DanielSiders.com

The culture in which we currently live discourages learning. After being harassed by various branches of the US Military for recruiting purposes for over a year, I finally agreed to the summons. When I was interviewed, I also took a test known as the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). The particular practice test administered to me had been in used for almost fifty years. When I finished, I questioned the administrator on several aspects of the test. I encountered difficulty on several math problems. Namely, I realized that none of the multiple choice answers provided were correct. When I enquired, his answer was simple, "Oh, you're one of those." This simple statement speaks a great deal to the current state of the United States Armed Services and the type of individuals they seek to employ.

Five hundred years ago, the Catholic church, an institution based on strict adherence to dogma was one of the primary opponents of scientific progress. Today, religious zealots have been joined in their quest to send us all back to the 1300's. Schools no longer seek to teach, but to make students memorize information without applying the underlying concepts. This information is retained until the final examination and then discarded. The result is the creation of a generation of individuals who are incapable of independent thought, analysis, and discussion. The severe threat this poses to society as a whole can not be understated. We, along with the rest of the industrialized world, live in a democracy. This form of government relies entirely on the education and independent thought of the entire adult population. If individuals are taught simply to memorize and recite, it is not surprising that the dogma of political parties has replaced that of the church in recent years--they too provide a set of commandments and sins, and excommunication can be dangerous.

How can we expect people to make educated choices about medical care they receive if there is no expectation of basic scientific literacy--or literacy at all for that matter. Fast food restaurants now employ the use of pictograms instead of language to denote the items being ordered. We are regressing as a society and a race to the point of our most primitive development. Action must be taken.

The situation calls for a full-scale redesign of education on all levels, federal funding, and the use of technology. A new mandate should be established, outlining the goals for human progress. Aimless wandering supported solely by private investors is dangerous to us all. Our brightest minds must not be whored out to the highest bidders. A system to protect them, their minds, and us all from ideas which could fall into the wrong hands must be established. The Senate long ago declared that many former Soviet nuclear scientists had gone missing in the collapse of the Soviet Union, along with large amounts of sensitive material. Every bright mind should be concerned with their discipline, not with grants and funding requests. Most certainly, they should not have to deal with concerns over present political tides. The currents of ideas and development must be shielded from governmental whims. Without direct and broad action immediately, the future of our very civilization is at risk.