There are a few interesting statistics that may or may not be relevant. I'll try to make a case that they are. First, we live in one of the safest times in hum

There are a few interesting statistics that may or may not be relevant. I'll try to make a case that they are. First, we live in one of the safest times in human history. The number of wars is at an all-time low. Second, over the last couple of decades, a couple of billion people have seen their standard of living rise due to trade and commerce. Third, the internet and social media is isolating people much more than they ever have been. Growing up in the upper-middle-class in the U.S., if your people don't like what some other people are saying? They're basically invisible. Finally, colleges have lost their way. What used to be about preparing folks for a career is now a club for making friends of the right type. They used to be responsible to parents and society. Now in many cases they are direct service organizations for kids seeking a "college experience" You put all of this together and you create a bunch of 18-year-olds that can be as closed-minded as many 80-year-olds. After all, they've never really had their beliefs challenged. And why should they start now? There's a re-factoring of higher education that has to happen regardless of this particular issue, and it can happen none-too-soon. But parents of teenage kids should feel responsible too. It's your job as a parent not only to teach values, but to let your child explore new ideas and learn to defend their opinions using logic and civility. If you're 10 and refuse to talk because your feelings are hurt, that's one thing. But if you're 18? You missed something really important somewhere in your upbringing. ADD: I am reminded that of one of the last big pushes for civic education and critical thinking was in the 1950s. This is when the famous "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in the U.S. (If you don't know why this is important, consider yourself lucky.) During the Korean War, when the communists captured soldiers, many times they didn't torture them. Instead, they "educated" them. It suddenly occurred to a lot of people that if you're 18 and can't articulate why your opinions are important -- and defend them -- then you're vulnerable to just about any new idea that comes along. That's the real travesty here. When I hear about kids not wanting to hear ugly or challenging ideas, my first thought is how totally vulnerable these folks are to just a little bit of indoctrination. To be that way and attending a major university? It's a travesty. If this is the quality of their experience, they shouldn't worry about repaying their loan. The colleges should be refunding the money back to the lenders.