The Lakota School system in Butler County OH (just north of Cincinnati) announced on Thursday they would be among the school systems that will decline to make use of President Obama’s speech to students next Tuesday.
Clearly in doing so, they bow to the political pressure coming from parents and others in this largely Republican area. Their official announcement indicates they will record the speech and after reviewing make it available to teachers and students, (I suppose if they think it worthy).
But a bit of history shows their hypocrisy. When a campaigning George Bush held a rally in the area in late September 2004, this same school system shut down the schools two hours early, sent the marching band to perform and the school choir to sing the national anthem.
(link here)and (here)
From news reports at the time:
Lakota Schools are dismissing two hours early, and afternoon preschool and kindergarten classes are canceled, as are junior school sporting events. Students at the International Academy of Cincinnati in West Chester and Mother Teresa School in Liberty Township also will head home two hours early today. The Lakota district will fill 19 buses with 565 members of the Lakota West and East high school marching bands and the Lakota West chorus, and transport them to the rally.
...in the hours before Bush's arrival, National Football League Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz helped lead off a series of speeches by local leaders. The former Cincinnati Bengal, who has been active in charitable efforts to benefit Greater Cincinnati youths, called himself "a big Bush fan."
"He's proven that he's a great leader and we need that leadership for the next four years," Munoz told the crowd that included many local students. Lakota Schools and some other nearby schools dismissed classes early today. Lakota school bands performed, and the Lakota West High School choir sang the national anthem.
Again in 2008, the marching band showed up to play, this time at a Palin rally (out of uniform – guess someone complained). Link Here.
Talk about a double standard. It just can’t get much more blatant than that. Just who is indoctrinating who?