David Sirota: 10 American ABCs We May Soon Forget
from truthdig:
10 American ABCs We May Soon Forget
Posted on Jan 5, 2012
By David Sirota
By far, the laziest, most vapid articles annually published during this post-holiday season are lists of the past years top 10 words and aphorisms. Admittedly, the sloth of such an endeavor tempts me. But as a new dad obsessed with my 1-year-old sons future, I think Ive got a more worthy list to add to the pileone of current words and phrases that my kid may never know because they might end up as relics of a lost vernacular.
Here are those harrowing 10. I hope Im wrong but fear Im not.
10. Civil liberties
My son will surely read the U.S. Constitution in civics class, and hell see stuff about rights to jury trials, due process and protection from unreasonable searches. But these freedoms have been extinguished by presidents successively claiming powers of indefinite detention, warrantless surveillance and assassination of American citizens without charge. Assuming theres still an ACLU that sends me mail and assuming my son sees the mail, he might ask, What are civil liberties, Dad? My response: Good question.
9. Public school
With the for-profit education industry successfully pushing to privatize public education, I pray theres a decent public school left for my son to attendat least then theres a chance hell know what one is. ................(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/10_american_abcs_we_may_soon_forget_20120105/