(The Root) — Viewers of the George Zimmerman trial were shocked to hear that Rachel Jeantel, the prosecution's star witness, cannot read or write in cursive. But surprise! Most schools don't even teach kids to write in cursive anymore.
Back in April, the New York Times published an op-ed entitled "Handwriting Matters; Cursive Doesn't" that debunks the need to continue teaching schoolchildren to write in cursive, explaining that you don't have to learn to write in cursive in order to be taught to read it and that only 37 percent of surveyed handwriting teachers wrote in cursive. Most wrote in a hybrid form of cursive and print.
So, no, Rachel Jeantel was not taught to read or write in cursive. That's perfectly normal in this day and age. I mean, nobody writes in Old English lettering anymore, and Western civilization has managed to stay intact. I'm thinking there's a slight chance we'll survive this, too.
Here are a few more people who don't have time for cursive writing.
Anyone just scribble something down when a signature is required? I don't even bother with trying to make it actually cursive anymore.
— Anti_Intellect (@Anti_Intellect) June 27, 2013
Tracy Clayton is a writer, humorist and blogger from Louisville, Ky.