Dumbing Down America, One Graduate at a Time.

well hear we r in 2010 and all are kids r dumb and wen they grajuate we will still be after china and those other country's

The above is an example of what I see every day almost everywhere in print. No grammar rules to speak of, atrocious spelling, using letters in place of whole words and even using the wrong words. How are kids graduating from high school when basic spelling eludes them? When they can't be bothered to capitalize proper nouns, or even the beginning of a sentence? There are the usual "English is not my first language" defenses, and "I don't type well so I have a lot of typos", but trust me when I say that anyone with half a brain knows when they're being snowed. Using the word "are" instead of "our" is not a typo. People can't seem to even use commas properly anymore! You know, a comma is the difference between "It's time to eat, grampa!" and "It's time to eat grampa!"

Of course, now there is a push from some "officials" in the teaching world to ignore grammar rules altogether. To consolidate some homophones into one word (e.g. their, there and they're). They say it's just too much to ask our snowflakes to think for a second and use a word correctly, and why do we need all those extra words anyway? It's just too darn confusing. Or is it? Is there something bigger behind it? As a matter of fact, how could these kids be graduating without knowing when to use such simple words as its and it's (hint: it's is a contraction, its is a possessive)?

If you think about it, it makes sense. If we are kept dumb, if we are allowed to just coast through school without actually learning anything and accept what we're handed by the government and don't question what TPTB tell us to learn, then we won't learn things for ourselves. We might actually realize that what we've been drinking is Jim Jones' special Kool-Aid and decide to take back our country that has been hijacked by power-hungry elitists that couldn't give a rat's behind about us. As far as they are concerned, we are a nation of 300 million rubes.

Keeping us all uneducated burger flippers is the goal of our federal government. After all, they'll need someone to wash their clothes, clean their toilets, cook their food, shine their shoes and turn down their beds at night. And all the while they are safe and sound running our lives for us. That, my friends, is where we are heading if we don't do something about it now. Our children are growing up dumb. And that is just how our government likes us.

/TOA

Wow that second paragraph was kinda scary to think about. Do you have a source or statement from those "officials"? I for one prefer english over newspeak.

Great avatar and good thread.
I whole-heartedly agree.

While the education system is flawed, it serves a purpose.
To get a child's mind to start functioning in a certain way.
Now, I can't blame the system for shorthand text messages, which are very annoying...
But I can blame them for the deceitful stories about the history of this nation.

I believe you learn more after school than in it.

I wish I could flag this a thousand times. It's so hard to read what these people write and then they question MY intelligence when I use apostrophes, commas, and god forbid- a (gasp) semi-colon. They say they're unnecessary and confusing- when really it's the difference of "it's time to eat grandpa!" and "It's time to eat, grandpa!" like you said.

I think it denotes a laziness of personality that is more and more prevalent. This is frightening.

sum1 neds to do sumthing b4 its to l8.

Sad but true, but I think its a combination of ALL government elected officials, not just TPTB movement as you said, or any other organization. I'm beginning to think that these "movements", whether it be Tea Party people, or just your common Activist, are all linked together for one greater purpose. Keep the people guessing, jumping from one topic to the next, all the while, withholding any evidence that contradicts their motives. Meanwhile, our children, in the end, are the ones who will suffer all because of us.

Originally posted by jacktherer
Wow that second paragraph was kinda scary to think about. Do you have a source or statement from those "officials"? I for one prefer english over newspeak.

here's an article from the "Clinton Era" ...... maybe a typical liberal idea from that time ?

www.theonion.com...

Originally posted by jacktherer
Wow that second paragraph was kinda scary to think about. Do you have a source or statement from those "officials"? I for one prefer english over newspeak.

Here's an interesting article about no less than some members of the American Literacy Council picketing the 2004 National Spelling Bee: Spelling Bee to be Picketed. The Spelling Society thinks that spelling should be "modernized", which to me says "lazified" (author's note: lazified is not a real word, but a concept ). Now, some words change over time because some cultures and concepts change. I mean, when was the last time you used the word "haberdashery"? But changing or eliminating words because "it's too hard to learn them" is pure laziness.

/TOA

reply to post by Infringed


TPTB in the context of my post is aimed squarely at Washington, D.C. I think this particular conspiracy (and make no mistake, I believe it to be one) is uniquely American. Not that there aren't other governments doing the same thing to their citizens, but more and more America seems to be falling behind the curve in comparison to other countries.

/TOA

y 4 r u 1 2 h8 shrt hand talk?

Sorry couldn't resist.

I agree. Even on a college level it seems that what undergraduates did 20-30 years ago is now on the graduate level. A lot of kids would never finish their degree if more than half of the professors didn't curve their grades at the end. I hear a lot of complaining and whining that we actually have to read something extra than the boring textbook and how we have too much math in a non math class. (I'm in economics so most econ has a lot of math work).

Have to cut this short. Going to a meeting.

Cheers

reply to post by The Old American


Isn't that the truth.. Heck, people don't even take pride in their actions anymore? Like when we use to manufacture something, there was pride that came with the product.

