Travesties of the Public School System

I graduated high school in 1999, which was not very long ago, and yet policies in the public school system have changed radically since I earned my diploma.  I have several relatives who are still in junior high and high school, and through the stories they tell and the news in the paper, I have concluded that life in public schools has taken a turn for the proverbial worst.

During my generation, which, again, was not too long ago, the youth of America had a voice. Even through the latter part of Junior High, we were passionate about social and political issues and we possessed a thirst for knowledge rivaled only in the subsequent college years. There were exceptions, of course, the stereotypical characters who cared more about image and money than about the world around them - kids like that will forever grace our planet  - but the majority of us cared enough to stay frequent with the news and to argue with one another over current issues and events. We joined the debate team, we ran for student council, and we attacked out assignments with fervor. That is not to say that we were perfect students - quite the opposite, actually - but we were given the opportunity to express ourselves, and we took advantage of that ability whenever we had the chance.

Lately, however, youth seem to be drifting farther and farther away from what I consider to be the epitome of effective high school experiences, and into an age when they are suspected of drug use, nymphomania, and alcoholism. Many are placed on mind-altering drugs to counter their supposed social disorders and are treated like toddlers by parents and school officials alike. It is not just a sad state of affairs. It is devastating.