The Dumbing-Down of America
It has happened slowly, as complex things do. Erosion occurs so slowly that we hardly notice. One day, the stream is knee-deep, and before we know it, the stream is up to our neck. The Grand Canyon was formed similarly. What we are going through now is the geologic equivalent of stream erosion, and we now find ourselves at the bottom of the canyon. In the 1970s, when I was in high school, I heard my fellow students proclaim, "Why should I pay attention to algebra? We'll never use it in real life!" Seemingly, they would never use high-powered math in their lifetimes. Suffice it to say that most of them cannot calculate a 20% tip at a restaurant without a phone app. Little did I know that they were not paying attention in English class either. This is supported by reading their Facebook posts where their, they're, and there are the same word; and you're is replaced by your because those are the same, also. If I decide to correct their atro...