What is the World Coming to?

Now, I'm going to sound like my dad here, whom I love, I just never thought I would see this perspective.... I am worried about our future for America. Every great empire falls right? Well, I am wondering if our crash is not right around the corner! I don't mean to sound dramatic but I lost a lot of sleep last night thinking about all this. School has started off great, I think I mentioned that in an earlier post, but as time rolls on, I am worried about the attitudes and work ethic of my students.
They're writing editorials right now and I told them they could write about whatever suites their fancy, something they have deep passion for or really feel enraged about. Yesterday I went around to get their topics and probably half of my students were planning to write an editorial on shortening the school day, five months for summer, or banning homework. I know, I know, I'm not thirteen anymore and I'm sure at that age I would not be writing about how people should appreciate educators, or how privileged Americans are, or some other more noble and honest topic. I get that it's "uncool" to think school is a great and gracious privilege, paid for by they tax payers of America.
I wish my students could see a glimpse of what it's like for other thirteen year olds around the world. If they knew that school was not some inconvenience that "adults forced on children" in many other less developed countries. If they knew that kids in Africa couldn't afford to go to school because they had to make sure their family had water and their little siblings were looked after, or their parents couldn't scrounge up the money to buy them the supplies they needed, perhaps my students would view compulsory education as more of a gift.
For now though they groan when I assign them something to read as homework. Half will not even bother to do it so I'm not sure why they feel the need to put up a stink. Many tell me they want to play more games, have more rewards, take field trips. Perhaps these would be helpful solutions if I was trying to run a daycare, but I'm not, I'm attempting to prepare a reluctant group for the real world, to see themselves as empowered and to give a damn about something.
I looked online last night for articles, strategies, anything I could find to help me rid my room of the stink that is apathy. Not many solutions, just a few articles with teachers telling me what I already know, kids don't seem to care too much these days. One article did say that student apathy leads to teacher apathy and I refuse to let that happen. I will not rest until I can find a way to wake my students up from this dream I call entitlement and help them enter into the competitive and demanding world.
On a side note I did find some pretty hilarious posters about student apathy. They read:
"My gang will protect me."
"I won't need school when I'm a drug dealer."
"No worries, I'll just go on welfare."
Cynical I know, but funny to me at the time.
My current thought is that while my students draft their "anti-work, down with school" editorials I will draft an editorial of my own. Some topics I've been throwing around are: student entitlement, teachers have feelings too, and America, consistently outranked.

Love,
Disgruntled in Trailer B