Comments on: If you are voting for Obama, I think you had better see these

By: triLcat

triLcat — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:31:51 +0000

The children singing only reminded me of standard indoctrination… “My country tis of thee” and religious songs..
Not a problem if you accept that Obama is the messiah, really.

The older boys… echos of hitler youth… so strong that I can’t see how anyone could miss it.

By: Dr Savta

Dr Savta — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:06:25 +0000

As to the little children: I definitely think that learning about the candidates, the issues,and debating is a wonderful thing. It allows the children to develop their skills of discernment, allows them to become involved in the future of their country. What I don’t like is when children are spoon fed devotion to one candidate.

With the older boys, I am very concerned about them… that they were fully scripted is clear. The motions they were making, the militaristic dress and movements disturbed me.

But I suppose this is like what we call “projective tests” — our response to a stimulus is based on our background and the associations the stimulus evokes. For me, devotion to Chairman Mao and Hitler youth are evoked.

By: Gail

Gail — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:28:08 +0000

I’m sorry. The young men in the 1st video were not little boys, and they were not proposing violence. The kids in the 2nd video were singing of happiness and joy and change. Life in the US is not so great these days. Lots of unemployment, limited medical care, foreclosures everywhere, pensions going down the toilet and a war that doesn’t seem to be ending…
That scares me.

Your reference to “Lockstep devotion” is a bit extreme. I remember discussing the elections when I was in elementary school, having mock elections in our classrooms and speaking for and against candidates. I remember discussing campaigns with my parents. Having young people become part of the process is a good thing.

I don’t see Obama as a Hitler or Arafat.

Bringing children together to sing is not frightening to me. I didn’t have a bad reaction when these children sang together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6YEaQnfZ7U

Thinking about the future, supporting a candidate, being involved — not scary to me at all.

By: Dr Savta

Dr Savta — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:45:57 +0000

Actually, they both smacked of the kind of indoctrination of children that has been the hallmark of totalitarian regimes including the Arabs who are teaching kindergartners to kill Jews. The messages these children are given at the moment are not harmful, but the lockstep devotion on the part of people too young to think critically scares the heck out of me.

By: Gail

Gail — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:34:09 +0000

You found a children’s chorus supporting a candidate and singing about change “creepy”? I didn’t. I thought it was lovely.

You didn’t appreciate that a group of African-American young men having real goals and someone to inspire them was important? I did.

I think you just can’t stand Obama.