Why are most Americans simian in intellect and need to "look up" simian as such?

Question

Most Americans have a reading level today on the level of a 12 year old during the 1960's and it remains that way till their adulthood. Major newspapers in the US are written on a 5 th or 6 th grade reading level. Does this have a connection with the lack of culture?

Answer 1

A lot of it has to do with 1) the poor quality of teachers at public schools over the past 50 years, 2) people that have figured out that they can get out of school without learning anything, 3) parents that don't care about the education their children get, and 4) adults (in general) that don't care about learning anything new after leaving school.

Example about #1: less than 2 weeks ago, I attended a relative's graduation from college wher she majored in "education." I gave her a graduation card that made a joke about Theodore Roosevelt's comment "Speak softly, but carry a big stick." I was dumbfounded when I had to explain the card to her - she had never heard of T. Roosevelt, let alone his comment.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention she graduated "Highest Honors," with a straight 4.0 GPA through her 8 years of high school and college. Again, see my comments 1) and 2) above.

I had trouble learning to read when I entered school, because the teachers were doing the "sight reading" method of teaching reading. My mother showed me the phonetic method, and within 3 months I was reading 2 grades higher than the others in my class. I learned about thirty years later that my mother didn't even have a high school education, but she could out-teach the teachers I had. And my parents always made sure books (of all sorts) and newspapers were always in the house....

Comment 3) above: parents that don't value education produces a nasty cycle of ignorant (I didn't say stupid) children that produce children in turn that are uneducated...

Comments 3) and 4): I am constatnly amazed when I hear somebody spout out some nonsense about what the person _THINKS_is in the Bible. I've given up handing the person a Bible and asking the ignorant fool to "show me Scripture and verse." Invariably they don't know, and about half of those that even attempt to look it up don't have literacy level to read what they proclaim to know.
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Americans ( in general) got the education they wanted. Then so many of them wonder why they best job in town is $6.50 an hour working for Wal-Mart, and part time and no benefits at that.

Answer 2

Where did you find your information? You say that "most Americans have a reading level today on the level of a 12 year old during the 1960's," do you have a citation for that statement? I would also like to agree with the previous post that there is no reason for the quotation marks or the use of "as such" in your question. But back to the main point, I have heard that newspapers in the United States are written at a 6th grade reading level, although I certainly can't verify that statement. However if it is true, I am in complete agreement with the newspapers' decision. I see no reason why people who are not able to read at high levels should not be able to keep up with what is happening in the world by reading a newspaper, not to mention all of the 6th graders (and 7th, 8th, 9th graders) who might be interested in current events and major issues that affect their lives. I personally do not want newspapers, or voter's pamphlets, or utility bills, or anything that is important to the day to day lives of the majority of people in the United States to be readable only by those who happen to know what the word simian means. I am also not sure what you mean by "the lack of culture." I don't know if you are implying that there is a lack of culture in the United States (and I am assuming that when you say Americans you mean people from the United States) or if you are accusing major newspapers of not having culture, but either way, I don't agree with that accusation. You may not like the culture predominant culture currently present in the US, but you cannot deny that it exists. If culture to you is simply using words like simian than I think there are more important things to be worried about. If you are concerned with the lack of importance that education has in current culture in the United States, I am in agreement that this is an issue. Perhaps it stems from what I see as cultural values that place success over education. In this way education becomes a means to an end (ie getting a good job, being accepted in certain circles) and not an end unto itself.

Answer 3

I would like to know where you have gotten your statistics on the educational level of today's students? Also, if it is of your opinion that major newspapers are written in such simplistic levels, have you read the "Wall Street Journal" lately?

As for having a simian intellect, I suggest you visit the Washington, DC National Zoo. You wll find an orangutan there who has learned at least 1000 words, has adopted his own alphabet, and uses a computer. Perhaps it has a connection with your lack of class and culture.

Answer 4

I agree that we have some serious problems with both the attitude towards education and with the educational system itself in this country. However, it doesn't help at all to call all Americans stupid. Americans are _not_ stupid; it's just that we've somehow gotten to a place where we no longer value education except as a means to make money.

Also, every human is simian- we are apes. You shouldn't put quotations around the words "look up" unless you are being sarcastic or refering to the words rather than the act of looking up. Finally, your use of "as such" is, at best, odd. It doesn't make you sound smarter; it makes you sound pompous. If you're going to call others stupid, make sure you have your grammar and word usages correct first.

Answer 5

How many simians are on Yahoo Answers right now? How do you account for their ability to type? Has it been proven that apes have a 12th grade reading level? Is there a correlation between climbing trees and reading newspapers written of a 5th or 6th grade level? Please provide the scientific data which lead to your conclusion?

Answer 6

Do a grammar check, fix your question, then get back to browbeating your fellow readers.

Maybe explain what the hell "lack of culture" is supposed to mean. Public schools are vastly underfunded today compared to the 1960s. Maybe it's not the stupid Americans, but the stupid policy makers that we've been electing since the 80s.

Answer 7

Since intellect is:'The ability to learn and reason; the capacity for knowledge and understanding." Your question doesn't make sense. I think you meant to use the term ignorant. Before assuming your superiority, perhaps you should read more and understand that words mean things. Which definition of culture are you referring to? I do agree that it is sad that most schools and newspapers cater to the least common denominator.

Answer 8

Underpaid teachers and disinterested students, plus a general lack of interest in what's going on outside their own neighborhood or gang. And yes, we are lacking in culture. Turn off the drugs, alcohol and TV for a few years and see if we improve.

Answer 9

They are seldom encouraged to read, and definitely are not forced to by today's easier school standards. Since the advent of TV, movies and now the computer, the ease of entertainment comes from being shown things, not by going out and discovering them yourself through reading and research. It is a shame, but will probably continue this way, unfortunately.

Answer 10

I think that would qualify you as American then.
I'm guessing you're like 12 years old. Shouldn't you be in school?

This question exposes your simian intellect!