DEAR EDITOR:

On Dec. 2, 2025, The Vindicator printed an editorial by Victor David Hanson, titled, “Can the ‘Lost Generation’ ever be found?” It is about Americans born between 1997 and 2012, now between 13 and 28 years old. I believe Professor Hanson is too conservative in his observation; we have several lost generations. Lost due to misdirected educations, not focusing on the “three Rs,” as previous eras were taught.

Charlotte Iserbyt made the observation in her book, published in 1999, “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America — A Chronological Paper Trail.” Making our children ignorant is part of the goal toward a socialist country and world; stupid people are easier to control. Just read the foreword and preface, download at https://deliberatedumbingdown.com/ddd/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/DDDoA.pdf

The final nail in the educational coffin was the creation of the federal Department of Education in 1979. Thank you, Jimmy Carter. It started with a budget of $14 billion, but grew to 4,000 employees and cost taxpayers $268 billion! To dumb down our kids!!! I thank God I’m a baby boomer, because many people born after 1980 are borderline literate. No offense, but you CAN improve yourselves. Just read books. Or take free online courses like those offered by Hillsdale College. It’s up to you; the one in the mirror. Nobody is holding you back.

And one more thing. Getting to “Prestige 10” level in “Call of Duty” won’t get you hired anywhere, except maybe a video game store. And it certainly won’t help you survive in a real war with real bullets. Turn it off, throw it away and get your head screwed on. A tour in the real military would certainly help with that. If any branch would take you.

DONALD K. ALLEN

Youngstown