It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this system work. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it. And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country - and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
I hate the way President Obama continually uses the language of tyranny and coercion in his speeches...IE "we MUST act", "no longer an option", "they will need", etc.
And this section just grates on my ears. Yes, it is an excellent idea to educate yourself as much as is possible, and it is desirable to have a culture of intellectualism and lifelong learning.
But it is awfully scary to hear the head of our government telling us that we have no choice; we must accept government schooling for our entire childhoods and beyond.
I know there will be those who will say "but that's not what Obama meant, and you know it"...and I will ask them "how do you know? all we have are his words, and the fact that he chose these words says quite a bit".
We built this country upon our entrepreneurial spirit, and self-motivated action. While it is true that most of those who fail out of school are destined to fail later on in life, that path is by no means assured. And it is unconscionable that we should destroy parents' and childrens' ability to make their own choices in life, even if Mr Obama disagrees with those choices.
This country is supposed to value individual freedom, and self-made men. The language Obama used tonight crushes those values.
**EDIT**
I should make clear that this is a critique of Mr Obama's rhetoric...we will see what he eventually proposes as far as a plan.