The Iron Curtain in Symbolic Form

We can see the old concept of the Iron Curtain in our contemporary ideology and apply it to what's happening right here at home.

The term once referenced efforts by the Soviet Union to block itself and its dependent and central European allies from open contact with the West and noncommunist areas.

We in this country have constructed a symbolic one, but a curtain nonetheless.

Behind it are thongs of American citizens who have chosen to ignore, or greet with indifference, the vast realm of issues that will affect the country and themselves for years to come.

We have no solid research to support this, but it seems an all-too-large percentage of our population wouldn't be able to find North Korea on a map. Others lack the information to form meaningful opinions about social, economic or global issues of the day.

Make no mistake, the contemporary Iron Curtain isn't a regional problem — it exists across the nation.

In general, we are an entertainment-obsessed society. This is purely conjecture, but we believe most Americans would be able to spout off more popular movie titles than state capitals.

Not that either are important, they just serve to provide examples of our priorities.

The advent of technology has taken us in that direction. We are now able to access more varieties of entertainment, which exist in our pockets and pocketbooks. We only need to light up our smart-phones and touch a few keys.

We cannot lay the blame for this at the feet of our educators. The opportunity to learn has always existed. The motivation to do so, however, is individual decision.

We realize we are preaching to the choir. Those who make it a practice to peruse daily newspapers or their online content are the most informed part of the population.

But as we go about tossing stones, we realize the media must take center stage in the realm of blame. For the most part it should go to the electronic media, i.e., radio and television, which serves to facilitate popular culture with its programming and advertising.

Our wants rather than our needs seem to dictate our priorities, whether they be a quest to purchase the new Jordan shoes, become the owner of the newest technology or purchase a shirt that bears a particular logo.

We may have become a more educated nation, but we are less learned and a lot more inclined to isolate ourselves from what's important.

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