Anyway, sitting here catching up on some blogs I've been remiss in reading, and came across one from Wirecutter at Knuckledraggin' My Life Away (This guy has a great blog, and is a True American!) titled "And They Vote....."
And it scares the hell out of me! I worked as a mentor to this generation for seven years. And those who I first started out with are now in their low to mid twenties.
Every single one of them can use a smartphone, run rings around me on computer, and thanks to the Information Super Highway, knows everything.
Except most of what they "know" is wrong. But they read shit like this on the 'net, and its just GOTTA be gospel!
The most advanced technological age of all time, and we are raising fucking imbeciles.
I climbed trees and pretended I was Tarzan. I read books to "take a break from reality". I helped my dad fix his old clunkers he loved to tinker with. I had chores and worked the garden. I used my imagination. I figured stuff out.
And in school, if I got out of line, I got spanked. By my teacher. Who would then call my parents. And I got spanked again when I got home. And if it was something REALLY bad, I was sent to the principals office, and my folks were called to come pick me up. And I REALLY got spanked. Usually right there in the office...
And got grounded. And had extra chores. And was told what I did wrong, what I should have done, and learned never to do THAT again!
I was spanked for disrespect. I was spanked for taking what wasn't mine. I was spanked for not treating a woman properly. I was spanked for crying about it. "That's enough! I'll GIVE you something to CRY FOR!" Ahhhh..... I can still hear my saintly mother's piercing shriek after all these years....good times!
And somehow amidst all this, I became educated. I may not be the most compu-savvy genius out there, but I know more important shit. Things like punctuation, and there are things in existence called 'capitalized letters', and when to use them. Things like money isn't magical. That what we use in our daily lives is fiat currency, not 'money'. That our country is broken. Our government is corrupt and out of control.
I know that to be ignorant is what the government wants of us. I know as long as we have our toys to keep us entertained, and something or someone to do our thinking for us, so we can get on with important things like gay rights and keeping in good standing with the beiberites, they win.
I know that no computer, no matter how much memory or capacity it has, can work by itself. Nor can government. Both require knowledgeable input by involved persons. Why would I rely on either one to take care of or think for me? It's my responsibility to take care of them, making sure they work properly.
I know that what you know is only important if you know how to apply it. There is no 'application' of knowledge by this new generation. Their smart phone has an 'app' for that. And try to educate them, show them unequivocally that what they 'know' is not only impossible, but inherently stupid, and they look at you like you're crazy. Like the picture above, they can prove their point. It says so right there! Empirical evidence notwithstanding....
I know how to survive when this country blows itself to hell. I know my rights, and that the government never gave them to me. And no government can take them away.
And I know we will never walk on the sun. Not on the coldest night of the longest day in Winter....
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