Letter: US future needs better social agenda

A favorite expression of the late, iconic, New York City Mayor Ed Koch was, “How’re we doin’?”

Answer: not well.

The U.S., largest economy in the world with a GDP of $16.2 trillion, is no longer the most desirable country to live in.

The U.N. Human Development Index ranks us eighth, using three dimensions of human progress: Longevity, financial stability and education.

Yet, our life expectancy is one of the highest (79.1 years), our workers are the most productive in the world (Gross National Income $52,947), and 95 percent of our population has at least some high school education.

So why is our rank dropping?

Let’s look at educational preparation. We invest only 5.2 percent of GDP in education, ranking us among the lowest nations. Despite ranking third in college attendance, U.S. high school students lag behind their peers throughout the world: reading, 22nd; math, 34th; science, 26th.

An op-ed headline by columnist David Brooks said we are “a nation that’s falling apart.” Since 1990, the number of people who have declared no religious preference has tripled while more than half of births by mothers under 30 are out of wedlock. He encouraged an agenda that addressed our nation’s social deficiencies.

We need to seriously reexamine our social agenda, starting with total educational reform, particularly in science and math. We need higher moral standards and individual integrity, while strengthening family values with re-emphasis on parental responsibility.

Our children: the nation’s future.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 7:10 PM with the headline "Letter: US future needs better social agenda."