The Deliberate Dumbing Down Of America by Amy WustrinI passed an Algebra class for the first time
In college
At the expense of my simple math skills
Likewise, I learned the art of metaphore,
Euphemism, satire, and symbolism
At the expense of being able
To look a person in the eye
And say exactly what's on my mind
Or feel any convitcion to it
So I hide behinde private words
Posted in public places
Because the truth is screaming to get out
But my liberal education in
"Critical Thinking"
Has got me placing more value in
Syllogism:
(Sara hates being alone:Sara is alone in the city::Sara hates the city. Hint, hint)
Than the simplicity of plain, honest speech
Absent of semantics and sarcasm
(I really wish my friends would visit me at school. It's not like I'm far away.)
In the tradition of Pythagerous
All my letters (words) represent numbers
Worth twice their stated value
Because an essential component
Of the deliberate dumbing down of America
Is to convince us that we're
Just so much smarter than everyone else
That we're above the common vernacular
And that whoever doesn't "get"
Us and our precious irony
Doesn't really deserve to
Putting the duplicitous and deceitful
Above the straight-thinking and honest-minded.
There's no glory or honor anymore
In being smart enough to avoid trouble
But you'll earn the respect and admiration
Of an entire nation
If, once you've lied about owning an SUV, you can
Talk, talk, talk your way out of it.
We haven't simply been dumbed down.
We've had our souls stolen.
05/29/2004 Posted on 05/29/2004 Copyright © 2025 Amy Wustrin
Member Comments on this Poem |
Posted by Jersey D Gibson on 07/11/05 at 08:19 PM Evil, nasty and sarcastic. I like it! >:D!
yer pal
Jersey |
Posted by Bethany Lee on 07/11/05 at 08:29 PM i don't know, i feel there's too much technicality in this piece. but maybe I'm just dumb since I didn't dump money into a continuing scholastic education. |
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