You've Got to Be Carefully Taught

**Links to audio updated - just click on the links below to listen***

My "Carefully Taught" tribute to Obama's speech to America's school children

Tim Wise

Rob Weissman
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Remember that song from South Pacific? It's back on Broadway, so it's not too hard to find. Here are the lyrics, just in case you need a reminder...

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!

A couple of people, totally unrelated, mentioned that song on Facebook today. So I took it a step further. Yes, another production piece... as sometimes I really don't have to say anything. I'll debut it tonight on my Air America radio show, then post it here for all to hear...

In the first hour of tonight's show, I'll speak with Tim Wise, whose name is totally apropos! Tim is the author of four books on race, including his latest: Between Barack and a Hard Place Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama. Tonight, we'll speak about an essay he wrote about the ousting of Van Jones and the uproar over the President's talk to school children-- The Afrikaner Party Draws First Blood: Van Jones, Barack Obama and the Audacity of Capitulation. Read more of Tim Wise's writings at www.redroom.com.

In the second hour, we'll hear from Rob Weissman, the new president of Public Citizen about tomorrow's Supreme Court hearing on corporate campaign contributions. I know it doesn't sound very sexy, but it is incredibly important! In fact, take a few moments and visit www.dontgetrolled.org and do whatever you can to help prevent us from a true corporate takeover of our country.

And we'll also listen to bits and pieces of President Obama's speech from today, and get my 10-year old's thoughts on it...

Of course your calls are welcomed at 866-303-2270, as is your presence in the chat here. Click here to listen live from 11pm-1am EDT/ 8-10pm PDT.

And just in case you missed it, here's today's lesson...