Civics and news media literacy seem to have dropped from a basic education. In my day, we were required to learn enough about local, state, national and world history to understand current events and to continue learning through life.
For example, I learned about the history of Watertown, NY, my hometown — the birthplace of the late CIA director Allen W, Dulles, Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove, retired USAF Lt. Gen. Jack Woodward and others — from its establishment in 1800 to the development of its industries. I watched its decline before I left home for work in Albany in 1973 and saw it when I returned for visits. Urban renewal was delayed for years after clearing an 8.7-acre parcel in 1967.
The prefab concrete shopping center ultimately built on the parcel soon failed — a shopping center on I-81 drained downtown and killed it. An infusion of a billion dollars and development for the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum and in the city expanded the streets in the city but didn't improve it much. A comparison to Washington, D.C., would be unfair, but I hope Watertown recovers and thrives with foresighted planning and innovative governance. Other cities, larger and smaller, have found ways to do that.
I learned some state history in seventh grade and more when I toured the New York State Capitol, worked in the massive building as a political science intern, took a UAlbany history course on the Capitol and immersed myself in antebellum history as I researched the intersection of newspapers and politics in Albany for a master's thesis.
In eighth-grade American history class, we were required to read the New York Times (student subscriptions) and clip a story a day, summarize it and relate it to American history and paste it on a page in a looseleaf notebook. I started typing mine, and the teacher, who had been a sergeant in the women's Marine Corps, said that once I started typing it, I would have to continue typing it. I still have that notebook, 42 years later.
For a bachelor's degree in political science, I minored in American history, but I should have studied world history and ancient history more. I still can do that, even auditing courses at the fine universities and colleges in the Washington area. Nowadays, universities and colleges allow seniors and other adults to audit these courses because they don't need the credits or the degrees.
Our education in public or private schools was intended to spur us into lifelong learning. Too many of our politicians, candidates, governing officials — even callers to C-SPAN and the political call-in shows — show a lack of understanding of critical thinking and history.
As actor William Bendix would say on the television show, "The Life of Riley" — "What a revolting development this is!" Will Rogers lassoed plenty of material for his radio and television commentary from newspapers, radio and television.
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