How My Government Class Is Destroying America

It's weird to think that a government class is destroying America, since there is not a more American class than American government. The problem isn't what is being taught, but how it is being taught. And that is, it's turning me into a blind, submissive, mindless slave. People wonder why Americans routinely score less on tests than their European or Asian counterparts. It's not that we're not as smart, and it's not that we haven't had the same opportunities. No, it's that in our effort to make our schools better, we've made them worse.

It is in my government class that I see this degradation most prevalently. We're learning a huge amount of information really fast. And not all this information is exceedingly important to know. It doesn't really matter that it is an implied power for the states to regulate the sale of alcohol. The only reason I would need to know that is because it's going to be on a test someday. I don't need to know it in real life. As soon as the test is over, I will forget it. And that's how our education system works. We memorize facts, take a test, and forget them. And since we're memorizing so many minuscule details, we fail to see the big picture. In the hustle and bustle of learning so many things, we fail to understand the most basic ideas. We fail to see that the states have the power to regulate most things in within their state.

At the same time in government class, I am amazed the the staggering amount of copying there is. I copy the homework from the book. I copy my notes from the overhead. My teacher copied the notes from the book. I copy my study guide from the book. I copy my test answers from the study guide.

That's not learning. That's just transferring information.

I'm not enrolled in copying class; I'm enrolled in government. I already know how to copy things.

But, Scott, how is copying destroying America?

When you copy something, you accept it as true. You don't check it to make sure it's right. You don't think about it. You don't question it. You just accept it. If our society stops questioning things and just accepts them as necessary or true, then we lose what America is all about.

Our government was created by some of the most free-thinking, intelligent people in history. They questioned everything, risked everything, and are remembered as some of the greatest men in history. Today, we are taught not to think for ourselves. We are encouraged not to question. People who raise their hand and ask "why do we have to learn this" are automatically assumed to be disturbing class. I see these comments as a good thing. They are reality checks.

I find it ironic that in an effort to make ourselves better Americans, we are sowing the seeds of our own failure. If the youngest don't leave school with the ability to think for ourselves, we will not be better off. If the next generation is not critical of the old system, there will never be change. If the liberals are indifferent, no progress will be made. The advancement of our society stops, and we are surpassed.

So the next time you wonder why we have to learn this, ask. The next time you don't want to copy something, don't. Be yourself. Think for yourself. Do it your way. It'll be better.