The End of Joined-Up Writing?

Well, strike me pink!

I've long thought that those harbingers of doom telling us that the end of that grown up penmanship that Americans call 'cursive' and the rest of us call 'running writing' was nigh were a bit alarmist.

Sure, keyboards have taken over, but people will always be taught how to write right, right?

Well, evidently I'm wrong. This New York Times Article points out that although running writing is still taught at US schools, it is for a much shorter period of time. Of far more concern to me is the reaction in a Seattle, WA blog where (presumably) adult respondents not only contemptuously dismiss the use of cursive handwriting, but do not discuss the relative merits of learning joined up writing, such as the value to a child's developing motor skills, its artistic value, and, importantly to me, at least, the fact that people who can only print may leave themselves open to being victims of forgery.

What are we coming to?!