In the months leading up to the birth of our son, we had created a list of names that we liked. Everyone in the family was able to add whatever name they thought deserved consideration. As we approached the big day I took the list and there, in the handwriting of my 8 year old son, were two options..."Barack" and "Obama." I asked him why he would include those names and he said that his teacher told him that, regardless of who they or their parents wanted to be president in the election...we should all be happy and thankful that Barack Obama was elected president.
The first thing I did was mark both names off the list. They weren't even open for consideration. The next thing I did was go back in my mind to the weeks leading up to the election. We had discussions about political policy...about what we wanted in a president and all agreed that, John McCain was clearly more in line with our family politically. On election night, I was distressed at the results. My kids understood that an Obama Whitehouse was not the ideal result. Somehow, though, in the last couple of months my kids mind has been turned around by a liberal teacher in a liberal state to embrace a liberal president. I'd prefer that political opinion is kept out of the classroom.
Lest I come across as an anti-Obama person...I'm not, I'm sure he is a decent guy and I'll do my best to support him as he makes some tough decisions as President. I'm not buying the anti-Obama t-shirts...nothing like that. But I don't like his politics.
