Oh. My. God. Are Americans really this stupid?
I'm in total shock. Are my fellow Americans really this ignorant about the rights guaranteed to us in the Bill of Rights? What are they teaching our children in school?
Only one in four Americans can name more than one of the five freedoms in the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition for redress of grievances), but more than half can name at least two family members of "The Simpsons" (Lisa, Marge, Maggie, Homer and Bart).
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. (.1 percent?! How pitiful is that?!) This museum, which is due to open in Chicago this April, will be dedicated to helping visitors understand the First Amendment.
The survey also found that more people (41%) could name the three “American Idol” judges than identify three of the five First Amendment rights (8%). They were also more likely to remember popular advertising slogans. (Does this give you any idea what a powerful influence TV has on our society?! Frightening!)
It also showed that people misidentified First Amendment rights. About one in five people thought the right to own a pet was protected. (Huh?! You're kidding me, right?) Thirty-eight percent said that they believed the right against self-incrimination was a First Amendment right. (It's actually contained in the Fifth Amendment. That's why it's commonly called "taking the Fifth" people!) A shocking 55% believed that a trial by jury was guaranteed in the First Amendment. (It's actually granted by the Seventh Amendment.) Just over a third (36%) believed that the First Amendment granted women the right to vote. (That freedom would actually come much later in history with the 19th Amendment passed in 1920.)
The following lists the percentage of Americans surveyed who could name the specific freedoms listed in the First Amendment:
Freedom of Speech: 69%
Freedom of Religion: 24%
Freedom of the Press: 11 %
Freedom of Assembly: 10%
Freedom to Petition for Redress of Grievences: 1%
Our family will be going to Chicago in the summer of 2007 for the La Leche League International conference. I'm sure we'll be stopping by the Freedom Museum while we are there. It sounds like a wonderful learning experience for our children and definately something that would interest both Matt and me.
Go to the museum's website and click on Am I Free? then click on Take the Freedom Quiz to see how well you know your First Amendment rights. (I got 15/15 questions correct.)
Only one in four Americans can name more than one of the five freedoms in the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition for redress of grievances), but more than half can name at least two family members of "The Simpsons" (Lisa, Marge, Maggie, Homer and Bart).
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. (.1 percent?! How pitiful is that?!) This museum, which is due to open in Chicago this April, will be dedicated to helping visitors understand the First Amendment.
The survey also found that more people (41%) could name the three “American Idol” judges than identify three of the five First Amendment rights (8%). They were also more likely to remember popular advertising slogans. (Does this give you any idea what a powerful influence TV has on our society?! Frightening!)
It also showed that people misidentified First Amendment rights. About one in five people thought the right to own a pet was protected. (Huh?! You're kidding me, right?) Thirty-eight percent said that they believed the right against self-incrimination was a First Amendment right. (It's actually contained in the Fifth Amendment. That's why it's commonly called "taking the Fifth" people!) A shocking 55% believed that a trial by jury was guaranteed in the First Amendment. (It's actually granted by the Seventh Amendment.) Just over a third (36%) believed that the First Amendment granted women the right to vote. (That freedom would actually come much later in history with the 19th Amendment passed in 1920.)
The following lists the percentage of Americans surveyed who could name the specific freedoms listed in the First Amendment:
Freedom of Speech: 69%
Freedom of Religion: 24%
Freedom of the Press: 11 %
Freedom of Assembly: 10%
Freedom to Petition for Redress of Grievences: 1%
Our family will be going to Chicago in the summer of 2007 for the La Leche League International conference. I'm sure we'll be stopping by the Freedom Museum while we are there. It sounds like a wonderful learning experience for our children and definately something that would interest both Matt and me.
Go to the museum's website and click on Am I Free? then click on Take the Freedom Quiz to see how well you know your First Amendment rights. (I got 15/15 questions correct.)
posted by Carissa @ 8:49 AM
2 Comments:
At 4:20 PM, March 01, 2006 ,
Carissa said...
Freedom to Petition for Redress of Grievences is probably the hardest one to remember. I'd really expect most adults to be able to at least name more than one, even if they didn't know all 5! I was shocked at how pitiful those numbers were and also about the misconceptions. 1 in 5 thought the right to have a pet was in the Bill of Rights?!
At 1:40 AM, March 02, 2006 ,
^starshine said...
As frustrating and annoying as this sad piece of news is, unless a ratings powerhouse comedy featuring the Bill of Rights appears on NBC Thursday nights, I doubt anything will ever happen.
I know I can still remember how a bill makes it through congress from "Schoolhouse Rock!" (Okay maybe not exactly but those were cool!)
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