Some random notes in support of the original post:
Political unawareness among the youth of the USA is a major pet peeve of mine. During the reign of King Ronald Reagan (another pet peeve but I won't digress) I wore a T-shirt specifically designed to generate political debeat. It showed Reagan as Robin Hood with the legend "Reagan Hood: Takes from the poor and gives to the military." Response? Nada! One thirty-ish woman had to ask if the shirt was knocking her president, someone she had done hours of volunteer work to help get elected. I told her is was, she replied "Well then I don't like it." I answered "Well if you have to ask then your opinion doesn't count!", a view I still hold but regret expressing.
At the ripe old age of 40-something, I found myself in the (supposedly) enviable position of dating someone not much more than half my age. I don't know how it came up in conversation but I once quizzed her on who had won the war in Viet Nam. Not wishing to appear ill-informed, she confidently responded "The British." I swear to God that this relationship was drifting comfortably towards physicality (My, how tactfully put!) but I broke it off. And don't get me started about how she would mangle the English language!
Related sidenote: With everyone wearing digital watches these days, only a very small minority of children understand the difference between "clockwise" and "counter- (anti-)clockwise," an important distinction in any world at any age.
The solution? Flogging, maybe? I don't know. I imagine I share the opinion with most AWADers that to lead by example is the best way but who knows what the future will bring. All I know is that the British didn't win the damn Viet Nam War!!
