On 'Hate Speech' And 'Safe Spaces'...

...And Such Like That There

An Essay On The State Of The Nation

I have the feeling that today's college students are not exposed to the Western canon of thinking.  Let alone to the specific likes of John Stuart Mill's work entitled 'On Liberty'.  In my day at university, there was a required course for all incoming Freshmen - excuse me.  What is it called these days.  Freshpersons??? - entitled 'Western Civilization,' which covered all this sort of thing.  But I understand that it is no longer a required course (at least at my alma mater, Stanford).  If it is even covered at all.

Dangerous stuff.  You can't defend something if you don't know about it.

Oh.

I see.

And then there is the apparently 'little' matter to so many people of so many people these days not knowing how to spell properly.  Reading the Comments threads to articles on the Internet is a pain and an alarm.  Just a few that I have come across lately:

'It's surly time to...'  [At least the person got the use of 'it's' correct.  I should be thankful???]  

'He was aloud to speak.'

'...on both sides of the isle.'  [This person was not talking about matters on an island.]

'I've had 7 back sergurys...'

'You can get find if you do that.'

'...when there cases are herd.'

'...we will loose that also.'

'These creachers are not only after you but your children an your intire family.'  [I hope you caught all of the mistakes in this one.]

'Isn't there an anecdote for Sarin Gas though?'  [There well may be; but that obviously wasn't what this person meant.]

I could go on.  But it's too painful to see, let alone dwell on, what has happened to the level of literacy, and attention to detail, in the nation today.*

But then, as I say:

Oh.

I see.

--

* People, people: It is not just a matter of being able to convey your meaning.  It is a matter of having had one's brain trained to see, and think, clearly.
   Or not.
   As the case well is.