This was the phrase that was sure to greet my brother and I whenever we showed disrespect to our parents by disrespecting the house they provided for us. If we left a door open, especially, but also whenever we'd track in grass and dirt, or leave a mess in the living room, or tear something up that didn't belong to us.
I want to address the people who are disrespecting a different house today. The people's house. The White House.
Were you people raised by wolves or something? Don't you have any honor? What kind of example are you setting for your kids, telling them that they're not allowed to hear the president speak to them?
This is the president of the United States of America! You're treating him like a vacuum cleaner salesman. You don't slam the door on the president. You sit down and listen, and wait for your turn to speak.
I remember in grade school the biggest speaker we had come and talk to us was a police officer. And it was the coolest thing a first grader could imagine. Look at this guy! How cool. He's got a badge and handcuffs and he fights crime. Amazing!
But these kids are getting the opportunity to hear the president speak directly to them? How much more cool is that! That never happened to me. The only thing the president ever did for me in grade school was embarrass me by making me do pull-ups in front of everybody.
This is an opportunity, and you're robbing your kids of it because you don't like this man. But I ask you, whatever happened to "respect the office even if you don't respect the person"? We heard that a lot in the days of Republican presidencies.
If you're that outraged at Barack Obama, save it. Save it for the next election and don't vote for him. That's how it works in this country.
Until then, grant the office of the presidency the respect that you owe it as an American citizen and (I assume) a voter. Hell, this man is the chief executive of the government that is paying for your child's education, and this is how you pay him back? I guess he's good enough to give you free education, but not good enough to speak to your children.
Or is it something else? After all, plenty of presidents have spoken to schoolchildren over the years. Many of them even used schools as backdrops to make some political/policy comments. And there's nothing wrong with that. Such is the bully pulpit. That's democracy at work.
I just can't help but think perhaps there's something different about this president. I've been very slow to think it because I've always considered racism a serious charge that shouldn't be thrown around carelessly.
But nobody's telling me why this man, why Barack Obama? It's certainly nothing in what he plans to say. That much is basic. Stay in school. Work hard. Get along with your classmates. Your future is important. It's the same thing presidents always say to children, and that's good because it means something to children to hear it from someone they respect. But why don't you respect this man in particular?
Maybe you should be asking yourself that question. And maybe then you should ask yourself why you're allowing a petty prejudice to be not only your problem, but your child's as well.
As for me and my family, we respect the president of the United States of America. Because we are Americans, and we're all in this together.