Baccalaureate, Education, and America
Whether it was the obnoxious outbursts of the jocular buffoons or the choruses of "Oh my God!" from the scatter-brained wanna-be valley girls (in a church no less), I turned my thoughts inwards tonight and a tragic thought came to light:
At Baccalaureate there were several speakers from my class who spoke heartfeltly and beautifully and even a little emotionally. They each recounted memories and so called "achievements" of the Class of 2005. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of these "accomplishments" were in the realm of athletics. Such events will continue to have as much meaning and value as they did when they transpired, that is to say zero.
I cannot comprehend the immense value placed on the sports and the inversely proportional value placed on the things that matter. For so much emphasis to be placed on something so insignificant as recreational activity that there are thirty two NFL teams with an average value of $733 million with a collective revenue of $5.3 billon (link) and yet there are schools that can barely afford to keep their doors open and hospitals full of people, that could be cured if only there were sufficient funds for research. Yet, while I am writing about the failures of American society, I shall attempt to constrain the scope to the realm of academics.
However, amidst the reflections and enumeration of athletic accomplishments this evening, one question, so often posed in the classrooms of America, stood out: "When am I ever going to use this?" That simple question represents the abysmal failure of the American public education system. That failure transpires as students question the value inherent in knowledge and learning for the sake of learning.
Knowledge is that which separates man from the beasts, it is our strongest defense and our greatest weapon, without which, the human race would have ended long ago. America is a nation built by hard work, yet, soon that will no longer be enough. As China rapidly closes on the America’s status as the nation with the largest economy, a hard lesson is learned, the importance of wise investment.
That is precisely what education is, investment in the future. America is being crippled from within by a dysfunctional education system. It has been focused on facts and figures rather than developing the ability to think, to analyze, and to intelligently overcome. While the United States is still the land of the Free and the home of the Brave, it has also become the abode of the obtuse and the dwelling of the dumb.
The American culture needs to change. That is the bottom line. However, that can be best accomplished by first fixing the education system. By not merely educating children, but by teaching them to think for themselves, the problem will, eventually, rectify itself.
Yet, I fear it is too late to mend our ways. For far too long the societal beliefs of the importance of athletics and entertainment have been ingrained into our culture. It would require some immense, unforeseen power to galvanize this nation and turn it from the path that can only lead to destruction. I am well aware that it appears I am writing dramatically, but it is the stark truth. Americans, me included, squander our resources on meaningless frivolities, while behemoths such as China and India are beginning to realize their full potential.
At this time of year, most High School seniors are plagued by the questions of their own future. But in a little less than twenty four hours as I walk across the stage at the local Reg Lena Theater to at last seize my diploma with my left hand and shake with my right, I cannot help but wonder what awaits the future of this country. God Bless America.
At Baccalaureate there were several speakers from my class who spoke heartfeltly and beautifully and even a little emotionally. They each recounted memories and so called "achievements" of the Class of 2005. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of these "accomplishments" were in the realm of athletics. Such events will continue to have as much meaning and value as they did when they transpired, that is to say zero.
I cannot comprehend the immense value placed on the sports and the inversely proportional value placed on the things that matter. For so much emphasis to be placed on something so insignificant as recreational activity that there are thirty two NFL teams with an average value of $733 million with a collective revenue of $5.3 billon (link) and yet there are schools that can barely afford to keep their doors open and hospitals full of people, that could be cured if only there were sufficient funds for research. Yet, while I am writing about the failures of American society, I shall attempt to constrain the scope to the realm of academics.
However, amidst the reflections and enumeration of athletic accomplishments this evening, one question, so often posed in the classrooms of America, stood out: "When am I ever going to use this?" That simple question represents the abysmal failure of the American public education system. That failure transpires as students question the value inherent in knowledge and learning for the sake of learning.
Knowledge is that which separates man from the beasts, it is our strongest defense and our greatest weapon, without which, the human race would have ended long ago. America is a nation built by hard work, yet, soon that will no longer be enough. As China rapidly closes on the America’s status as the nation with the largest economy, a hard lesson is learned, the importance of wise investment.
That is precisely what education is, investment in the future. America is being crippled from within by a dysfunctional education system. It has been focused on facts and figures rather than developing the ability to think, to analyze, and to intelligently overcome. While the United States is still the land of the Free and the home of the Brave, it has also become the abode of the obtuse and the dwelling of the dumb.
The American culture needs to change. That is the bottom line. However, that can be best accomplished by first fixing the education system. By not merely educating children, but by teaching them to think for themselves, the problem will, eventually, rectify itself.
Yet, I fear it is too late to mend our ways. For far too long the societal beliefs of the importance of athletics and entertainment have been ingrained into our culture. It would require some immense, unforeseen power to galvanize this nation and turn it from the path that can only lead to destruction. I am well aware that it appears I am writing dramatically, but it is the stark truth. Americans, me included, squander our resources on meaningless frivolities, while behemoths such as China and India are beginning to realize their full potential.
At this time of year, most High School seniors are plagued by the questions of their own future. But in a little less than twenty four hours as I walk across the stage at the local Reg Lena Theater to at last seize my diploma with my left hand and shake with my right, I cannot help but wonder what awaits the future of this country. God Bless America.
<< Home