It's not that hard

I had an interesting class today.

It's been a long time since I've had an English teacher who didn't wet his pants just because I know how to put a sentence together. My current professor (ENG 102 - Composition) is very challenging, to me. He's one of the few instructors I've had who held me to my own level of excellence, not the level of the class as a whole. He won't grade me well just because many of my peers lack the skills necessary, or are just apathetic as a whole. So I've had a difficult time with my papers for his class, stressing over every little detail in the hopes of achieving A's. So far, I've suceeded. Today was interesting, for another reason.

Today he spent a good 30 minutes lecturing the class on the quality of our papers. Never, he rants, has he had a section do so poorly on the assignment. He cancelled three classes, offered hours of office time and in class time to assist and answer questions. No other assignments were given, to allow the students to do well on the assignment. Yet, he complained, the biggest issues were all issues that he has addressed with each student before. In short, almost everyone was plagiarizing and making the same mistakes repeatedly on every assignment they hand in.

I've seen this frustration before, but never to such a degree. It's a little sad and disheartening to see this man, who devoted his life and career to the study of language, and to teach others how to wield it effectively, and appropriately, be so... let down, I guess is the phrase.

After he gave his lecture/rant, we received our papers. I was thoroughly expecting a punch in the mouth over what I considered to be a poor paper indeed, and instead got full marks.  

But I wonder, why don't people care about language anymore?

Politics and major decisions will not be decided by those who cannot effectively communicate their thoughts. Revolutions will not be waged by those who cannot express their ideas, no matter how good they are. Raises will not be won by those who can't capably manage an argument or debate. Relationships will be difficult to manage for those who can't understand that LOL is an acronym, not a sentiment.

Where does the apathy begin? Who is to blame for the failings? I went through the same underfunded, overpopulated, public school system that most people have. I'm only 25, I'm not that removed from the 18 and 19 year-olds who are freshman nowadays. Yet for some reason, I give a shit. And they don't.... or worse, can't.

I do admit to an advantage, having two parents who were both in journalism fields. The stress on reading and writing was always present, and I was held to a higher standard by parents who know the difference between good writing, and poor writing. I learned to express myself through words, and I had the desire inside of me, as they do, to wear my heart on my notepad. But a student doesn't have to have a passion for words to write well, you only have to know the rules. Writing is a basic form of human communication. Automatic text puts grammar in your words automatically, is it too hard to pay attention to where those apostrophes go?

I don't feel special, and I don't understand why the apathy is so rampant, but it makes me worry for the future of humanity, and I empathize with those instructors who devoted their lives to a field of knowledge so rarely utilized by that majority of human minds, especially, when everyone can only benefit.