So my nine year old comes home from school…Catholic school…yesterday and she says that the teachers hooked up a television in the cafeteria for the Inauguration.
They were given the option of going over to watch it or staying at their ordinary tables. My daughter said she wasn’t interested and stayed with a few friends and ate her lunch.
But she said that when Barack Obama was inaugurated a few of the teachers started applauding.
Now look, I’m pleased that for the first time in our country an African American is President but there’s no way I’m breaking out into applause over this guy becoming President. I mean, this is a Catholic school and I’ve got teachers applauding Obama in the cafeteria? I don’t know. Not liking this. At all.
I wish him success. I’ll pray for him. But there’s no way I’m applauding.
Am I overreacting here?
January 21, 2009 at 9:08 pm
I read this post earlier this afternoon…so I was especially relieved when my kindergartener came home and told me that she has a sub tomorrow because her teacher is going to the March for Life. 🙂
January 21, 2009 at 9:09 pm
“Why would anyone applaud a TV broadcast?”
Cuz… your favorite team won the Super Bowl?
January 21, 2009 at 9:12 pm
You did fine. Murdering babies is not nice, and vetoes whatever positive characteristis someone might possess.
— Mack, evil public-school teacher
January 21, 2009 at 9:15 pm
You are not overreacting. I watched the swearing-in ceremony and the inaugural address several times yesterday (it was pretty much all that was on) and heard nothing that made me want to applaud.
January 21, 2009 at 9:57 pm
And it appears the Anointed One is poised to repeal by Executive Order the Mexico City policy this week, effectively thumping his nose at all pro-lifers. Will this be what it takes for pro-Obama Catholics and others to wake up?
January 21, 2009 at 10:32 pm
I teach religion in a Catholic high school and all teachers had to stop and show the inauguration (which was fine, it is historical), all the history teachers had to devote their lessons to him and there was an extended morning prayer over the intercom. However there was NO mention of his abortion policies nor was a prayer included for him in that regard (except in my classes) – over the intercom, the headmaster, after singing Obama’s praises, felt moved to celebrate our ‘Catholic’ vice president. And this is in a rather conservative (i.e. Catholic) school. It’s all a sick lovefest.
January 21, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Applause for a historical moment, ok, but really his position on life sort of sucks the air right out of the moment. What continues to be odd to me, is how normally skeptical, intelligent people seem to be in a state of thrall over this one. I admit I was caught up in it at the very beginning (before I read any policies or background). After the primary, last year, I started having a feeling something wasn’t right. It’s like the whole country was mesmerized by June. It still seems that way. Collective derangement,hypnosis, psychosis- etc.? I too have been saying prayers for his conversion of heart on abortion.
January 22, 2009 at 12:11 am
I applauded the peaceful transfer of power and respect for the office. I’m praying like mad for conversion of the man.
January 22, 2009 at 12:39 am
I just came back from lunchtime Mass (here where I live, in Auckland, New Zealand). The visiting priest introduced himself as “Father Patrick, a retired American priest,” and said that he hoped we would all join him in giving thanks for the new American president, Barack Obama.
Sheesh!
January 22, 2009 at 12:51 am
I know your daughter is probably too young to know, and you weren’t concerned with that particular school four years ago. I just wonder if they applauded for Bush’s inauguration?
As far as B.O. being black, African-American, a person of color or whatever is the right phrase these days, isn’t that using the same criteria we’d see in electing a prom queen? Not too good when it’s used for the Chief Executive of the most powerful nation in the world.
January 22, 2009 at 2:23 am
I won't applaud for him either. I saw his comments about FOCA in a speech to Planned Parenthood & I was irked by how he dismissed pro-life sentiments as a cultural disagreement that he would bulldoze over to move on to more important matters. I may be over-reacting but I am furious. If there is anything that I appreciate here is the American people who elected or accepted his election.
January 22, 2009 at 2:44 am
In his inaugural address, President Obama said “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.”
There is a certain amount of irony in these words, considering his stance on abortion and what he promises to do about FOCA.
I don’t think you’re overreacting at all.
January 22, 2009 at 5:21 am
Now are we talking standing ovation or courteous golf clap?
