Obama in the classroom

Spokesman Robert Gibbs about objectors to Oh-bama addressing school children:

“It’s a sad state of affairs that many in this country politically would rather start an ‘Animal House’ food fight rather than inspire kids to stay in school, to work hard, to engage parents to stay involved and to ensure that the millions of teachers that are making great sacrifices continue to be the best in the world.”

It’s in The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room, where it picked up 420 comments as of 10:30 Monday night, the first of which, by “tropicgirl,” is quite good:

This would never have happened if people did not dislike the president so much. There are many reasons for that, and Glibbs [sic] needs to take responsibility for some of that dislike he has helped create, because of his sour attitude, along with the inexperienced, off-timing and condescending reputation those around the president have helped create. [Italics added]

Yes, these are flip wise guys, from Rahm E. on down.  Remember when gravitas was an issue?

The second commenter qualifies the first nicely, without shooting it down:

It’s not a matter of “liking” it’s a matter of “trusting.” I voted for him, regret it. The bottom line, “We – most of the American People” now, do not trust him.

If not most, then an awful lot.  He’s a jerk.

Coach, cop, saver of young men

“I don’t want to lose any young men. I look at it as me being a vessel through God to minister to these young men,” Proviso East High School head coach Aaron Peppers, who is also a Maywood policeman, told Chi Trib in an excellent page-one story by Brian Hamilton.

This is rock-solid stuff.  Peppers grew up in Maywood, is a Proviso East alum, lives there still.  His charges are threatened by the allure of mostly-black Maywood’s mean streets.

“That’s the hand we’re dealt in this community,” Peppers says. “Just know that you’re not going to coach football. You’re not just going to be a police officer answering service calls. You’re going to have to teach. You’re going to have to love. If you’re a selfish person, you’re going to have to change.”

As we used to say in the Jesuits, edifying —  considerably more so than an account of a celebrity finding God, as we sometimes read.  It’s a religion story of merit.

Another good one, by the way, was Manya Brachear’s account of the senior minister of First United Methodist Church, also known as Chicago Temple, across from the Daley Center, who reads poetry to his former English teacher now stroke-ridden, bringing him back to life as it were.

This was “Their Friendship: Pure Poetry,” on 8/31.