Other People Who Are As Trendy As I Am
Here are some other comments (see my own here) on the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum survey.
From Enochs, in a post entitled "The First Amendment Does Not Guarantee the Right to Drive a Car":
While the results of the survey seem disturbing, they are far from surprising. Most Americans do not deal with the First Amendment in their daily lives but some do watch the Simpsons every night--thus giving rise to the "if you don't use it, you lose it" standard. However, it was surprising to find out that some of the people surveyed believed the First Amendment afforded them rights that aren't necessarily granted at all....
From Magpie:
Given how boring the schools usually make anything to do with the Consitution, government, or history, it's probably amazing that any US adult can tell the First Amendment from, say, a first down. And, given Dubya's contempt for the Constitution, his administration is undoubtedly happy to keep things that way.
And this, whether you agree with Magpie or not, illustrates why this is important. If some future government violates the Constitution in some way, what happens if we don't know the difference?
From Two or Three (geddit?):
Worst of all, while only one in four Americans can name more than one of the actual First Amendment freedoms, one in five believe the amendment gives us the "right to own a pet."
Yeah, I'm sure that was a realy sticking point at the Constitutional Convention. Franklin and Jefferson going toe-to-toe over whether the Constitution should guarantee a citizen's right to own a dog.
At least we can be sure that Santa's Little Helper will never be forcefully removed from the Simpson's home - the First Amendment says so.
Mike Antonucci sees an opportunity:
The fact that people can't rattle off the First Amendment freedoms isn't as bad as it looks. After all, most people know that Americans are guaranteed the freedoms of speech, religion and the press by the Constitution, and they exercise those freedoms every day.
The problem is that they submit themselves to repeated exposures of The Simpsons, but not material that might tend to discuss the First Amendment and what it contains.
So, instead of tsk-tsking about these ignorant slobs, we can all improve the public IQ by occasionally skipping the cartoon show, and reading an article or two of the Constitution, or even reviewing the basics of algebra.
We're always told that learning is a lifelong process. Relearning isn't a bad way to kickstart that process.
From Howard:
For the record, I could name 3 freedoms, 5 Simpsons, and 2 Idol judges.
Paul Elledge calls for action:
Please, people, if you don't know your rights, please learn about them by reading the Constitution, and then join me in the fight to stop the regimes in Washington and the state capitals and all the local governments from crushing them.
Will says:
While this poll is probably unscientific and more intended to publicize a new museum, democracy theorists should take note -- an ignorant electorate will likely elect ignorant leaders.
Living Space opines:
[P]eople who have been in a situation when their rights are denied--their right to free speech, their right to worship as they choose, their right to gather in groups as they see fit, the right to a free press, and their right to seek justice for themselves--really grasp (and become evangelists for) First Amendment rights. If we've never had our rights stripped away, we find it easier to remember the names of the Simpsons. If our rights have been violated--and we knew it (case in point the concern over the Patriot Act)--it becomes an unhealed wound, a place where our belief in the foundation of our freedom has been ripped open.
Maybe the First Amendment needs a good PR firm. A little bling, some of the spotlight. When Kanye West writes a song that puts the First Amendment to music, or when Simon Cowell tells us in his matter-of-fact, I-can't-believe-you-don't-already-know-this voice that we need to bone up on our five basic freedoms, we will probably sit up and take notice. But what was probably very hip to the founding fathers may seem a little out of reach (or at least forgettable, until our rights are violated) to the rest of us. Maybe the Simpsons could do their part in educating the masses. After all, look what they did to help the "just say No to Wal-Mart" movement! :)
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I miss Christopher Glenn.