A world without cursive? Who will pen love letters?

I read in the newspaper recently where cursive handwriting will no longer be part of the elementary curriculum in some urban school districts. At first, that seemed outrageous.

But I’ve had some time to think about that unexpected change. Granted, it hit me between the ears like a cat-o’-nine-tails. Of course those cruel and unwieldy weapons haven’t been in common usage since the days of King Arthur and his ironclad warriors on horseback. But the repercussions were about the same. How can youngsters handle adulthood without knowing how to write, I said to myself.

When my parents were cherubs in small country classrooms with thin wooden walls and restrooms out back in stinky small shacks, their days at school were devoted mostly to reading, writing and arithmetic. There were no typewriters for student use. And when it came to learning penmanship, the paper, ink, pens, and pencils were used sparingly by all. Waste not, want not was a rule to abide by. …

Read the whole article here: Tom Dunlap: A world without cursive? Who will pen love letters? » Redding Record Searchlight