Editorial: No Time for Apathy

There was a lot of blame being passed around at Tuesday's regional meeting for Secretary of State Trey Grayson's Civic Literacy Initiative of Kentucky.

Many blamed schools for the current disconnection between young people and government. Still others pointed the finger at parents who don't bother to become involved with the governing process and thus don't set an example for children to follow.

The truth probably lies somewhere between with once mandated civic classes having fallen victim to the current trend of making more subjects inclusive with others and some parents who take little interest in casting votes.

More important than placing blame is coming up with some method for reversing the complacency about how our nation works and how vital our voice is in that process. And that is the entire point behind Grayson's cause.

While more young people registered to vote in last November's election than ever before, the numbers are still unacceptably low. And, according to Grayson, test scores show that young Americans know less about the democratic and political process than previous generations. While senior citizens take voting as a civic duty, many younger Americans think of it as an inconvenience.

In order to change that attitude, both parents and schools must become more involved in educating today's youth about our nation and our government.

We must come to realize that patriotism goes beyond waving flags and singing the National Anthem. It also means becoming involved, going to the polls, attending council meetings, writing letters to our Congressional delegation and serving on a committee or running for election. It means explaining to our children why we must do those things in order to preserve our system of government.

When we have accomplished all these things, then and only then can we consider ourselves true patriots and teachers.

For our nation to remain "of the people, by the people and for the people" we must make civic literacy not just a goal but a responsibility that we are all willing to share.