The whole thing started in the 60's with the "equal rights" and "let's educate everybody" movements.

it has produced windfall profits for colleges and private tutoring (so somebody could get through college!).

we now see too many "anchored" professors and administrators that are not qualified!

we see unqualified teachers at all levels in most public school systems.

we now have parents who have been contaminated by this and don't know the difference anymore.

we now have too many "foreign" speaking students (and teachers) that the schools won't bother to teach.

maybe English is changing?

after all, English came from somewhere else anyway ... right?

AND, it could be worse ... look at the Mongolian language!

it has undergone many changes ... especially when the (Communist) Russian "scolars" took 20 years to convert the spoken language into their (Russian) Cyrillic alphabet !

a lot of it is still used today!

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

what a country!

Yup is certainly is frustrating to see what this country has become!

As a person with a good interest in history, it is funny that you should mention this problem that is now coming to the forefront of every ones mind and the topic of this post, the dumbing down of America. Edward R. Murrow, the very legend in the broadcasting industry, once forewarned that all media that is transmitted was a very dangerous tool item, as it could be used to teach, illuminate and enlighten, but at the same time could also be used as a weapon and have more negative side effects. Many other people since then, both noted and unnoted have also noticed the powerful effect that television has on the masses, from those who are interested in the world at large, to those who are wanting to be mindlessly entertained. This has spawned the creation and pushing of technology, to ever means of streaming media to reach the mass number of people around the world.
Language, by most experts is an ever growing and evolving concept that continues to grow over time. Ideas and concepts are often communicated, from the different works of art and literature, to the bounds of the scientific community. Often words are made up and introduced into the general population, to where it is used to point out different concepts that are never thought of, or even have a word for, are created. And there are 2 kinds of language out there, one is literal and conceptual. The literal form is more complex and it is based off of letters that form the words, that we use every day, the other being on a conceptual basis, is formed from pictures, such as kanji, where there are thousands of symbols, each with very specific meanings and sounds, that vocal inflections and body language have much to play in that aspect. The language that business is conducted in on the world market, is the language that becomes predominate in the speech of those around the world. At one time that would have been German, French, then English, as it was very specific in its meaning and clarity, but as Japan, China and India are starting to come into the age of being economic superpowers, then that is going to slowly shift to where Japanese, Chinese and Hindi are starting to make its way into the very language of common society, along with the native tongues of the local communities, and those of its neighbors. Even in the US, there are some places, where a person would be best suited to know 2 or 3 different languages, depending on the population at large, and in some cities, you can see where such is very apparent, as signs are printed in 2 or three different language, thus such makes it way into the local dialects. Even in Europe, those closer to a neighbor often speak with a combination of 2 separate language, so communication is there.
Technology is the third piece of this puzzle, as the growth of technology and the communication has made it where the shortening or running on with words has started to become the norm in society. Net speak is a way for children to speak without their parents knowing that they are discussing, and pass plans and ideas to each other.
When you combine all three, then you start to have a changing and evolving society at large, where the main ideas are either going to affect the population for better or worse. And it shows in society, as it starts to become apparent in what you see when it comes to the general population and public.
The media coporations, namely those that broadcast, the government, the internet providers and the communication companies, all know what a powerful tool broadcasting and trasmitting are. It is in every part of everything that is shown, from the shows that entertain, the shows that educate, and those that inform. The first thing that is often noted, are those that sponser such, the adds that pop up, and are carefully postioned in the show itself. If you want the best example of such, watch the movie: The Truman Show, and then after carefully viewing the movie, watch any movie with a modern theme, or tv show, and see how many product placements there are.
Certain aspects that are starting to disappear is that of communicating, dealing with people, and writing. Many young people these days do not know how to deal with another living person, as they once did, and very few, from what I have seen, know how to write with a pen and in cursive that can be clearly understood. At one time, the mark of a good employee was the ability to write in cursive, as that was a skill highly desired, and now days it is those who can type the fastest. People don't like talking, so they text it, keeping it short and to the point. At one time, to communicate with a loved one who lived in another state or country, people would write a letter, and send it by mail, as it was costly to phone someone. Now days they pick up the phone or send an email.
Many people would not know what to do, if the TV were to suddenly go black. We are addicted to technology and may be the cure is going to kill us, cause it would mean giving up the internet, giving up the TV, not listening to the radio. What ever would we do to survive if we actually had to make a decision, based on our own common sense?

Originally posted by The Old American
an example of what I see every day almost everywhere in print. No grammar rules to speak of, atrocious spelling, using letters in place of whole words and even using the wrong words.

...almost everywhere in print?... really?... gosh, i only see it online... if your local newspapers are that shabby, maybe you should apply for a job as a grammatical editor... they make purty good money - and - yeppers, i wrote PURTY cuz i can...

Originally posted by The Old American
How are kids graduating from high school when basic spelling eludes them?

...for all you know, they spell just fine when they have to or want to - but - prefer the shorthand stuff when they're online because its faster and just as effective (except on snobs, lol)...

