Nation dumbed down

Thank you so much for Brenda Looper’s word nerd column Wednesday. It is a pity that perhaps the only people that will read it are people that are word nerds themselves, and you can count me as one.

I am very aware of the correct meanings of the words discussed, but too many people would rather just listen to soundbites on dubious TV news sites and blindly accept anything they hear as truth without seeking the real truth or doing some logical thought processes about what they have heard.

I have seen this phenomenon referred to as “the dumbing down of America” in many articles that were printed by this newspaper, and in many of your editorial columns, written by local and other editorial writers throughout the country.

I think that when any group of people, in any locality—be it a small community, a state, a province, or a country—give up their freedom to think, and allow an agency, government or a ruler—be that a king, dictator, etc.—to do their thinking for them, they have lost all their freedoms.

How sad, and what a horrible fate for this country if this “trend” continues its slow, insidious creeping tsunami wavelike effect from the east to the west. How ironic it would be for a country that was founded on the basic principles of liberty—the freedom to think for oneself, the right to speak freely without fear of government reprisal, the freedom to worship whatever God we wish in whatever manner we wish, to hold free elections and to participate actively in all of the creations of whatever kind of government we choose for ourselves—to be brought down like this.

LYNDA HORN

Russellville