Juandiego Wade proposes putting portraits of Obama in all city schools. And if the next president is a Republican? Wade isn’t sure what to do then. Um. #
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
-
Archive for Sideblog »
Obama’s a great guy. I voted for him. I’ll vote for him again, I expect. But this is a terrible idea. Either propose to put framed photos of this and all future U.S. presidents in the schools (which there might be something to be said for) or don’t. But just saying “let’s promote this president” is goofy, to put it kindly.
(Imagine, Democrats, that it’s a few years ago, and this proposal has been made regarding President Bush. *shiver*)
I don’t like Obama much, think he’s been in way over his head so far, but I’m not wholly opposed to the idea of having a picture of him in schools. As long as when the next president comes along, it gets replaced. It’s slightly “Dear Leader”-ish, but we should respect the president, and this isn’t that absurd. I know some government offices have pictures of the current president, so I guess this would be kind of similar.
However, Wade has got to be joking: “His upbringing is inspiring, and so it is different from past Democrat and Republican presidents.” Uh, what? Yeah, Obama’s story is good, but it’s not nearly as harrowing/inspiring as many of our past presidents. Oh well.
P.S. Anyone else think he looks like Prince Fielder? Or maybe like Roland Martin from CNN?
This is stupid. I voted for Obama, I think he’s going a good job, but this guy Wade is proposing it for all the wrong reasons.
The notion that having a photo in the room at all times is going to be ‘inspiring’ to everyone is stupid. Somewhere around 45% of Americans do not support President Obama or his policy agenda. Being required by law to stare at his face all day long is just an insult to them.
I agree with the idea, but not for the reasons stated. I simply think that the President is the elected head of our country and children should be aware of that, just like they’re made aware of our flag and other symbols of our country.
And yes, it should continue for all future presidents, Republican, Democrat, or other.
If they can get us the turf football field, they can put the president’s picture up anywhere they want.
Can’t leave out the Latino’s, they need inspiration also, hang Sonia Sotomayor’s picture right under the presidents picture. A “wise” Latino woman.
I honestly thought that a picture of the President was already hanging in public schools for the reasons CowSaysmoo stated.
Not even sure where to being, but I can say this: had the idea been broached 3 years ago for Bush this guy would have screamed no from the rooftops. So unless he has found a way to have his cake and eat it too then he needs to sit down and fix the schools, not distract with politics.
I agree that this is a dumb idea, unless its done for all future Presidents.
But what is the difference between doing this for just one President and having a Kennedy or Reagan Elementary school?
Seem to recall that years ago it was common for schools to have pictures of George Washington in classrooms. Try that now and all the PC crowd would be up in arms. So I see no need to have a picture of Obama or of future Presidents in the classroom. Sounds like another feel-good idea promoted by someone in our city government, rather than proposing something that would actually help solve real problems.
I propose all US schoolchildren be forced to participate in a monthly ceremonial parade proclaiming the greatness of Kim Jong Il.
I was told my senior year of high school (in Virginia Beach) that in our graduating class of 475, there were who did not know who the president was. That was the year of all the Bush/Gore race, so maybe their confusion was understandable.
I agree with CowSaysMoo. It’s common sense to have a photo of the president of our country hanging in the lobby of a public school, and the cost is negligible. For a few students, it may be the most exposure to current events that they get. When I worked in a public school, the kids wrote letters to President Bush and his staff sent back a form letter with a signed 8″ by 10 photo. The kids were all really excited, and the photo stayed up in the classroom for the rest of the year.
But like others, I’ve got a problem with Wade’s reasoning. If he had simply said “let’s keep a photo of the current president in the lobby of every school” then I think most would agree it makes sense. But by suggesting that Obama’s existence and election is more special than any previous president and therefore merits photos, he’s opened up a political can of worms that turns this into a much bigger issue than it has to be.
FWIW, I find inexplicable the notion that putting a photo of the president in a school is politicizing education. That’s absolutely not true. Likewise, I find inexplicable the notion that any meaningful constituency would be offended at the display of President Washington in a classroom.
I would feel like a hypocrite if I supported this proposal, because I would NOT have supported a portrait of Bush hanging in public schools. Then again, maybe in the long run a practice such as this would go some way towards undoing our very partisan culture. It’s true that someone is always going to be unhappy with who the president is at any given time, but we all probably need to learn to do a better job of sucking it up and respecting the president (me included) even when it’s the one we didn’t vote for. Democracy and all that.
But in re: to this specific proposal, I think it’s ill-considered.
Call me PC, but this does seem like something one would expect to see in a dictatorship rather than in American public schools.
Gail, interesting you should make that point. I believe that in the old Soviet Union classrooms had pictures of Lenin on the wall.
As for people being offended by George Washington’s picture, don’t know if its a “meaningful constituency” or not, but I was referring to the PC fundamentalists who would object because he was a white male who owned slaves.
As a fact of matter of fact, seem to recall a few years ago that in some state people were asking that schools named after him be renamed, for that very reason.
Yes, Virginia, there are those whose thinking runs to that level of the ridiculous.
Was reminded of that earlier today when I was on IMDB and came across postings on that story couple years ago where the Cincinnatti Pops Orchestra cancelled a performance featuring John Schneider and Tom Wopat because the two had starred in that “racist” program “the Dukes of Hazzard”( the Confederate flag on the General Lee being cited), Someone had complained, obviously someone who knew nothing about the show.
Yes, I am a Dukes fan, and am sort of personally acquainted with Ben “Cooter” Jones. It was certinly better than the garbage the tube is giving us nowadays.
Can anyone tell me what has Juandiego Wade contributed to the school board that has been of any significance?
Dictatorships also have flags and a pledge of allegiance and national anthems and armies and…
That’s a pretty big stretch to equate a photo of the ELECTED leader of our country to a dictatorship.
Should we include maps in your house cleaning since Communists use maps, too?
Cow, I’m not terribly worked up about this issue but there is something different about a practice which makes one think of a “cult of personality” even with an elected leader.