Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- School districts around Utah are receiving calls from parents who don't want their kids watching an upcoming speech from the President of the United States on education. However, some political experts say allowing the students to watch the speech can be a good educational opportunity, no matter what their political leanings are.
Related:
School districts cautious ahead of Obama speech to students
School districts across Northern Utah are taking precautions ahead of a speech from President Obama to students next Tuesday.University of Utah political science professor Tim Chambless says in the past it was a normal occurrence to gather students together to listen to a president speak. He thinks only a small minority is objecting to Obama's education speech.
However, he says the outcry does show how divided our country has become.
"I think they may very well be afraid of ideas being expressed that differ from their own, and ones which they cannot filter directly as parents," Chambless said. "So many more issues have become politicized since you and I were at elementary school."
"I think we as a nation benefit from more ideas, more free expression rather than suppressing free expression. Let ideas compete in the marketplace of ideas and then, hopefully, we choose the best for our school children," said Chambless.
E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com
