I'm afraid that the problems in the U.S. have come to see so overwhelming in so many spheres (esp. politics and education) that we're always looking for quick fixes that don't exist.

You're right that a concept like mindfulness is easier to sell policy-wise because it promises that something simple like breathing exercises can overcome deeply entrenched woes.

It's probably also easier to get grants from nonprofits for something like starting a pilot program for mindfulness than state or federal funds for wholesale improvements. It's a tragedy that in NJ people had to sue the state for a decent education (and, as bad as the situation was in my city, I suspect it was much worse in, say, Camden).