More political signs are starting to sprout in local yards. Scattered among the numerous "for sale" signs in town (this summer 20 plus houses were for sale in town) you see the occasional sign promoting a candidate. Tonight there were two Obama signs along Hwy 22 across from the Huckabee sign which has been up for a week. There is at least one Clinton sign, my neighbor has a Biden sign sort of hidden behind his cars, while I stuck an Edwards sign in my yard. I'm waiting to see a candidates sign incorporated into some one's Christmas light display.
On the way in to Indiana last weekend I saw more Ron Paul signs than any others. There was even a bed sheet hanging from a highway overpass which read "Ron Paul Revolution."
Today in World History class I had to wonder if students are becoming dumber or if I am just getting old and cranky. The chapter on the Enlightenment had a short section about how the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution reflect some of the Enlightenment ideals Montesquieu, Rousseau, Locke and others wrote about. I assumed the classes of mostly sophomores would be somewhat familiar with the two documents from 8th grade U.S. History. Only two of the 35 students admitted to having read any part of the Declaration before today. Most couldn't finish the line, "life, liberty...." So what was supposed to be a short review ended up using most of the shortened block period.
The lack of reading came up again when a group of seniors in Current Events class looked at a My Turn essay in the current Newsweek where the author writes about catching up on his reading since he didn't read as a teenager. The essay mentioned Siddhartha, Brave New World, 1984, Animal Farm, and Breakfast of Champions. One of the girls had read Siddhartha, two had read Animal Farm for a British Lit class and that was all. Some of the kids in my classes may as well be illiterate - some only read what is assigned and from test scores, I would assume that many don't even read what is assigned. I should quit ranting, but I fear for our democracy if people don't read.
How can people tell that our government is violating the Constitution if they never bother reading it?
1 comment:
Let's see....life, liberty, and the pursuit of ignorance.
Maybe if teacher's would begin to assign more contemporary reading, kid's would find something of interest. Give 'em some Walter Dean Myers or Laurie Halse Anderson. There will be time for Siddartha later.
I only started reading Vonnegut because Goldie Bender tried to have his books banned from the library. Tell Jane to start burning a few "inappropriate books." That'll get their attention.
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