January 22, 2009 at 7:37 am
Not over reacting at all.
January 22, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I agree: homeschool, but you won’t be able to blog as much.
We have changed part of our nightly prayers from “God bless the President” to “May the President be converted, especially in regards to the 5th Commandment.” It is a little wordy, but I just couldn’t leave it like it was. Any suggestions?
January 22, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I’d say yes, you are. If you really want to, you could apply the principle of charity to what was done, and assume that they were applauding for stuff that had nothing to do with his incredibly pro-choice record. I mean maybe that was it, but I guess the first thing that comes to my mind on that is, at a Catholic high school, that probably wasn’t what generated the applause. Even if it were, I guess in your position I wouldn’t necessarily be angry so much as mildly irritated, but to be honest, I doubt they meant to offend.
Now for the record, I went to a liberal Catholic high school, which as a theologically conservative Protestant (political moderate-conservative, and still!) was very interesting; if you think applauding a presidential inauguration is bad (I obviously don’t!) try being in a place where lots of people throw around the supposed maxim of “you can’t legislate morality” (during Oregon’s gay marriage/Measure 36 fiasco), where the day of Pope Benedict XVI’s election was a day of mourning for many of your teachers…
I’ll fully admit I got more than irritated at points, but I guess the applause in and of itself makes me think more that they’re applauding the new president and the demonstration of what a land of opportunity that America is rather than seriously applauding the pro-choiceness. I’m still a tiny bit perturbed and irritated on your behalf, though, and I can’t quite figure out why. :/
Would it make any difference if those particular teachers weren’t Catholic? (Apologies if I’m ignoring the rules at your daughter’s school, at mine that was definitely not a pre-req for every position.)
Also,
With respect to prayers of blessing vs. conversion: Why are they mutually exclusive? If President Obama went to mass and crossed his arms before the priest, wouldn’t he get something along the lines of “May God bless you and bring you to everlasting life?”
Since the priest is acting (at least according to you guys) as the representative of Christ on earth at that moment, and since such a prayer seems to contain both a blessing and a notion of conversion, it would seem inappropriate for us not to pray that God would bless the president, the necessary corollary of which would be to convert the President if he needed it.
January 22, 2009 at 5:04 pm
As long-winded as I’ve already been:
I should point out I guess, in Catholicism the priest acting AS Christ in that moment, but I don’t have the leading Catholic theologian in my house to consult (he’s sleeping right now.)
But I think that would only strengthen what I said, not weaken it.
January 22, 2009 at 11:01 pm
I would be upset, too.
And kat is right; if you homeschool, you won’t find nearly as much time to blog.
But I am really wondering what you mean when you say: “I wish him success” given that you DON’T want him to succeed on many, even most, points of his agenda.
January 23, 2009 at 2:07 am
Your’re not over reacting at all! Did you watch the march for life today. there were Pro lifers for Obama signs!
January 27, 2009 at 2:24 pm
For the most part, teachers are liberals based on their service-minded avocation. That is also why cirriculium is liberal based and conservative dogma is downplayed or ridiculed in schools. No surprise that the teachers were enthralled and excited with an uber-liberal half African-American President! So far all he has done with his entire life is get elected as President. His speeches have been many, but boiling them down for actionable committments reveals that he has really had very little to say. We really need a President that talks less and supports middle America more. Less blah, blah, blah and more “this is what we are goning to do…” Look for direction in the middle east, on energy on anything; lots of long winded “feel good” pontification but no real action. Jeesh, when is he gonna stop talking and DO something!!! Don’t worry about the teachers they feel very empowered now that they are safe and secure by the same men and women they revile that hold guns and kill the bad people the liberals just want to talk with. They are the verysame cowards that will gladly step back and let others fight their fights and spill their blood. They demand peace, but only without bloodshed, they want security, but don’t like it when a terrorist that gets caught setting a bomb to kill Americans has water put up his nose. Teachers are first class hypocrites and cowards, and that pretty much sums up most of Obama’s constituency. Just wait until the next 9/11 for them to fade back and expect, once again, for the strong and decisive men and women to go after the bad guys and clean up their mess. To all the liberal teachers out there; KISS MY BUTT!!!