I guess I’m a little surprised by the hysteria over this.

Regardless of who is in office, I want my children, especially as they get older, to a.) Have respect for their president and the office, no matter who occupies it; and b.) to listen and decide for themselves what they believe.

Isn’t it more dangerous to NOT listen to what your elected leaders are saying? Isn’t information a vital part of making decisions? How far will we go in trying to “protect” our children from the world around them? After all, they will, at some point, be involved in electing future presidents. Are we really going to teach them that if they don’t like the person in power, they should just ignore him/her?

Schools have traditionally allowed students to watch major events taking place in our country. And some of those events were horrific.

I remember watching the Challenger explosion in my high school biology class. A teacher down the hall left the school sobbing because one of those on board was a childhood friend.

I was home sick the day Reagan was shot. I sprawled on a pillow on the living room floor, stunned that such a thing could happen.

I remember the day Iran freed the hostages. I watched those events unfold on television too.

Looking back, I cannot imagine my parents telling me or my school that I would not be allowed to hear a United States president speak, even if that president wasn’t the one they had voted for.

Seriously, what the hell has happened to us that we have become so fearful?

I find it all very depressing.