Boy, has education ever changed.
When I was in 7th grade, my Social Studies and homeroom teacher was Mrs. Roane. She was rather stern, or at least commanded respect, and I think she really loved ideas and trying to communicate them to bored and silly pre-adolescents, rather than just accepting a government job as a way to get short hours, a whole lot of holidays, and a pretty good pension. Anyway, she was my teacher when my dad died, and she sent a vase of yellow roses; I still have the vase. She was very kind.
She told us in class one day always to be suspicious of any type of leader -- particularly of the political variety -- who asked us to take any kind of personal loyalty oath. That is, to swear allegiance to a person rather than to the nation, the flag, the army, the church, etc. She offered Mussolini as an example of what could go wrong. I had no idea who Mussolini was at the time.
A few years later, the Manson Family slaughtered a whole bunch of innocent people in Los Angeles, however, and Mrs. Roane's words of wisdom came back to me. Oh, now I get it. "Charlie made me do it."
A few years later, the president is addressing grammar school kids, and the accompanying lesson plan wants students to elaborate on "What can I do for President Obama?" "How does President Obama inspire me?"
Not even like asking what you can do for your country rather than what your country can do for you, but what can you do for President Obama. Personally.
Wish I could believe anything good about this person. Every time I try, I get new evidence to the contrary.
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