In modern America, it is a sad reality that it can be argued that the sizable majority of the American public possesses a greater amount of knowledge on the culture of contemporary “celebrities” than they do of their own government and civics. Indeed, in modern times, great emphasis and attention is placed on and given to music artists, reality tv stars, models, internet “influencers”, and professional sports athletes. Sadly, while many young people are well aware of who Kim Kardashian may be or routinely follows the social media account of a popular rap artist, a declining number possess rudimentary civics knowledge. Alarmingly, according to an annual survey called the Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey, only 66% of Americans can name the three branches of government (Judicial, executive, legislative).
In the period following the American revolution, the founding fathers formed the modern federal government during the constitutional convention of 1787. Laying the framework for our current system of governance, these men placed the burden of the maintenance of liberty and the integrity of government on the people of the nation themselves. Now, in the 21st century as the nation nears its 250th birthday, there has been an increasingly worrisome trend in which there has been a fusing of entertainment and politics.
Additionally, the influence of religion and faith has also been on the decline. The effects of this decline have permeated all aspects of American community and culture, and actions and activities that would have been deemed scandalous years ago are now widely acceptable. In a recent story, a pop star named Sabrina Carpenter used the interior of a catholic church in Brooklyn (including an altar), as a scene for a music video. Carpenter dressed in proactive clothing and placed colored coffins in the church, with one reading “rest in peace (expletive)”. Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello (who allowed the use of his church for this purpose) was demoted following the controversial incident.