Originally posted by The Old American
they can't be bothered to capitalize proper nouns, or even the beginning of a sentence?

...i dont use caps for hardly anything (online) - and - i like dots (online)... do you think that means i dont know how to properly write the ku-waine's aing-lash?...

...btw, why did you put that comma before "or"?... whoever taught you that THATs appropriate was wrong... there are times when a comma is appropriate before "or" but your usage aint one em, lol... no worries, happens all the time and with "but" as well... my former SO did it - drove me nuts cuz he had multiple PhDs... whenever i'd fuss at him for it, he'd say "if it bothers you, fix it but dont nag me cuz my ego is fragile", lmao... he was such a treasure...

Originally posted by The Old American
trust me when I say that anyone with half a brain knows when they're being snowed.

...someone with half a brain probably cant even wipe their own tater...

Originally posted by The Old American
Using the word "are" instead of "our" is not a typo.

...how do you know?... answer: you dont...

Originally posted by The Old American
People can't seem to even use commas properly anymore! You know, a comma is the difference between "It's time to eat, grampa!" and "It's time to eat grampa!"

...ahahahaaa!... thats a good one!...

Originally posted by The Old American
Is there something bigger behind it?

...behind what?... behind our poor system of public education or behind your frustration with folks who dont write the english language like you think they should?...

Originally posted by The Old American
don't question what TPTB tell us to learn.

...now you've gone and dunnitt - tripped into one of my pet peeves...

...why do you use the abbreviation TPTB?... too lazy to type out the words The Powers That Be?... (see, i can use caps when i wanna, lol)... why didnt you place periods between the letters?... too lazy to do it properly?... (ie: T. P. T. B.)... could it be that your rules dont apply to you?... (i'm just teasin ya about all this junk, just in case you arent sure)...

...about that pet peeve of mine (being serious now)... if you believe the greedy scum suckin slugs (that you call tptb) are despicable, then why do you show them respect by referring to them that way?... like it or not, agree or not, using the term teaches your brain that they are your masters and you are a willing submissive subjugate... you should seriously think about that - everyone should, imo...

Originally posted by The Old American
Keeping us all uneducated burger flippers is the goal of our federal government.

...thats myopic... they need lots of well-educated submissives too and dont forget the in-betweeners...

Originally posted by The Old American
That, my friends, is where we are heading if we don't do something about it now. Our children are growing up dumb.

...if you believe that, then its probably fairly safe to presume that you either homeschool your kids or you spend several hours every night with them to make sure they learn properly...

...also - this thing about graduating high school and being literally dumb isnt anything new... i figured out that public schools were teaching lies when i was in elementary back in the 60s and it wasnt like i was a genius or the first kid to figure that out...

...some kids will go the extra mile to educate themselves and some wont... just like some parents will take the time to be heavily involved in their children's education and some wont... cant blame everything on the government (at least not honestly)...

Reply to post by The Old American

We may not agree on much else but I do agree with you on this subject.

It's a huge disappointment to open up a newspaper and see typos where they should not exist.

I am quickly denounced as a "grammar nazi" if I try and point out typos to others.

My theory is that if you cannot spell or use grammar in the proper context, you will not get far in life.

I do want to add that being a custodian is not a negative thing, especially in this economy. Instead of turning up my nose at the idea of being a custodian, I took the job and ran with it.

In this economy, a job is a job, even if you are a college graduate like me (I have an associate degree and I'm am nearly finished with my bachelor degree).


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Reply to post by Wyn Hawks

I ignored the TPTB reference and slagging of the federal government to make my point.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

So no man is allowed to voice an opinion unless he can type it, spell it, insert the proper grammar?
I was never taught The Declaration of Proper English, so I am to be silenced?

Originally posted by The Old American
... People can't seem to even use commas properly anymore! You know, a comma is the difference between "It's time to eat, grampa!" and "It's time to eat grampa!"

So true, we do have a serious problem with accidental cannibalism. lol

If you think about it, it makes sense. If we are kept dumb, if we are allowed to just coast through school without actually learning anything and accept what we're handed by the government and don't question what TPTB tell us to learn, then we won't learn things for ourselves. We might actually realize that what we've been drinking is Jim Jones' special Kool-Aid and decide to take back our country that has been hijacked by power-hungry elitists that couldn't give a rat's behind about us. As far as they are concerned, we are a nation of 300 million rubes.

All jokes aside. When I was in school I saw exactly what you are talking about. Many teachers pay no attention and could care less about educating the students. It truly is ruining our generation. A thread I started about our generation hits on this topic....

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The thing that gets me the most is all the "professional" articles written on computers in big company offices MUST SHIRLEY have a spelling and grammer word processor .... DON'T THEY ?

I know I don't use one' y wood eye?

mak's yu wunder if its all intentenal.

all roads from rome lead to evertwhere else. i meen everywhere else

dumbness is popular right now, it appeals to a lot of people ... just look at how the U.S. politicians have been acting for the last few years!