Study: One in 1,000 Know First Amendment

[ck4829]

"Americans apparently know more about "The Simpsons" than they do about the First Amendment.

Only one in four Americans can name more than one of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition for redress of grievances.) But more than half can name at least two members of the cartoon family, according to a survey.

The study by the new McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum found that 22 percent of Americans could name all five Simpson family members, compared with just one in 1,000 people who could name all five First Amendment freedoms.

Joe Madeira, director of exhibitions at the museum, said he was surprised by the results."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060301/ap_on_re_us/freedom_poll

[liberal N proud]

1. That is one of the many reasons that bu$h and his band of criminals

can get away with such things as preaching politics and spying on Americans.

[Mnemosyne]

2. Proud to be a Murkin as long as we hav hour teevee! n/t

[FreedomAngel82]

3. That's so scary

I at least know a majority of them. :crazy:

[acmejack]

4. No one knows what they're entitled to

Makes it easy to deprive them of it. I have been distributing pocket Constitutions over 150 so far. I am trying to do my small part to change that. It looks like I am going to have to order them by the 1000 vice the hundred & I fear my funds may make that an impossibility.

So much ignorance, so little time. Ignorance is our enemy. If we could just educate the public, our problems would be solved.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. I did something positive yesterday: I spent a good part of a social

studies period for a third grade class going over the role of government (local, state, and federal), the role of citizens, the (ideal) purpose of collection and distribution of tax monies, obligations of the government to the citizens, the rights of citizens, and especially the most important petition to the government in American history, The Declaration of Independence, to demand recognition of autonomy. I even charged the kids to take another look at the document to see how only John Hancock had the guts to sign his name clearly and risk being looked up by the British, being arrested, and punished. All this without a book. Just ranting, and waving my arms. The kids were entranced (no, I'm not patting myself on the back). They WILL listen if you make it interesting and it makes sense to them.

[magellan]

6. Ignore your rights and they'll disappear. (nt)