Idiot Nation
Assignment #1 (Draft #1) – Essay, Analyzing a Text, “Idiot Nation” by Michael Moore
Brett Fisher, Humanities 202P, Dr. Ted Otteson, March 12, 2013 “Idiot Nation!” Could Michael Moore begin an article with a less positive mental projection…I think not! In this article Moore bemoans the state of education at all levels in the United States. He drones on and on about problems in our schools without ever proffering solutions to any of them. Yes, in this diatribe he does identify several unacceptable outcomes of our education system. It would be interesting to know what this man would assume to do if he could wave a magic wand. How would he correct the ills that have plagued our schools for decades as well as some new challenges students face. In this essay I will attempt to objectively analyze the words that Mr. Moore puts on the page. I make that statement because I believe he has a fantastic grasp of the English language and uses speech to shock and agitate. We will find out toward the end of this essay that he also prods current students to follow his path of verbal bomb throwing in order to affect change in schools today.
Moore gives statistics that show about 200 million of the 300 million of U.S. citizens are not avid readers or readers at all. His assertion is that those who don’t read are “idiots”. That particular controversial statement is only one of the first made in this article. I find it controversial because a person need not read to be an intelligent person. There are millions of illiterate geniuses in this country. There are also millions more who CAN read but choose NOT to. This does not make them “idiots”! He contradicts this same point when he brings attention to the millions upon millions of sports fan(atics) that are able to recite even the most obscure minutia concerning their favorite sport. He is almost offended by the ability of these sports fans. Moore says that our students are not “challenged by interesting subject
Brett Fisher, Humanities 202P, Dr. Ted Otteson, March 12, 2013 “Idiot Nation!” Could Michael Moore begin an article with a less positive mental projection…I think not! In this article Moore bemoans the state of education at all levels in the United States. He drones on and on about problems in our schools without ever proffering solutions to any of them. Yes, in this diatribe he does identify several unacceptable outcomes of our education system. It would be interesting to know what this man would assume to do if he could wave a magic wand. How would he correct the ills that have plagued our schools for decades as well as some new challenges students face. In this essay I will attempt to objectively analyze the words that Mr. Moore puts on the page. I make that statement because I believe he has a fantastic grasp of the English language and uses speech to shock and agitate. We will find out toward the end of this essay that he also prods current students to follow his path of verbal bomb throwing in order to affect change in schools today.
Moore gives statistics that show about 200 million of the 300 million of U.S. citizens are not avid readers or readers at all. His assertion is that those who don’t read are “idiots”. That particular controversial statement is only one of the first made in this article. I find it controversial because a person need not read to be an intelligent person. There are millions of illiterate geniuses in this country. There are also millions more who CAN read but choose NOT to. This does not make them “idiots”! He contradicts this same point when he brings attention to the millions upon millions of sports fan(atics) that are able to recite even the most obscure minutia concerning their favorite sport. He is almost offended by the ability of these sports fans. Moore says that our students are not “challenged by interesting subject