ARRESTED DECAY

WHY WOULD I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT "ARRESTED DECAY" OF AMERICA'S GHOST TOWNS WHEN IGNORANCE IS BLISS? BLISS ABANDONED ME FOR A DAY WHEN I LEARNED THAT STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT MONIES AND PRIVATE INVESTMENTS FACILITATE THE PRESERVATION OF ABANDONED "GO FOR BROKE" MINING PLACES THAT DOTTED THE WEST DURING THE LAST CENTURY. AT THESE MINIMALIST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, ORIGINALISM IS PARAMOUNT. CONSERVATIONISTS LOOK FOR TIN CANS TO REPLICATE MINERS' METAL SHINGLES, DIG UP SQUARE-HEADED NAILS FROM OLD PILES OF LUMBER, ABSTAIN FROM PAVING GRAVEL INLET ROADS TO SIMULATE THE RHYTHMS OF YESTERYEAR, SOAK PLANKS IN WATER TO ALLOW THEM TO REPLICATE AS NEARLY AS POSSIBLE THEIR VINTAGE ORIGINALS AND HIRE PRISON INMATES TO CUT "TRUE DIMENSION" BOARDS FOR REPAIR JOBS. WHEN THE HEAD OF A STATE PARKS FOUNDATION USES WORDS LIKE "INCREDIBLY FRAGILE," TO REFER TO A GHOST TOWN, I ASK MYSELF IF TIME AND EFFORT COULD BE BETTER SPENT FIXING AND THEN PRESERVING WHAT'S TRULY BROKEN DOWN IN THE CULTURE TODAY - OUR SCHOOLS. NOSTALGIA FOR GHOST TOWNS COULD BE PUT TO BETTER USE BY SPOILED PRESERVATIONISTS ON THE ABANDONED GOLD MINES OF RIGOROUS KNOWLEDGE. CHECK IT OUT. IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AMERICAN HISTORY HAS BEEN LOST; THE MORNING AFTER PILL HAS BEEN FOUND. STUDENTS' GRADES ARE UP EVEN THOUGH ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE DOWN. SPORTS ARE IN; HOMEWORK AND READING ARE OUT. TO AMERICANS WHOSE WARPED MENTALITY SAYS, "I DESERVE THE BEST," REALITY BESPEAKS OF THE WORST SYSTEM OF PUBLIC EDUCATION. OUR SCHOOLS ARE GHOST TOWNS OF LEARNING WHERE IGNORANCE IS BLISS.