A lament for declining language skills

Re Writing skills on decline, Letter July 27

I have heard that some universities require even high school graduates entering English courses (not just candidates for science and engineering) to take a test in basic English skills.

Many join the terminal lament for the loss of the richness and beauty of the language in the shortcuts of texting’s ubiquitous “u” and “r,” etc. Why do we always homogenize to the lowest common denominator? Richard Grace, Toronto