramilitary drill team. It's just another example of how Obama, or the Messiah, or the One (we've been waiting for) has become more of a cult of personality. The Paris Hilton add was spot on, and almost a prediction of things to come. (See the singing Obama children video). If he indeed becomes President, he's going to have an impossible time living up to the hype, and the expectations, and will probably have his "hope" and "change" agrument thrown back at him during his re-election.

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Yeah, a paramilitary drill team. It's just another example of how Obama, or the Messiah, or the One (we've been waiting for) has become more of a cult of personality. The Paris Hilton add was spot on, and almost a prediction of things to come. (See the singing Obama children video). If he indeed becomes President, he's going to have an impossible time living up to the hype, and the expectations, and will probably have his "hope" and "change" agrument thrown back at him during his re-election.

As opposed to Sarah Palin. You betcha. *wink*

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Guest American Woman
Yeah, a paramilitary drill team. It's just another example of how Obama, or the Messiah, or the One (we've been waiting for) has become more of a cult of personality. The Paris Hilton add was spot on, and almost a prediction of things to come. (See the singing Obama children video). If he indeed becomes President, he's going to have an impossible time living up to the hype, and the expectations, and will probably have his "hope" and "change" agrument thrown back at him during his re-election.

Do you know how to read or comprehend what you read if you do know how? It's not a "paramilitary drill team...." they're chanting and performing a routine in the style of a step show, a dance that's apparently popular among African-American fraternities at universities.

But of course all the cheering for Palin, all of her 'following,' is just fine and dandy. Nothing 'cult-like- or 'celebrity-like' about that.

:rolleyes: over and over again.

But wait. Look at this! *gasp*

"They were all really excited. They were wishing they could vote." Comment about the third graders from Gladys Wood Elementary school, the class that Palin gave a "shout out" to during the VP debate, saying they'd get extra credit for watching. Nothing partisan about all that. :rolleyes:

"I think she is a good role model for me," [8 year old Addie] Williams said of Palin. "I do believe in myself. I want to go to Princeton. I want to be the President of the United States."

Obviously little Addie lives a very bleak life with no role models within her family circle.

Edited by American Woman
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"They were all really excited. They were wishing they could vote." Comment about the third graders from Gladys Wood Elementary school, the class that Palin gave a "shout out" to during the VP debate, saying they'd get extra credit for watching. Nothing partisan about all that. :rolleyes:

How's it partisan to have school kids watch the debate? Both candidates were at the debate, weren't they? If they'd given extra credit for having the kids turn the channel while Biden was speaking, now that would have been partisan.

My social studies class watched a tape of a debate during class time one year. It was a worthwhile exercise. Hopefully the kids from Gladys Wood Elementary found it educational too.

It is natural for people to see someone they can relate to succeed, and thing "hey, I could be successful too!"

Paul Kariya becoming a hockey star was a very big deal for my friends of east-Asian descent.

Barack Obama becoming quite likely President would undoubtedly be of monumental importance to black people (and quite likely other minorities as well). I don't begrudge them that at all. It is only natural.

However, I think everybody who sees the video can recognize this isn't the "I wanna be like Mike!" type of inspiration one usually associates with role-models and heroes. That kind of inspiration doesn't usually come with salutes and pledges (...can't help wondering if there was an Obama poster on the wall behind the camera.) Trying to rationalize this as just a natural expression of excitement caused by somebody they relate to seems like quite a reach. It wasn't a natural expression of anything, it was an organized and rehearsed veneration of a political figure.

Do you think Obama personally told the tubby little fella "you should become a doctor!" No? Perhaps he got the idea from somewhere else. Perhaps his parents? Perhaps from a doctor he met? Perhaps he had the idea himself? Perhaps he was actually inspired by somebody other than The Big O.

The whole discussion becomes rather moot if this was something their teacher had them do. At that point it starts resembling a scene from Jesus Camp once again, with obviously different choice of religious figure but otherwise considerable similarities.

-k

Edited by kimmy
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