Failing Liberty 101

This book exposes a very real threat to Americas futurea threat far more serious than any foreign enemy could ever pose. The most serious danger that the United States now faces, says William Damon, is that our countrys future may end up in the hands of a citizenry incapable of sustaining the liberty that has been Americas most precious legacy. In Failing Liberty 101, he argues that we are failing to prepare todays young people to be responsible American citizensto the detriment of their life prospects and those of liberty in the United States of the future. He identifies the problemsthe declines in civic purpose and patriotism, crises of faith, cynicism, self-absorption, ignorance, indifference to the common goodand shows that our disregard of civic and moral virtue as an educational priority is having a tangible effect on the attitudes, understanding, and behavior of large portions of the youth population in our country today.The author places the blame squarely on todays grown-up generation of parents, educators, opinion leaders, and public officials for failing to prepare young Americans properly for futures as citizens in a free society. He explains why, unless we begin to pay attention and meet our challenge as stewards of a priceless heritage, our nation and the future prospects of all individuals dwelling here in years to come will suffer, moving away from liberty and towards despotismand this movement will be both inevitable and astonishingly quick.