--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are a nation of children letting…" description: "\"We are a nation of children letting horrible things happen, and flunking Calc.\" — Daniel Handler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/daniel-handler-1043_children_we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horr_2246239.jpg" --- # We are a nation of children letting horrible things… ![“We are a nation of children letting horrible things happen, and flunking Calc.” quote by Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/daniel-handler-1043_children_we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horr_2246239.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/daniel-handler-1043_children_we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horr_2246239.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/daniel-handler-1043_children_we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horr_2246239.jpg) > “We are a nation of children letting horrible things happen, and flunking Calc.” [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes societal neglect of serious problems while failing basic education. **In simple terms:** Society ignores big issues and basic learning. Key Takeaway Address systemic failures urgently. Themes education neglect responsibility Mood concerned urgent Type cautionary reflective When to use this quote - public policy - school curricula - community activism Key Concepts civic duty critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can we prioritize essential education? - What steps prevent neglect of critical problems? A Different Perspective Overlooking deep issues can perpetuate harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Letting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-letting-5112930/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Flunking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flunking-65454/) [Flunking Calc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flunking-calc-5112929/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [Horrible things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible-things/) [Letting Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-horrible-5112928/) [Nation Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-children-618298/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) ## Related quotes > [Our nation's children are our greatest asset and our most precious treasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dodd/our-nation-s-children-are-our-greatest-asset-and-our-most-precious/) [Christopher Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dodd/) > [Mr. Speaker, less than 10 percent of our Nation's children walk or ride their bicycles to school, and too many schools continue to invite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-capps/mr-speaker-less-than-10-percent-of-our-nation-s-children-walk-or-ride/) [Lois Capps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-capps/) > [“Our nation & our children must come to learn that nothing in life will ever be solved by violence. It will just help breed more!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/our-nation-our-children-must-come-to-learn-that-nothing-in-life-will/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [The stock market goes nuts over any company that so much as mentions the word Internet. All this proves to me is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-dvorak/the-stock-market-goes-nuts-over-any-company-that-so-much-as-mentions/) [John C. Dvorak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-dvorak/) > [See, Sway, that’s what you get for flunking your pilot’s test six times…which I’m pretty sure is a record of some sort. If not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/see-sway-that-s-what-you-get-for-flunking-your-pilot-s-test-six-times/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Are you okay?" she whispers, giggling. Me? Oh sure. You might have to carry me out of here, though." What happened?" I created a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-mcmann/are-you-okay-she-whispers-giggling-me-oh-sure-you-might-have-to-carry/) [Lisa McMann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-mcmann/) > [“I sound like an idiot. But what else am I supposed to say? My parents are getting a divorce? I'm practically flunking drawing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/i-sound-like-an-idiot-but-what-else-am-i-supposed-to-say-my-parents/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [How you treat the helpless is the real test of morality. Lots of people are flunking that test big time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/how-you-treat-the-helpless-is-the-real-test-of-morality-lots-of/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“I'm the one flunking out of this goddam place, and you're asking me to write you a goddam composition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-m-the-one-flunking-out-of-this-goddam-place-and-you-re-asking-me-to/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [The best students always are flunking. Every good teacher knows that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/the-best-students-always-are-flunking-every-good-teacher-knows-that/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [I think portraying human beings trying to hold on to their humanity against pretty much certain odds that they'll die horribly in some way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/i-think-portraying-human-beings-trying-to-hold-on-to-their-humanity/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [War is horrible no matter what. There's going to be atrocities, there's going to be horrible things that happen in war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hoffman/war-is-horrible-no-matter-what-there-s-going-to-be-atrocities-there-s/) [Mike Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hoffman/) > [“People do horrible things in the name of keeping things just the way they are.” “Where”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/people-do-horrible-things-in-the-name-of-keeping-things-just-the-way/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Daniel Handler > [We laughed the rest of the way, because the point of this story is, it is not the cookies. It is the love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/we-laughed-the-rest-of-the-way-because-the-point-of-this-story-is-it/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [I started making plans, thinking we would get that far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-started-making-plans-thinking-we-would-get-that-far/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [I can't imagine why you would want to take your child to see what the career of a writer is like, because it mostly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-can-t-imagine-why-you-would-want-to-take-your-child-to-see-what-the/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [“All the deaths are dead for nothing but you're not dead at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/all-the-deaths-are-dead-for-nothing-but-you-re-not-dead-at-all/) [daniel handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [“I love you so soundly and I will do anything to drag you forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-love-you-so-soundly-and-i-will-do-anything-to-drag-you-forward/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [I’d ruin any day, all my days, for those long nights with you, and I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-d-ruin-any-day-all-my-days-for-those-long-nights-with-you-and-i-did/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [Chestnuts in stuffing tastes like someone chewed up a tree branch and then French-kissed it into your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/chestnuts-in-stuffing-tastes-like-someone-chewed-up-a-tree-branch-and/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [Lemony Snicket. Now, I'm told - the books, of course, starting from the very first one, became hugely popular, selling millions and millions. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/lemony-snicket-now-i-m-told-the-books-of-course-starting-from-the/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [“The matches were a little 'he loves me, he loves me not,' but then I saw right on the box that I had twenty-four,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/the-matches-were-a-little-he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not-but-then-i-saw/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [I didn't like books where people played on a sports team and won a bunch of games, or went to summer camp and had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-didn-t-like-books-where-people-played-on-a-sports-team-and-won-a/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [I love no one but you, I have discovered, but you are far away and I am here alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-love-no-one-but-you-i-have-discovered-but-you-are-far-away-and-i-am/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [The Basic Eight and Watch Your Mouth both have first-person voices, and I ended up investigating those voices and investing so much in them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/the-basic-eight-and-watch-your-mouth-both-have-first-person-voices/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [The Long Goodbye' is one book I like to read over and over again, and it was an enormous inspiration for 'All The Wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/the-long-goodbye-is-one-book-i-like-to-read-over-and-over-again-and/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [The whole thing of what I’ve been trying,” you said, “is that you’re different, and you keep asking about the other girls, but what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/the-whole-thing-of-what-i-ve-been-trying-you-said-is-that-you-re/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [ I wrote a comedy, which hopefully \[Rick director\] Curtiss Clayton will bring to the screen, that I thought was the antithesis of all my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-wrote-a-comedy-which-hopefully-rick-director-curtiss-clayton-will/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) [Explore all 295 Daniel Handler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. 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Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are a nation of children letting horrible things happen, and flunking Calc.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Handler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horrible-things-happen-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horrible-things-happen-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/daniel-handler-1043_children_we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horr_2246239.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/daniel-handler-1043_children_we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horr_2246239.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/daniel-handler-1043_children_we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horr_2246239.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are a nation of children letting horrible things happen, and flunking Calc.” — Daniel Handler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Daniel Handler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are a nation of children...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horrible-things-happen-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/we-are-a-nation-of-children-letting-horrible-things-happen-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```