Barack and Michele Obama seem to be exemplary parents, writes Checker Finn in the latest Gadfly. But (and you knew there was a but coming) he wonders how the Obamas see the value of patriotism. ”How are their daughters being taught to view the United States?” he asks. ”More important, what examples are the Obamas setting for fifty million other American kids and their teachers and parents?”
Is America, in their eyes, ‘the last best hope’? A place that doesn’t always live up to its ideals but comes closer than anyplace else? A place worth defending from all enemies, foreign and domestic? And is that something they believe is important for grownups to impart to children? Or do they think it’s the proper role of parents and teachers to emphasize the country’s shortcomings?
Finn is not questioning Obama’s patriotism, but wondering aloud about where the post-Vietnam generation of leaders places patriotism in the pantheon of civic virtues. It’s a provocative question with lingering resonance.
“When the country chose Barack Obama over John McCain, it opted for a member of that crowd and for the youth and change and energy that come with it,” Finn concludes. “Well and good. The President certainly has his hands full on many fronts and one can only wish him well. Nobody expects him to be the national K-12 curriculum director, too. But he and his wife are inevitable role models. How he views America matters in a thousand ways, including–though surely not limited to–how our children and teachers will view it.”
Robert, I’m afraid you will be getting a call from Janet Napolitano sometime next week. You may have gone just a little too far in your implied criticism of the current government. It shouldn’t take long to clear this whole thing up, however. I hope your taxes were paid on time, with no loose ends. An audit may be necessary, but if so, it would have nothing to do with your expressed opinions, which you are of course completely free to express.
For me, Finn’s credibility on educational issues was not increased by adding his voice to the tiresome list of conservative question (albeit subtley in Finn’s case) Obama’s patriotism.
It seems the Gadfly has channeled the president’s remarks on American exceptionalism through Charles Krauthammer. Get me transcript (via James Fallows’ excellent blog on presidential rhetoric, among other topics):
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism. I’m enormously proud of my country and its role and history in the world. If you think about the site of this summit and what it means, I don’t think America should be embarrassed to see evidence of the sacrifices of our troops, the enormous amount of resources that were put into Europe postwar, and our leadership in crafting an Alliance that ultimately led to the unification of Europe. We should take great pride in that.
And if you think of our current situation, the United States remains the largest economy in the world. We have unmatched military capability. And I think that we have a core set of values that are enshrined in our Constitution, in our body of law, in our democratic practices, in our belief in free speech and equality, that, though imperfect, are exceptional.
Now, the fact that I am very proud of my country and I think that we’ve got a whole lot to offer the world does not lessen my interest in recognizing the value and wonderful qualities of other countries, or recognizing that we’re not always going to be right, or that other people may have good ideas, or that in order for us to work collectively, all parties have to compromise and that includes us.
And so I see no contradiction between believing that America has a continued extraordinary role in leading the world towards peace and prosperity and recognizing that that leadership is incumbent, depends on, our ability to create partnerships because we create partnerships because we can’t solve these problems alone.
Finn is a partisan, no doubt. But I think he’s raising a much more nuanced set of questions about generational perspectives and the impact of our failure to teach history and civics well. If we do not think it’s important to teach children about our history, our form of government, the value of democratic institutions, etc. then what will the impact of that be? Is patriotism still a civic virtue? It’s a ripe and fascinating question, which is worth asking. I don’t see it as a referendum on Obama’s patriotism, but a much broader issue with profound implications for educators.
I wonder how anyone could suggest that the kids of a man who ran a successful campaign for President of the United States would not have learned anything about American history and civics, having seen it closer than, say, Chester Finn ever would if he lived two lifetimes.
On another note, I also wonder how Barack Obama, who deemed Chicago public schools not good enough for his children, could deem their leader good enough to be our Secretary of Education. However, I strongly suspect Mr. Finn will find much to like in Arne Duncan. Alas, my students will be in trailers and closets forever, or there’ll be no space for the charter schools.