5 reasons why Obama's "more school" idea is for the birds

I'm breaking my own rule here and am going to discuss politics on my usually fun-lovin' blog. But today when I saw the headline that President Obama is calling for longer school days and a longer school year, I just couldn't hold my tongue (or, more accurately, my fingers!).

I think this is a terrible idea for at least five reasons:

1. The parents and students who are engaged in school and who are driven to do their best, will continue doing so. But extending the school day or the school year won't make parents who consider school to be free (or, in the case of private education, paid) babysitting won't be any more apt to encourage their children to learn.

2. More time at school will just cause further erosion of the family. As it is, I only see my children for about an hour in the morning and anywhere from two to six hours in the evening, depending on which day it is (I only work until 2:oopm two days a week). Keeping children at school longer will keep them away from their families longer. I want to do more with my kids besides make sure they get their baths and fix their breakfasts.

3. Children are not little adults. Their brains should not be expected to be engaged in formal instruction for more than six or so hours a day. And there are plenty of people who will argue that even that is too long.

4. Isn't there an obesity epidemic in this country? Aren't gym classes being cut from the schedule in many school districts? What do you think is going to happen when we add another 2 hours of sitting each day? Paging Bob and Jillian...

5. It seems to me that we, as a nation, are losing the ability to relax. I know I'm guilty of being at work all day, coming home and at some point in the evening, getting back on my computer to do more work. We owe it to our kids to teach them that life is about more than work. They need time to explore cultural activities like dance and music, to learn about sportsmanship and hard work on the soccer fields and basketball courts, and to understand the joy that comes from digging for worms or swinging high enough it seems their toes will disappear into the clouds.

I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons why this "more school" idea from the POTUS is a bad idea. But these are the ones that come to my mind first. What do you think? Is President Obama on to something or does he need to be schooled in what America's kids really need?

The "I" in Inauguration

It seems like I shouldn't let this day pass without some commentary about today's Inauguration Ceremony in which Barack Obama became President of the United States. I'm usually decidely quiet about political matters, but for some reason feel compelled to break my silence -- briefly -- today.

I did not vote for Barack Obama. My vote had nothing to do with race or with single-issue politics, rather an opinion formed over the course of the campaign. But that is neither here nor there now.

I eagerly watched the ceremonies over lunch -- I, the lone dissenter among a table full of Barack Obama supporters.

I watched because from the moment of his "so help me God," I am a President Obama supporter in as much as I love this country and I want it to be strong. I want whomever is at the helm to lead with confidence and justice, with humility and a desire for the common good. I want leadership pledged to serve that which is right, not that which is popular.

While I did not find his speech to be one that will go down in history as one of "the greats," I did find words that give me hope.

Hope that we will re-awaken a sense of personal responsibility and abandon a propensity toward reactive blame:

Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Hope that our national leader and other elected officials truly mean "all" -- from the smallest and most vulnerable to the oldest and most forgotten:

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.

I found myself filled with a sense of honor and privilege that I live in a country where I can say "I did not vote for this man" without fear of retribution.

I found myself imagining the day from the perspective of his two young daughters, who must feel a bit that they've stepped into the most wild of fairy tales.

I found myself irritated with a media who seemed to be too quick to elevate our new leader to the status of Lincoln and Kennedy, when all he had done so far was to take an oath.

And I've found myself having said enough. God bless President Obama. God bless the United States of America.