The Modern Dark Ages

Recent newspaper and magazine stories, as well as those heard on radio and television, bemoan the fact that people don't read much anymore. Newspaper circulation is down, and the same is probably true of book sales. What I see, which lends credulity to these facts, is that, from personal observation it appears that more DVDs, CDs, and video movies are borrowed from libraries than books. About the only group I have seen on my regular forays to my local library borrowing books are the parents of very young  pre-school children - a happy sight, but unfortunately, apparently, an effort which does not have long stability when it comes to reading.

One of the problems may be public schools. Too much required reading is of books which are "too boring", books like "The Red Badge of Courage". Heck, I always enjoyed reading, but the forced reading of books such as that one didn't make me very happy, especially since a book report was required, and if you didn't write what the teacher wanted, woe unto you.

Today there are too many distractions, and apparently there's an assumption that reading really isn't that important. After all, we have all those ten-second sound bites, headline runners, and quick synopses, both on tv and online. Add to that opinions from television pundits and the pundit wannabe, well who has time to read, anyway?

So what has happened is that we're in the "dark ages" of learning and thinking. How can one make a reasonable decision about any topic if he or she doesn't read.  About the only thing that seems to matter these days is celebrity. If a celebrity candidate tells us something, the unlearned amongst us accept what is said as gospel. When a celebrity tells us what books to read, a hundred thousand people run out to buy the book - whether they even read it is beside the point - and if they do read it, are they able to make an independent opinion as to the worthiness of the book's contents?

Gaining knowledge, becoming informed, requires reading as well as listening. Reading not only what is today's writing, but what has been written in the past. I think most people would be amazed that the  arguments given several thousand years ago re: politics or warfare, for example, are pretty much the same as those made today. The old saying "nothing new under the sun" is true, but sadly, too many people believe that what they hear is new truth, and then wonder why, after giving their all to what they are made to believe, it's just the same old old all over again.

This country would be much better off if people had the ambition to learn, to do good work - not just to know enough to get along, and hope that those who lead hopefully make the correct decisions. We may appear to be smarter than our 12th century ancestors, but how do the unread really know?