Dennis Prager argues Americans have forgotten what it means to be American after losing intentional cultural education post-World War II. He says the priority is preaching to those who already share these values, teaching younger generations the core narratives and values of their heritage before reaching anyone else.
My going to colleges, especially the elite where the left is so dominant, does serve among other purposes. It serves the purpose of giving them strength, of saying, you know, you're not alone. That's why it is very important to speak to people with whom you agree, in other words, the choir. I always objected to the notion of, oh, you're just preaching to the choir. The whole tragedy of American life and of religious life, that is Christian and Jewish, is that they didn't, people didn't preach to the choir. The choir forgot the melody. Americans forgot what it means to be American, Christians to be Christian, Jews to be Jewish. In fact, if I could only give one speech, it would be to the choir. Because if they forget the melody, it's pointless to speak to the others. They'll have nowhere to go. Anyway, that's my overriding thesis. Americans didn't teach their kids— this is starting post-World War II— they didn't teach their kids what it means to be American. Christians didn't teach their kids what it means to be Christian, and Jews didn't teach their kids what it means to be Jewish.
Life, Legacy, and a Dangerous Mission in the Soviet Union | Sunday Fireside Chat
