Beating a Dead Horse:

Harry Mount, writing in today's Op-Ed pages of The New York Times, not only wants us to learn a foreign language in the good ol' U. S. of A., but a dead one at that—Latin. Mount argues that the study of the language of empire will improve both our minds and our ability to communicate. Imagine that? Haven't we been getting along just fine without resorting to either?

Speaking as someone who has studied a little Latin and less Greek, along with a smidgen of Spanish and GI German, I can testify to the fact that studying any language, including the one I naturally speak by the grace of the Creator, won't do a thing to improve one's mind or the ability to clarify the workings thereof. Just ask my kids. They'll be happy to inform you.

But then you already knew that, didn't you.