To the editor:

I keep reading letters from people weighing in on the speech that President Barack Obama gave encouraging students to embrace education.

One writer referred to it as a “political speech during school time.” First, there was nothing political about it.

Second, school time is when students read the speeches of presidents and many of these are “political.” Students can even read the speeches of the Socialist Eugene Debs and the writings of Karl Marx during school time when studying early 20th century history. Imagine that, varying perspectives.

Third, Obama’s speech was not a mandate. Mandate means mandatory. Enough said.

The same writer stated, “… All these politicians seem to be bankrupting our country and putting us in debt to China. It makes it all very suspicious and then childishly berating those that ask tough and valid questions.”

First, the second sentence makes absolutely no sense even after I read it over and over. “It makes it all very suspicious …”

What makes it all very suspicious?

Second, who is childishly berating those that ask “tough and valid questions?”

I don’t follow the logic in these statements and I’m a social studies teacher.

I guess I better stop reading speeches in school.

Dan Davinroy

Concord