"There must be a ton of stuff that we all wouldn't know about our own countries. It can be embarrassing but unless you're being tested what's the point unless you have an interest? "

and

"this is an outrage. Not a day goes by at my job where I don't have to apply my knowledge of early presidential trivia. How do these people get by?"

are perhaps the two scariest comments I have seen in quite a while. I can only hope the first comment is a joke, and the second is somehow not being sarcastic.

What is the purpose of American children knowing some American history? Many reasons.

Let us begin with the purely utilitarian, for most Americans (and Westerners for that matter) are no longer able to conceive of education having any value beyond the economic, i.e go to college so you can get a good job. Any serious study of history and the humanities necessitates reading great, challenging books. Reading challenging texts hones the mind in a way most people do not contemplate. Most individuals assume we are naturally able to think and speak clearly, but then those same individuals try to give an argument for why they think that and reveal how muddled and unintelligible their thinking really is. Language is the medium through which we communicate our thoughts, and it is only through repeated exposure to the rigourously precise language that is in good writing that we are able to improve our faculty with language. As one's ability to read and think improve, so does one's ability to write and speak intelligently. A person who sounds intelligent when they speak is far more likely to be hired and promoted than someone who sounds stupid and confused.

We live, for a better or worse, in a democracy where the only requirement for the franchise is 18 years of age and a pulse. An individual who's mind has been honed through a liberal education, as described in the previous paragraph, is able to actually think about politics (rather than parrot back the talking head who said something they subjectively agree with) and act accordingly; such an individual is also much less vulnerable to propaganda. More than that however, the educated person will understand the culture, values and character of the society he lives in. Such a person will scoff at the fundamentalists who try to argue that "this country was founded on God" because she will know that the Constitution is an entirely secular document, the ideals of the Declaration of Independence are based on enlightenment and classical liberal philosophy (not Biblical ideals), and that many of the more prominent Founding Fathers were Deists. By having such a firm understanding of the political character of the US, this person will be far more likely to take their civic responsibilities seriously; in short she will be a better citizen. This is critical, because in a democracy the only bulwark against a demagogue is good citizenry.

Finally, a liberal education improves peoples lives in ways that cannot be measured purely in utilitarian terms: a liberally educated people have a strong sense of community and have a yearning to be the best, and most noble people. What links modern Americans together is no longer something high or lofty, rather it is cesspool of human expression known as popular culture. We are no longer linked by national values (most Americans would be hard pressed to articulate them) or a common Western intellectual heritage (how many Americans could ever be bothered to read some Homer, Virgil, Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare or Kant?) but instead by the TV shows we watch, the (crappy) music we listen to, and the (pathetic) lives of the celebrities we follow with religious devotion. Our national community is, unfortunately, intellectually bankrupt. A well educated people will have a national community and character that is composed of not the least common denominator but the very best mankind has to offer.

The American public seems to want education to be merely about practical skills that can get one a good job. Money is certainly important but it is only a means to an end, wealth is not in and of itself an indicator of a nations greatness. A rich society therefore is a society that only has the potential to do great thing. Unfortunately, American minds are being closed off to any and all examples of greatness. I suspect in another millenia, historians will look back at the US and say "Americans, they knew how to make a buck but not much else". Greece has never been a rich nation, but it's intellectual life during the classical age has left an immortal legacy. I don't believe America will ever have such a legacy.

Wow, this turned out to be a lot longer than I expected.

i amreely bowred ande kant tipe plase halp ma. hncsub lre8bp[hgaweqwugn
??? and that, was my cat on the keybord. I mean, um thate wasa mi katt, o never mind...

hmm...If I could only find a video of Kant.