Stupid Americans

I don't know if this is common in other parts of the world or if it is purely an American phenomena. I currently attend college as a "returning student" or "continuing education student" or "adult student". They have all sorts of names to convince you that you aren't out of place with the babies. I have nothing against the average seventeen or eightteen year old but they just seem so young. A lot of them seem stupid too. I have met these students who despite getting a failing grade refuse to do better work or drop the class. One student in a history class I was taking was actually proud of achieving a 16% on a test. I have met many students who tell me they have NEVER read a book all the way through. When I ask how they got through high school they told me that they read summaries or watched the movie version of a book they were supposed to read for class. How can you go through 18 years of life and never read a book. I read about a book a week while I'm am actively in class. During our breaks I can sometimes read more than a book a day. I don't expect other people to share my appetite for reading, yet I do expect a college graduate to have at least read a book thicker than the walkthrough guide for their latest video game. It seems so sad and so astonishing that this is a relatively common experience. God forbid we should turn a T.V. off or shut the XBox down. There are so many wonderful adventures and stories locked away in books that are quickly becoming as dated as polyester suits and vinal LPs. I suppose it makes film making an easier job. Wait 25 years and then you can have a fresh story out of any book because nobody will be reading anymore.