I couldn't agree more. As a matter of fact, I would have thought the figures were even more dismal.
When you combine the fact that several generations of young Americans have been 'educated' in a public school system, and a system of 'higher' (*cough*) education that no longer teaches them their proud and noble heritage, and much of the curricula in both systems these days (and for a few decades now) teaches young people what to think rather than how to think, we have been graduating young Americans for at least two generations who both (1) know virtually nothing about their republic's proud history, and the incredible sacrifices that were made to insure their freedoms, and (2) are not able to critically think for themselves, and problem solve, the way their ancestors before them did.
I have dealt with many young people over the years, and have found that today's young people (of course there are exceptions) are unable to get from Point A to Point B in logical thought without being provided a road map. If some kind of detour is introduced, they look at you like a deer in the headlights.
As a result of all of the above (which is at least in part a result of the direction in which public and higher education has moved since the 60s), many Americans now feel little or no allegiance to America's founding principles -- simply because they don't know or understand them -- and they are significantly more apt to swallow the media swill that passes for 'news' these days, simply because they are disinterested in ferreting out the truth themselves, nor they haven't been trained to question, analyze or critically think for themselves.
I've often said that the ignorance (of the truth) and apathy of today's populace is every bit as much to blame for the decay of America as any threat from outside of our borders. |
