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June 28, 2013

California schools are turning into government indoctrination centers

By Ethel C. Fenig

So, in a desperate attempt "the Obama administration created a marketing campaign for Obamacare that made it cool and hip" by "reaching out to the NFL, the NBA and Hollywood for help, and counting down the days to Oct. 1, when enrollment in the exchanges officially begins."  Further, "The administration is in a good position to secure splashy endorsements, as Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns had a deep bench of celebrity surrogates."

Well, ok, nothing personal but those who will be influenced by endorsements from sports figures and entertainment types are probably already in agreement with the President Barack Hussein Obama (D) agenda; these plugs will merely further validate and rationalize previously held beliefs.   And for those who disagree, especially some of the owners and major stockholders, well, in true Chicago Way fashion the Obama administration has ways of making them agree. 


 But what is truly disturbing--actually repellent and frightening--is the government's plan to abuse the concept of public education by turning public schools into indoctrination factories, forcing children to spout the joys of Obamacare.  Or else!

 In California, the educrats of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second largest school district in the country with over 640,000 students, will be force feeding students to sell Obamacare to their families, funded by a nearly million dollar state grant (though the state is broke) from Covered California
according to this article in Human Events

The district listed as a primary outcome for its project, "Teens trained to be messengers to family members."

Covered California spokeswoman Sarah Soto-Taylor said staff have not questioned this goal.
"We have confidence that the model LA Unified brought to the table will be successful in reaching our target population, which includes family members of students," she said.
LAUSD will also use tax-paid staff to promote ObamaCare through phone calls to students' homes, in-class presentations, and meetings with employees eligible for ObamaCare's taxpayer-covered healthcare, the grant award says. 
Unpaid Propagandizers

The district listed adult education students, part-time, and contract employees as its target population. Teens will be trained to be messengers not to those groups, but to their own families, to get more people enrolled in taxpayer-subsidized healthcare.

If the project is successful, Los Angeles families can expect more use of students to push government-preferred messaging.

"Teens are part of a 'pilot' program to test whether young people can be trained as messengers to deliver outreach and limited education to family and friends in and around their homes," said Gayle Pollard-Terry, a LAUSD spokesman, in an email. "Teens will be educating adults that they already know (e.g., family or friends) and not other adults."

'Paid in the Rear'

Grant recipients like LAUSD will be held accountable by the state for fulfilling their promised activities for outreach, said Larry Hicks, another LAUSD spokesman.

"At a minimum, grantees will be required to submit to Covered California monthly, quarterly, and annual reports on their activities and progress towards agreed upon outcomes. If project benchmarks are not met, grantees may be required to submit additional ad hoc reports upon Covered California's request. Grantees will also be required to report any proposed adjustments to their approved outreach and education plan using the information management system... Additionally, field monitors will be assigned to grantees to verify their progress," Hughes said.

Disturbing comparisons with using children and government education facilities to deliver "government-preferred messaging"  in the past and in other societies today instantly spring to mind.  And so do the questions.

If the parents disagree with Obamacare and their children's message will the children then be compelled to report them to the "field monitors...assigned to grantees to verify their progress"? 

What if a parent hangs up on an intrusive government caller or worse not so politely, or even politely, argues with the "outreach" drone?"  Can parents protest the "use of students to push government-preferred messaging"?  If so, will the parentsr be compelled to attend parent-school meetings and labelled unfit and abusive?

And what will happen to the students if they mock their assignment of "educating adults they already know", or educate their trainers on the perils of Obamacare, or refuse "to be trained as messengers" or even just don't do their  "homework" as students are wont to do?  What if kids fail at "educating adults they already know"?  All of these outcomes happen every day in homes and schools across America over minor issues.  Will the students be shamed and punished by teachers and/or the school administration for their failure to do the assignment?   Will the other kids make fun of them?
Perhaps even in California some teachers or administrators will have doubts about violating the basic education principles of a free society which prohibit political advocacy of only one viewpoint.  If they voice their concerns about this misuse of the schools or if they too express concerns about Obamacare will they be fired and sent to special in service workshops or re education camps, joining protesting parents and students?  What will happen to their children, their families?
Unfortunately, these questions and others similar to them are not far fetched or speculative.  Oh sure, the practices against dissenters will probably not outwardly mimic those of North Korea, Nazi Germany or Communist Russia--certainly no parent or student will be executed.  But...

Woe to those who publicly deviate from politically correct or government approved thought. Using vulnerable students "to push government-preferred messaging" though is a new low. And alas, this is probably not even the lowest of the desperate, all encompassing government mandates regarding Obamacare, the environment or any other "government-preferred" thought or action.

More is sure to come.


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