Letter to the Editor 9-8-09

In reference to the speech by our President aimed at motivating our children to do better in school I decided to send a letter to the editor. There was a lot of controversy and politics before the actual speech so it became a bigger side show than it needed to be. In the end I thought it was a good speech. Here is the letter I sent in to the newspaper. As of today it has not been published and due to its length, sarcasm, and humor probably will not run.

Dear Mr. President:

I am a little confused. My 4th grade assignment was to write a letter about education and what it can do for me in the long run but I forgot who was to receive the letter. My mom and dad have been talking to a lot of people on their facebook pages and through text messages on their cell phones. They decided that I should not listen to your speech on Wednesday. Dad called me from his barstool down at the saloon. He spends a lot of time there these days since the current economy shut down his workplace. He says those fancy guys on wall street owe him a beer or two since they destroyed his job and are destroying our future as citizens. Mom told me that I shouldnt listen to your speech because I might get indoctrinated or brainwashed with a socialist agenda aimed at the minds of small children. I am not sure what that means because sometimes I get confused. After all, my mom and dad will let me watch Sponge Bob, The Family Guy, and every new release of the Friday the 13th movies. I guess it is ok to watch all of that stuff because it doesnt indoctrinate me or promote a socialist agenda. I can watch this stuff for hours sometimes even when I try to finish my homework.
Mom and dad didnt vote in the last election but they sure do have a lot of opinions about politics, socialist agendas, and the indoctrination of young minds. They don't talk a lot about education and how important it is for me to stay in school. When I think about my education sometimes I get a little confused. I hope to someday graduate from high school and have a chance to go to college but at this point I don't understand what it will mean to me in the future. Speaking of the future, I hope that someday I will get to meet you if you come to town. In about twelve years I probably will be working at the local fast food restaurant. I will be the one with the Sponge Bob tattoos. I will be working for minimum wage to raise money for my wife and 3 kids. The restaurant may be owned and operated by a foreign government and they may be offering socialized healthcare to all of the workers that have been indoctrinated towards a socialist agenda. If you come up to the drive through window I hope I get your order right because sometimes I get confused.

Good luck and thank you for caring about discussing the future of my education Mr. President. If everything goes all right I might not be so confused about my education and the future of my country.

John Q. Student
4th grade
Anytown USA
 
 
I also have links to some previous letters that I have had published:
 
http://www.qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=455012 about children and making good decisions.
 
http://www.qctimes.com/news/article_23d2e2b7-66c6-5eb4-be4d-31cb4cd5d931.html about the 2002 All Star Game .....
 
ML