A U.S. Citizen’s Required Reading
We are a society of individuals. In order to improve our world, we must improve ourselves first and what better way to improve our personalities than to explore? Unfortunately, there are those of us who refuse to take a step out of their comfort zones, to try new thing, experience new ideas and ways of thinking. On the same subject, there are those of us who just refuse to read. I will steal a quote from John Waters that perfectly outlines the importance of reading: “If you ever go home with somebody and they don’t have books in their house, don’t sleep with them.” Here, I will provide a solution that will improve society by elevating general knowledge and common sense, forcing humans to have a better comprehension and empathy for one another while at the same time casting ignorance back into the darkness from once it came. My solution is this: there should be a required reading list for every single American citizen. If you do not read those books, you will get fined monthly until you do.
The books must be supplied to everyone on the national register by the U.S. Department of Education, eliminating the exclusion of impoverished neighborhoods. After completing each book, an exam will be given just to test the individual’s essential understanding of the book. Questions will surround such elements as themes, a character’s purpose, the larger message, its relevance, etc. If this person fails the test, there will be no penalty. All they have to do is pick up the book again and see what they missed. You can take the test any number of times before getting it right and you must score above a 75% in order to have that title checked off of the list.
As for the books that will be required, I was considering having perhaps a long-standing, permanent library of covers such as Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, Lord of the Flies, Ulysses and Hamlet, as well as a revolving door of one contemporary title that will be updated every ten years that have immense relevant to the decade at hand. But now, I will focus on the books above. Each of them has proved to be important and will continue to be so for years to come. To Kill a Mockingbird, for example, teaches tolerance not just for the color of one’s skin, but misconceptions about them. 1984 taught me especially to think freely for myself, to not praise what the government says as gospel, to doubt power and to hold onto your individuality with your dear life. Ulysses and Hamlet are staples of human achievement and should be read just for the experience of being part of this race of living, breathing, bipedal flesh-things. Lastly, and certainly not least, Catcher in the Rye is a piece of art that allows us to peer into the psyche of one boy, down on his luck, bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. This book teaches empathy and individuality on the level that nothing else could. That is why Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is an extraordinary and imperative piece of literature.
This decade, being that of information, deep political rifts and the unfortunate resurgence of the anti-PC movement, I suggest having the 10’s decade’s book being Stamped Since The Beginning
by Ibram X. Kendi. The book explains the history of American racism and how to appropriately counter it. The book is extremely relevant now I think because of protest culture nowadays, as well as the man in the Oval Office’s sheer ignorance on the matter. Going into specifics on how these ten-year books are tested: they are the exact same as the permanent selection. If you fail on the test before the year runs out, you can just simply take it again next year.
As for how these books are to be selected for the impermanent and permanent list is as follows: The books that are required must be chosen by scholars who believe the subject matter at hand is of paramount importance to all Americans. The pieces must not be biased against one particular group such is the case of Mien Kompf and Art of the Deal, but rather prejudice towards ignorance as a whole. Additionally, religious texts are to be excluded from the list seeing as though ignorance nowadays is a side effect of religion. Also, some books are too ambiguous to be interpreted clearly, with some pointing at the Bible as an excuse to discriminate against gays and the Q’Ran as an excuse to discriminate against women. Only studies on religions and these people can be added to the short-term list, and only if extremely relevant. Another book for this decade could be Malala’s memoir for how it truthfully portrays the faith of Islam in a way many Americans have failed to view it.
Tying back to the beginning of this argument, individuals make up society, society must function and therefore individuals must function as responsible, knowledgeable, tolerating human beings. It’s as the saying by a wise man goes:
“If you want to make the world a better place, you better look at yourself and make a change.” – Michael Jackson