a rant on fluff

There's a historic inauguration and a potential snow day on the horizon. Somehow the latter is more pressing. Tonight I read The Declaration of Independence, Lincoln's First and Second Inaugural Speeches and Gettysberg Address to prepare for my classes tomorrow. Reading Jefferson's writing is a definite pleasure. He wielded the English language with well-deserved aplomb. His sentences are so hearty and robust; they soar and settle into your soul. It's no wonder I had a crush on him throughout my junior year of high school. Jefferson's writing (and thinking) were a major factor in becoming a Classics major; I realized so many of my intellectual idols were classically educated. Only recently has Greek and Latin been taken out of curriculums, obviously to our detriment. People no longer understand the grammar and logic of language-- or rhetoric and history. People have shabby vocabularies to assemble their tawdry, unsubstantiated ideas. (I've recently realized how thoroughly I detest the hubris of writers who don't and haven't read--NPR and magazines are no substitute. I can think of no greater arrogance and ignorance. It makes me blanch. We've replaced knowledge and intellectual development and training with feelings and reflection. Your opinion (and mine) are worth nil until we've studied and trained to think and engage with the germain material well. We have to be trained to analyze and evaluate the material before we can declare it relevant. Thinking is a learned exercise. An opinion's worth is largely based on the caliber of mind and education behind it (and, too often, if we agree with it).) Please don't confuse my idea of education with schooling; regrettably, they've become for a large part separate. People confuse passion and emotion for having mastered a subject. Feeling deeply about something shouldn't be mistaken for understanding something. Ultimately, to read and write well is to think well. (Don't get me wrong: thought, perception, emotion are deeply interrealated.) Perhaps, I'm raging against the cultural mood of post postmodernity where feeling and perspective rule over reality and thinking. This is to say, I hope it snows and I'm looking forward to reading through these well-crafted, thought-provoking documents with my kids.