Much of the indoctrination in schools is subtle or even hidden. Previous generations were taught that it was a great blessing to be an American, that we should "love" our country, and honor those who served it, especially in the Armed Forces. A significant percentage of high school boys aspired to join one of the services, if not to make it a career. We pledged allegiance every day and did not (generally) think it was stupid or lame. Study of American history highlighted the lives and achievements of our great predecessors like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Lincoln, as well as high-achievement Blacks like Frederick Douglas and G.W. Carver. In public schools they (I went to parochial schools) recited the Lord's Prayer every day, not promoting any one religion but fundamentally acknowledging the fact that there was a Higher Power, and that there was an established moral code - usually illustrated by the Ten Commandments - that rightly governed the lives of Good Citizens, which we were all taught to be. Intact families were the Norm, and the unstated aspiration was that we would all grow up to be good parents and stewards of honorable families.
How do you quantify the lack of those factors in public education, or even indoctrination in the opposite direction?
Kids today are taught that there is nothing special about the United States...even that other countries are better. The country's flaws are discussed more than its fantastic accomplishments. No discussion of our great forbears passes without mentioning their critical faults, mainly that many of them owned slaves, so they were intrinsically evil. The Armed Forces are either ignored or ridiculed and there are essentially NO public school teachers who are military veterans. The Pledge of Allegiance is either ignored, or repeated with disdain and disrespect. The religious aspect of the few remaining faith-based holidays (Christmas, T'giving, and Easter) is either not mentioned or ridiculed. Kids are taught implicitly that the greatest determinant of "morality" is their own feelings, and what previous generations deemed sinful is A-OK as long as you don't get caught.
They are taught, not so much to respect the rights of others, but that aberrant life styles are "normal" and should be celebrated. When a kid - especially girls - "comes out" as a sexual irregular they are treated as celebrities. They are taught that any intra-student conflicts are "bullying," and that normal boy behavior is "wrong" and should be corrected with pharmaceuticals.
The teachers and Administration are uniformly liberal Democrats ("Progressives") and their formal and informal communications continually reflect this bias while trying to hide it or pretend that they are being objective.
Teachers will whine that none of this is true, but it is a matter of perspective. If you are sitting in a bar filled with Packer fans, don't expect an objective view of the officials' calls.
In my own family (I am 75) all of the millennials are irreligious, divorced, self-absorbed and self-satisfied, and still sponging off their parents as they approach middle age. Of course, they assure us that things are tougher now than when we were growing up and coming of age. Right.
washingtonstand.com
