In October 2004 George W. Bush made a campaign swing through Missouri, traveling by bus caravan through Warrensburg via U.S. Highway 50 after speaking at a large outdoor rally at Lee’s Summit High School in eastern Jackson County. I received a communication reminding me of some of the circumstances in Warrensburg when George W. Bush, then President of the United States, made that campaign swing:

…In late October 2004, during the presidential contest between George Bush and John Kerry, Bush’s campaign buses made a quick swing through Warrensburg. In response to this partisan political event, every third grader at Martin-Warren Elementary School was marched to the town square [the Johnson County Courthouse grounds] to witness Bush’s buses driving by.

The third-graders crossed Highway 13 and walked a considerable distance. The parents had not been notified of this field trip and were never given the opportunity to either grant or deny permission to go. Students at the Middle School and Ridgeview Elementary were also dismissed from classes and brought roadside where they were instructed to wave at Bush’s buses.

The students lost out on classroom instruction time and were not exposed to any educational, or enriching concepts which might have been discussed or debated later.

Compare the actions of the Warrensburg School District then to its recent response to President Obama’s civic-oriented back-to-school speech.   Just as several Republican presidents have done before him, President Obama wanted to recognize the onset of a new school year and encourage students to do their best. When Presidents George H.W. Bush and Reagan delivered similar speeches, did local school districts prevent students from hearing them?

Remaining mindful that students learn through example, let’s do better in the future by displaying the honorable values of fairness,

tolerance and open-mindedness…

[emphasis added]

…This is now:

9/8/2009 10:47:00 AM

National talk draws local reactions

Area’s school districts question value of back-to-school speech

…Warrensburg School District Superintendent Deb Orr said, “Our staff and administrators are going to view the video and decide how to use it.”

District officials are not sure, for example, whether the message would have meaning for elementary school children, Orr said, but social studies students might benefit from hearing and discussing what Obama says.

“We are going to notify the parents about when we are going to use the video,” she said, and parents can decide whether their children opt in or out of the presentation…

Our previous coverage:

Alternate Activity

Plain speaking

Why parents need to keep their children from hearing President Obama say they should stay in school

The script of President Obama’s attempt to poison the minds of our children

SurveyUSA: Missouri poll on President Obama’s school speech

Whatever we must do to protect school children from President Obama

The obvious reason for the difference in the Warrensburg, Missouri schools? *IOKIYAR.

*it’s okay if you’re a republican