I don't know whether to laugh or cry

[illinoisprogressive]

Saw this in the Carpetbagger Report.
It is a sad state for our Education system and the dumbing down of our society and the total lack of awareness, interest in learning and history and becoming a shallow, pop culture obsessed society.

* Nearly one in five U.S. college students believe Martin Luther King was advocating the abolition of slavery in his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.

[JI7]

1. you might want to highlight the "college students" part

1 in 5 overall is sad. but COLLEGE students ? that's even worse.

[MADem]

4. Gee, were they surveying "college students" like the drunken "college students" that appear in those

shameless 'Girls Gone Wild' commercials?

[madeline_con]

5. I second that.

What the hell are they doing in college? They should be in remedial high school classes.

[ClintonTyree]

11. The only kids that can afford college....

are the bubble-heads who's mommy and daddy can afford to pay the entire tuition bill without financial aid. A College education has become a luxury again and only the rich can afford such luxuries. Thanks to Bush the rich have become richer and the middle class, who used to dream of a better life for their kids, have been squeezed out of existence. These kids were born with a silver coke-spoon in their mouths and they don't have to be smart. They chose their parents well. :sarcasm: Their futures are already mapped out within their parents' network of friends and business acquaintances. Martin Luther who? :silly: Now, who wants to go to Aruba on spring break?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. OK, now I am for sure going to move to a cabin in the deep woods

and never come out. That is so discouraging -- no wonder this country is fucked up.

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[citygal]

3. Cry, definitely, cry.

If it was one in five high school students, I might be less shocked... but one in five college students??? We're talking about history of less than fifty years ago, and American history no less. This explains why more people vote for American Idol rather than American President.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

6. What a shame...

...get this, I know a sweet girl who is on the "A" honor roll in our high school, she spells the word 'when' with an 'e' at the end; and 'went', w-h-e-n-t.

It's not her fault, teachers never corrected her. Most teachers just circle mistakes, they never go to the trouble of teaching the correct way of spelling a word.

[originalpckelly]

7. Someone needs to come up with a book of American history...

how these kids remember it.

"So there was George Washinton, giving Martin Luther King the Gettysburg Address, so that honest Abe could deliver his pizza on time to the Civil War re-enactment people."

[frogcycle]

8. well, don't forget

that bush is a shining example of our supposedly top-tier "ivy league" colleges

[BrewerJohn]

9. In other news

we just passed the fifth anniversary of the signing of "No Child Left Behind".

[Mind_your_head]

10. My freshman @ college child reports that

many at the midwestern school (smallish, PRIVATE) have never seen/"touched a toe to the ocean" or been to a professional play or orchestral performance. They rate those things on their "to do before I die list".

Those of us who have had that opportunity should realize "just how D*MN lucky* we are for the experience (and be grateful).

Peace,
M_Y_H

[xchrom]

12. wow -- that's quite an indictment.

[hootinholler]

14. You can say that again n/t

:evilgrin:

[xchrom]

13. wow -- that's quite an indictment.

[lectrobyte]

15. COLLEGE STUDENTS? I thought "cry", but now I'm voting "cynical

we're-fucked laugh".