James Drogan

This article, from the Washington Post by way of del.icio.us,  is a sobering, and I believe true, commentary on the demise of curiosity and learning in America.

This aligned with my reading over the weekend of "Out of Print" by Eric Alterman in the March 31, 2008 edition of The New Yorker.   I was particular struck by the section bginning on p 53 discussing the view of Walter Lippmann and John Dewey, and this had to say about the responsibilities of a citizen in a democratic society.

One of the major issues we face as a society is reigniting the fires of interest and responsibility in the citizenry.  How can this be done?  It's not enough to  have such behavior chiefly reside in those who have achieved positions of authority and responsibility (although one might argue that this behavior may not reside there to the extent it ought).

There may well be a new day for America, but it will not come without a revival of the focus by the polity on the issues of importance.