You were there once. Maybe your son or daughter or grandchild is there now. 8th, 9th, 10th grade. They don't know it now, but they are being battled hardened for life. The peer pressure, the jealousy, the pettiness brought on by hormones, ignorance or a lack of confidence have been, over the years, as inevitable for a teenager as acne, and to parents, as welcome as a 5 figure estimate from the orthodontist. The advent of texting, instant cell phone photography, and YouTube have made a difficult time worse.

Kids will grab on to the latest FADS...anything that will get attention--positive or negative. Those scars will stay with them for years. I hated high school, although I value the education I got at an all boys Catholic prep, and I can remember the experience far more vividly than college, or any work phase of my life. One experience came early. In 9th grade we were given a book called word power. Fantastic book, if it's still in print. From A to Z we learned how to expand our vocabulary. Use as many words as you can and see if the other guy knew what the heck you were talking about.

We were abstemious because of our age, altruistic with our allowance and time. We would chide those making banal remarks, and had no patience with the canards thrust upon us by some educators.

If any of you are running to the dictionary, I have made my point. Yet, I don't see that being taught in the schools. The vocabulary, grammar, or lack of it and inability to spell that I hear or read is really appalling. Instead of teaching the basics, kids are being taught theory and literature appreciation...the kind of stuff one might choose or be taught in college.

Instead of basic English and education, we're all being fed a lot of political correct poppy cock. We are all too afraid of hurting somebody’s feelings. Listen carefully and you won't hear me calling a 4 foot man vertically challenged or a 415 pound gal calorically challenged. Transgender? How confused or indecisive. I won't be offended if you call me fat. Or make some crack about the Irish,  my heritage. Although, some might call me a Japanese American since I was born in the land of the rising sun. See how silly the PC thing is. Now if you want to offend me, use the wrong words in the wrong context, ignoring basic rules of grammar and spelling, now that’s offensive. I'm not PC, obviously, but if I did drink that societal Kool aid, the illiterate-Americans, or "people of ignorance" would probably be offended by calling them exactly what they are. We can't do much about our height, weight, ethnic origin, sexual preference, age, or gender. We CAN improve our use of the language...AA's already taken...so those initials wouldn't pass the PC--sniff test...but we literally would be new and improved, "articulate-Americans."