By "educated, intelligent" I just meant people who've finished school and can hold a coherent conversation.

Surely the only difference with 60 years ago is that back then you'd have met with a much narrower range of opinions?

I'm English and don't know much about American schools -- the whole system is too alien to get to grips with -- but lots of people seem to share your opinion.
By "brain grinders" do you mean just teaching kids to pass exams, rather than to think? Cos that seems to be a problem everywhere.