Culture Crisis

We need to talk. There are some things I need to say. We have a crisis in this country right now. I’m not talking about the economy or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I’m talking about a culture crisis. We have our priorities in this country completely out of order. In this country, we spend more time talking about Tiger Woods and Conan O’Brian than we do about the economy or the wars, it seems. And it’s not just those two- it’s all athletes, actors, musicians. Anyone that has money and looks, we’re obsessed with in this country. Next time you take a trip to your local grocery store or department store, pay attention to the magazines that surround you once you get to the checkout lane. If those magazines and headlines are any indicator of where we are and/or where we’re headed in this country then we’re screwed.

Like I said earlier, we idolize celebrities and athletes that look good and are rich. But have we stopped to think about what we’re saying to future generations about what’s important in life? While we’re idolizing and obsessing over the latest celeb to grace the cover of some gossip magazine, people in other countries are idolizing people like Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Steve Jobs (Apple). We’re obsessing over image and people that industries have created, while other countries are obsessing over people that have received an education and worked hard to create themselves.

I don’t think it’s any coincidence that as we’ve become more focused on the Kobe Bryants and the Paris Hiltons of the world we are slipping behind other countries in education. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment, the U.S. ranked 35th in math in 2006 and I’m sure we have not moved up any. We’re lagging behind the world in math and science. Companies that need scientists and mathematicians are moving overseas for qualified workers, yet we gripe when we lose the jobs. We used to educate scientists and mathematicians and get them to stay in the U.S. for jobs but they’re now staying in their home countries and getting an education that’s just as great, if not better. That’s why we have countries like Iran and North Korea getting nuclear technology.

I could go on and on about this but I won’t. But I will leave you with this. Next time news anchors are going on and on for 20 minutes about Tiger Woods or some news site feels it’s breaking-news worthy that a comedian gets a new show, think about what we’re saying is important in this country. Next time the leading story on the nightly news is about an athlete or celebrity going to or being released from jail, pick up a book, read to your kid or make sure they understand fractions. God knows the media doesn’t seem to care about the future of this country.