What Really Ails America Essay example

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Pages: 4

In his article, “What Really Ails America,” author William J. Bennett presents his argument as to why America is now viewed as a country that no longer possesses a virtuous, morally sound society. According to Bennett, this change in society was brought about by an aversion to spiritual and religious things. This lack of spirituality and religion has skewed the perception of what is now considered to be ethical in this country. Bennett not only makes note of the issues, but also goes on to explain why this is happening in society, and what can be done to get back on track. Although he is accurate in noting that America is indeed a “society in decline” in terms of morals, the idea that full blame is to be placed on a lack of spiritual …show more content…
Finally, society is seeing a terrible decline in value. Commitment to marriage and family, the sanctity of human life, integrity, and honesty, have all been compromised and devalued in today's society. There used to be a time when the majority of people would have had nothing to do with things such as abortion and gay marriage. However, these are issues that are even less important in the grand scheme of things and less fundamental than a basic value such as honesty. So many young people in high school and college are dishonest in their schooling. This affects all of society because they gain degrees and then jobs based on a falsified education. Not only is this a matter of dishonesty, but a matter of pride. Children no longer want to put in the hard work and effort required to achieve excellence. There is a growing sense of entitlement in this day and age. They learn their values from reality television and role models who have absolutely zero class and no morals. This becomes a detriment to all of society and shows itself in other declining values.
The solution to this societal decline is quite simple as far as Bennett is concerned: “Return religion to its proper place.” A better solution to this problem may be to implement moral teachings in schools. If the American society truly wants to reverse the effects of this downward spiral, everyone has to make a conscious effort to change their ways. People need to make better choices, educate the youth of