Why is our democracy so apathetic? Might it be because we’re training our children, in their formative years, systematically, in schools, to expect that the Constitution is meaningless?
Last spring, I attended a lecture by Naomi Wolf, who said, “It’s a freaking democracy people! How hard can that be [to participate]?” And it got me thinking about how compulsory attendance to schools that consistently trample student’s rights isn’t really the right education for citizenship in a democracy.
In the past month:
Nine year old handcuffed for “talking back.”
Student tasered for talking on a call phone (which at least prepares them to be tasered for DNA samples; think of it as a course in citizenship.)
Student handcuffed and detained for political views on a T-shirt.
Even students who are trying to save teacher’s jobs get into trouble.
But we’re keeping the world safe from eyebrow shavers, honors students who don’t even have the ibuprofen they’re accused of having and black students.
But the dominate lesson of school is, of course, that it’s all about doing the time.
Is it really a surprise that they leave school uninvolved, apathetic, citizens consumers?
Thought it was a representative government, not a democracy.