So, I went and downloaded the forms today.
I’ve always found it interesting that the civics exams can cover questions that even the average American might not know the answer to. Such as, how many representatives do you have? Or, how does your state number in being added to the United States?
I think that cultures where they actually required their members to undergo a rite of passage and prove their mettle to the collective before they would be accepted as full-fledged members of society made slightly more sense.
As for right now, I’d say our youth has no idea if they’ve reached adulthood or not. They get sent conflicting messages constantly. They can volunteer for armed service before they can drink. They’re also charged with voting while they’re still considered underage. Even better, the many laws regarding sex is simply funny at times.
I often wonder how our society would be different if we actually made it a point to educate and train the younger generation. Not to romanticize the good old days of yore — but it’s interesting to think about the things that they actually did do right in certain aspects.
