Unprepared, part II

Some further thoughts on the lack of civic education: I'm one of many who (I believe) rightfully protest the refusal of some (not all) immigrants to this country to participate in the existing society, rather than demand it adjust to their habits and norms. But that expectation is undercut when you consider the failure of our nation to pass on our heritage to our own offspring:

I agree that the phenomenon of "political correctness" and the attacks on American history -- most notably, the attempt to portray slavery and racism, not the fight for liberty, as the essence of our history -- are real threats to the process of assimilation. And this paves the way for anti-American leftist groups, like ANSWER, to sponsor pro-immigration rallies at which some illegal immigrants have waved the flags of their home countries -- an odd way to make the case for becoming a citizen of this country.

But the argument about political correctness and multiculturalism is not really an argument against immigration. In fact, it only connects to immigration very incidentally. If the ability of our culture to induct people into the values of our civilization is in doubt, then what happens to 11 million illegal immigrants is a relatively small problem. What we really ought to be worried about is a group of 75 million people who desperately need to be assimilated into America's culture of individualism, taught the essential facts about America's history, and encouraged to appreciate the virtues of our political system.

I am talking about 75 million people who are, you might say, on an automatic track to citizenship, and all of whom will become newly eligible to vote in the next two decades.

I am speaking of the 75 million Americans under the age of 18.

As I once heard a wise man say: every civilization is always one generation from barbarism.

(HT: I recalled this link from an old Cox & Forkum post)