Idiot Nation

Have you ever felt like you are talking to idiots? Frustrated by the fact that so many people just do not understand what you have to say? Have you ever wondered why you feel this way? Well that is just what the infamous Michael Moore explores in his essay "Idiot Nation."

Just from the title one can surmise the topic of this essay and that is that we have become a nation of idiots. What is even more shocking is that we have come to accept this. The way thaat Moore presented his facts was quite persuasive to say the least, and each one backed with statistics. One of the more interesting points that he makes is that there are 44 million Americans who cannot read above a fourth grade level, which is a baffling large amount no matter what country you are in. What about those who can? you may ask, they don't even bother to read a daily newspaper. I ask, if people do not read how do they learn?

The answer is that they don't. Moore drives this point home with the example of how 556 senior all from prestigious schools were given a test that could be described as "high school" level. The results they were only got 53 percent of the answers correct. Am I the only one shocked by that? These students are supposed to be the creme De la creme and apparently they should not have graduated high school. This apathy toward idiocy has become so prevalent that even those who should be the thinkers and leaders of tomorrow are getting away with it.

Now to be fair this could not possibly be the student's fault right? After all it's the teacher's fault that these kids didn't learn enough right? They must be accountable for the alarming preformance of their students right? No, actually that would be our fault for allowing things to go this far as Moore was so unafraid to point out. If we put no value on education then how can we expect things to get any better? My general policy as applied to most things is this, you can only complain if you have done sommething about the problem, and that is what we must do. Get involved, teach someone to read and understand at a higher level, do so yourself as well, try to help mend this Idiot Nation of ours, after all clicking our heels together and wishing very hard is not getting the job done.