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Date Posted: 23:40:43 10/22/02 Tue
Author: Perceptor II
Subject: Perspective on America
In reply to: FawnDoo 's message, "Are we dumbing down?" on 13:50:24 10/21/02 Mon

I really don't know enough about popular culture in Britain to comment about the "dumming down" of that culture, but I can certainly comment on thing here. At times I have to wonder about my countrymen and countrywomen. A few examples off the top of my head:

1) Back in the 1980s I remember watching a TV news magazine type program on the subject. They found that more people could identify several actors, actresses and musicians than could say who George Bush was (who at the time was Vice President).

2) Back in high school Ohio was just starting to experiment with requiring the passing of a standardized test (along with the regular coursework) in order to earn a high school diploma. I thought it was the easiest test I ever took and I found it to be rather basic, but I remember hearing quite a few classmates complain about how hard it was.

3) There was a famous incident in 1996 similar to FawnDoo's phone call. A man from New Mexico called to buy tickets to the Atlanta Olympic Games, and the operator informed him that he would need a passport. Mexico is a separate country, but New Mexico is one of the 50 states. One doesn't need a passport to travel from New Mexico to Atlanta any more than to travel from Glasgow to London or Perth to Sydney.

4) There also the story of the college freshman who enrolled in a class in Latin because she wanted to work in Latin America. Hoboy.

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