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Skizziks, I'm in complete agreement with you. For a long time now, I have thought that it should be an absolute requirement for American high school students to spend one year abroad, or doing some kind of Peace Corps thing (hell, even AmeriCorps would be good, if they had to spend it in a place in the US that was an utterly different culture and in need of service, etc). Problem is, yeah... how to pay for it? But in an ideal world, it would be incredible, and would utterly change the future policies/directions of our country (I think).
On a less expensive note, I think it is absolutely shameful that Americans are not required to learn a second language starting in elementary school. We should be fluent in at least Spanish, maybe French as well, LOOONG before we get to high school... NOT starting in 9th grade, when the brain has already frozen over for languages! If we can't afford to send every student abroad, then at least we can afford to require language instruction at an earlier age. For a nation of our standing, we are so woefully behind the rest of the world on this issue (well, and many others, but this one particularly)... it's reprehensible.
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And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran
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