Conversations about education are often vacuous. The "body of knowledge" for each subject should come back to the fore as the key to a meaningful education and not merely statistics about graduation rates, passing rates on standardized tests, and the implementation of tablets, smart boards, and other software innovations. We also need to restore prayer in the schools, family values, and patriotism (where the inspirational aspects of the U.S.A. and Western civilization are placed front and center rather than themes of oppression and victimization). With Common Core State sic] Standards, we are at the very brink of the wholly manipulated society (notice, "manipulated" not educated). Our system of public education is becoming depersonalized and loveless to an extreme, and where knowledge and character building were once paramount, we now find emphasis on self-esteem, and neglect of essential intellectual and practical skills. Mass deception and hypocrisy about education has never been more rife.