General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Yes DU trends to an older audience. [View all]The dumbing down has been successful in that the grasp of history is loose, at best, for too many.
I have younger friends an relatives with whom I discuss history and politics and I find that they don't realize how short a time it has been since many laws that make their lives so comfortable were fought over and won. They have clean air, water and better health care and people of color at least gaining some rights such that they have been able to assume better roles in life, well some. And that all became possible with laws enacted in the 1960s and 1970s.
I saw a lot of this history up close and personal like many of us did. I do try to lure them into conversations that bring out their curiosity. I guess I'm getting old as I have noticed that occasionally they will individually sit and ask questions about the past and are ready to listen to what I can tell them. They are often fascinated and it becomes more real for them. Maybe we should start a story tellers corps to become a regular thing. Vetted elders could share experiences with younger generations, like it used to be in may cultures including the indigenous peoples here. I think one of the reasons spoken word history lived on for millennia is that the personal aspect and perspective made it more memorable, sometimes language on a page loses too much nuance to "stick" as it were.
I see a lot of younger generations paying attention because they are noticing that things are disappearing all of a sudden like personal rights and stuff. Hopefully they will also see that participating in our participatory government is actually a very powerful thing. I think that's the real message we are trying to get across to them in the end.