In light of Martin Rochester's questioning of his earlier article, in this article the author clarifies his positions and reiterates his belief in the essential connection between public education and the viability of democracy. He does thank Martin Rochester for his interest in "Teaching Against Idiocy." However, in this article, he addresses…

Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance may be the core civic ritual in the United States and the most common--core because it extracts a personal promise of some sort and most common because it is widely required in schools and concludes the naturalization ceremony for new citizens. While many people have recited and memorized the pledge, few have…

Contemplating the root of the word "idiocy" leads the author to explore the challenge that democratic societies face of developing public-minded citizens. The schools, he argues, are the most likely institutions to succeed in that task. Schools in societies that are trying in various ways to be democracies, such as the United States,…