presidential scholars? they're like 23 y.o.? Doesn't mean they're wrong, but jeez...

The guy on the right reminds me of this guy: http://www.youtube.com/user/Daxflame

Kiva: "Presidential Scholars, a program designed “to recognize and provide leadership development experiences for some of America’s most outstanding graduating high-school seniors.”

This really makes me proud of their generation. The 50+ kids who signed that thing should all be extremely proud of themselves.

I love this quote by Leah Anthony Libresco (I think she's the one in the middle):

"If I’m going to be in the room with the president, I’ve got to say something, because silence betokens consent, and there’s a lot going on I don’t want to consent to."

Yes that is Leah in the middle, and yeah, she's impressive! I hope she keeps that idealism and activism through the ideological meatgrinder of Yale.

That Daxflame, OTOH, is quite the spaz. Does he ever have anything worth saying?

It's a shame there's an age requirement to be President when these young adults show so much more intelligence, wisdom and are much more articulate than our current resident of the White House.

When Power is an idiot, speaking Truth to it is idle.

Man, was it just me, or did the interviewer seem a bit snide?

I am very impressed with these young scholars.

Notice how pathetic and morally weak our so called president appears when he stands too close to anyone with brains and moral courage.

All he could do was refuse to deal with reality, repeat one of his favourite lies, several times and intentionally avoid the specific questions and concerns of these students. Being face to face with such people must scare the crap out of the stupid little fraud.

tom mc: Agree, totally. he didn't listen, he probably didn't try to comprehend the letter, just "read" it. Why would he say that americans don't torture, and avoid the questions they were asking directly.

Those kids shouldn't be so polite when the interviewer is so condesending either. Amazing how dumb the journalist looks next to them.

SpaceRibs, I think you're right, the interviewer seemed like he was talking down to these kids, especially when he said "that's the great thing about this democracy that we live in." Perhaps he's resentful because these kids had the balls to speak truth to power and they're just students, while it's his job to do that, but he, along with the rest of the mainstream media, just kowtows to Bush's every whim. Nothing like the power of youth to show adults their failings. ^_-

Sorry, but is it just me or did the whole thing seem fake?

I really feel like this is a staged or well prepared fake.

The interviewer was definitely talking down and came across as a far right winger or something by calling torture a 'controversial' issue.

By controversial he means him and a few people who watch too much 24 think torture saves American lives.

Just wait until these "Presidential scholars" are confronted with huge amounts of cash from corporations with vested interests. They'll change their views rather quickly, I'm willing to bet.

"Just wait until these "Presidential scholars" are confronted with huge amounts of cash from corporations with vested interests. They'll change their views rather quickly, I'm willing to bet."

Judging the potential motivations of others based upon what WE might do is shallow. One of these fine young Americans just might bring about a rebirth of LIBERTY in America...or they might just turn into crack-heads.

I'm betting on the former.

I do believe my generation is being changed for the better, mainly because of the internet.

Having so much information and opinions on hand, without having to always hear the funnelled opinion of the most elite and top tier of classes is a wonderful thing.

Even though the internet is around 24 years old, we still have yet to see the amazing impact this technology has had on our specious.

I would be so bold to claim it is an invention par of the human language and written word.

@vonmeth

Let's hope that's the case. Although the future does look bleak if they continue with the trend of focusing mostly on the entertainment value of the Net as opposed to using it as a tool to keep each other informed.

That "journalist" must have felt like a tool when an adolescent put his exalted ass in it's place by responding to the "Controversial Issue" by saying

I don't think this is a controversial issue. I don't think Human dignity and Human rights is a controversial issue.

Of course, a good follow up question would have been, "And when the president told you that we don't torture, did you believe him?"

Firi said, "Just wait until these 'Presidential scholars' are confronted with huge amounts of cash from corporations with vested interests. They'll change their views rather quickly, I'm willing to bet."

“People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I don't think Human dignity and Human rights is a controversial issue.

I'm always amazed when people speak of "basic human rights" as if it's not a construct. It's something that is based on current collective morals & has to be fought for & guarded if you want it maintained.

That's where we are failing in allowing our President to get away with glib answers like "American's do not use torture"

Willie: "the ideological meatgrinder of Yale"

Do you speak from firsthand experience? My experience with Yale was that it was an environment quite encouraging of idealism and activism. Maybe you had a different experience... I'm not denying that there are those who go on to work as investment bankers and the like, but those that I knew weren't idealistic to begin with.

mari's cute. i hope i meet her at a party.

Ok.. They are all loosers.. Like Bushy cares..

Loosers...

They are all loosers..

They got loose? Best round up them dogeys

Geez, I see how smart, informed, and impassioned these kids are and I think what a dope I am at twice their age. Quite humbling.

As a teacher, these kids remind me why teaching can be so rewarding. Yeah, John Roberts was so patronizing saying how did you have the nerve to give him a letter? John's feeling guilty for the snow job the msm has done. And then the young lady's refutation to that disgraceful comment that human rights is a controversial issue? Really? I know that the Repub. Pres. candidates are douchebags, but let's not say that. Nothing at least should be less controversial than a prohibition on torture. And the Repubs will say they don't torture. But thank God for that brave girl calling Pretty Boy Roberts on her statements....and when the young lady Mari Oye was speaking, he kept on supposedly affirming, saying "mm-hmm" like he wanted her to hurry up so he could go back to reporting the latest missing white girl, or whatev. Then at the end, Roberts says, the most impressive thing is their SAT scores.....I'd refute that and say it's their humanity.

Teaching is a hugely important job. Teachers, both good and bad effect the thinking and attitudes of the adult citizens our kids will become.

I just wish that the kind of education those young scholars have had was more widely available.

“People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

That's right. Why, right now I'm taking huge amounts of cash from corporations and changing my views on everything. You caught me.