Why It's So Important to be Hooked on Phonics

Now, I can understand there are some people that are "home" schooled because they reach stardom at an early age and are unable to attend a brick and mortar school on a regular basis, let's take Chris Brown for example. But based on the videos above, you'd have no choice but to question these people's literacy-especially that of C.B. "like wow". All of these people are multi-millionaires, and what's most frightening is that two of them were elected officials. Neither of the two elected officials are well read, bright, or articulate. Yet, one held the highest office in the land, while the other is a conservative's second coming of Christ. I'm left wondering why these people don't read more often...literally? And how the hell does this happen (we all know how Bush was elected to a 2nd term, so no need to rehash that)?

Is our society that busy that we cannot teach our children the importance of reading? Have we succumbed to the TV, XBOX 360, iPod touch, PS3, Wii, PSP and internet raising our children? And why isn't being well read as important or respected as it used to be (keeping in mind I wasn't a child too long ago)? What has changed? I was fortunate enough to have a mother who taught me how to read at an early age and as a result I developed an affinity for reading that has stayed with me through adulthood. I was fortunate enough to have parents who put me into private schools that forced me to read 3 books per summer vacation and write an essay on at least one. These weren't the babysitter club books either (although I did read almost the whole series at 7 & 8 years old); I'm talking about Clockwork Orange, The Odyssey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Black Like Me and all in middle school.

Why can't we bring it all back? Let's teach our children how important an education is instead of what's on MTV and BET. Instead of teaching them how to "pop & lock it" they should be participating in a productive extracurricular activity. Or else they are going to grow up to sound like C.B., George Bush, and Sarah Palin...and honestly, who wants that?

Peace & Progress