One of today's assignments in my fifth grade class was to write a letter to President Bush asking a question about the Presidency. It's a standard assignment, one I do yearly. Hey, I'm a fair and balanced teacher.
One girl raised her hand and asked, "What if you don't like the President?"
I replied to the effect that all Presidents have their critics, and the way to handle this was to respectfully describe what any policy you don't agree with, tell why you disagree with it, and see what reply you get. "What don't you like about President Bush?" I asked.
The kids (and parents) at my school are not as a rule very aware of current events. Many parents are working two jobs and have little time for anything else. In my experience, fifth graders asked that question about any politician will generally say whatever they've heard from their parents. But this girl seemed to have her own opinion, though it appeared hard for her to put that opinon in words.
It took her almost a minute of thinking, but she finally replied, "I don't know...I guess I just don't like his attitude."
