Boys State Documentary
Apple TV is showing an independently produced documentary: Boys State.
Every summer, in 49 states (not Hawaii), about 50,000 boys in between their junior and senior years go to Boys State programs for a week. They learn about politics.
In 2018, 1100 of them in Texas attended. Two filmmakers made a documentary about this. Here is a preview.
Wikipedia says:
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 94% based on 130 reviews, with an average rating of 8.21/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Startling, upsetting, and overall absorbing, Boys State strikingly depicts American political divisions -- and machinations -- taking root in the next generation." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".At the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the film won the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize.
The most famous graduate of Boys State is Bill Clinton. He was one of two boys from Arkansas who went to Boys Nation in 1963. But he was not elected President. He did better politically in real life than he did in the make-believe world of the Boys State. If he had not gone to Boys State and Boys Nation, he might not have gone into politics. He said later that it was a turning point in his life. He got to shake hands with President Kennedy.
Other famous graduates are Dick Cheney, Justice Alito, Rush Limbaugh, and Mark Wahlberg.
I went in 1958. It changed my life. It gave me the confidence that turned me into a campus politician (1959-62), a skilled public speaker, and then an entrepreneur.
Two parties fight for symbolic power. In my day, it was the Whigs vs. the Tories. These days, it's the Nationalists vs. the Federalists.
In 1958 in California, the head of the Whig Party was Stacy Keach. He became an actor. The head of the Tories was Dwight Chapin. He became Nixon's scheduling coordinator. He went to jail for perjury in the Watergate scandal. But he rebounded.
Then there was Lenny Ross, the smartest youth in my generation. He started fast, but did not finish well. Read Maureen Dowd's obituary.
I was elected Superintendent of Public Instruction. I became a prominent opponent of all public education. But if it hadn't been for my time at Boys State, I doubt that anyone would ever have heard of me.
They taught us a song whose music quality matched the lyrics. I can still sing it.
Boys State, Boys State, we answer the Legion's call.
800 strong, we sing this song, loyal Americans all.
America and Califor - nigh - aye.....
That's it. The rest is lost in the mists of time. Fortunately.
Homeschool parents should investigate what it takes to make their teenagers eligible to compete for a slot at Boys State or Girls State. Information is here.