Are you ever SHOCKED by how butt-ignorant *SOME* young people are?

[ropi]

92. not really...

I can say that I am not surprised that the two young people did not know what you mean by referencing a sermon or LBJ, but both of them asked you a direct question: (Sermon) "What is that?", and (LBJ) "Who's that?". This gave you an opportunity to tell them and to steer the conversation into a learning moment. It would only have taken a few sentences to explain it to them. You'll find that most will look it up later if you sparked their interest. If I look back at when I was 19, I can honestly say that there were many topics that I did not know regarding history, word definitions (yes, even some easy words), and other subjects. I later learned many wonderful answers when I went to college, and by working and getting to know many other amazing people outside of college who taught me a lot about life in general. I would not be so hard on the schools or teachers. While these young people may not appear to be savvy because they appeared to be educationally and intellectually impoverished, you might be surprised that there are a number of young people who do know what you meant and if they do not, they'll go look it up later or use the ever favorite WIKI to help them out.

I was shocked one day to learn that a good friend of mine who recently returned from a tour of the UK came home with some lovely photos, souvenirs, and other items. During her time over there she discovered the history (wives) of Henry the Eighth and the History of the Church of England, The Interregnum, the history of Charles the First and Second, and as she told me I remember thinking: "How did you -not- know this?" She was white, graduated from high school, had 2 years of college, runs a successful business, and she is close to my age (late 30s). Rather than feeling like I wanted to beat my head into a wall, I counted myself fortunate that I was able to know what she was speaking of, and I shared in her enjoyment of her ability to share with me what she learned.

I find it more disconcerting when my older relatives, who by all intents and purposes, benefited from high school, college, some with post-graduate work, seem to have forgotten history and vote against their own well being and needs because they have been conditioned to be afraid and choose to be willfully ignorant.