United State of Emergency

Can someone please tell me how did our education system fall into the mess that it is in now? While doing research for a creative writing workshop I came across a set of staggering statistics that I knew would stick with me for a long time. 1) 48 million Americans are illiterate. 2) 50 million Americans are unable to read at a higher level that is expected of a fourth or fifth grader. 3) 52 million Americans are functional illiterate. Now considering that there are only approximately 300 million Americans in the United States, these figures should send shock waves through the core of our beings. We must be honest with ourselves and realize that we are raising a generation of kids that in ten years will not be able to read the simplest of articles in their local newspaper or the lunch specials in their local restaurants. This has me worried to the point of action and you so called poets/ spoken word artists are my focus. We have been giving the ability to manipulate words in such a way that those who have never had an interest in poetry/ spoken word are now watching HBO specials on spoken word, surfing YouTube for that one poet that speaks to the pain that they have hidden from the world for years. We have been given the ability to tell stories not only through now experiences, but through the experience of mind travel, pulling on the moments that were lived through our previous stints on earth, and while our children are failing the reading sections on standardized tests, we so called poets are at open mic's attempting to impress women with love poems, trying to sell a cd and get a date for the night. While we so called spoken word artist are at poetry slams trying to get tens across the board from judges who know nothing about spoken word our student athletes are being pushed through school because they have the skills to average ten rebounds and ten points a game. So I ask you so called poets, is getting a date for the night with a love poem more important than facilitating a creative writing workshop for middle school students? To you so called spoken word artist, is getting a perfect score in a slam more important than teaching future poets not only how to write poetry but to also read the works of other poets with understanding? I challenge all poets/ spoken word artists to use your God given talents not only to move a crowd but to change the lives of one person out of 48 million. Let’s help save a generation.