American's know more about "The Simpsons" than Constitution

[-Cp]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11611015/?GT1=7850

CHICAGO - 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.

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.

“Part of the survey really shows there are misconceptions, and part of our mission is to clear up these misconceptions,” said Madeira, whose museum will be dedicated to helping visitors understand the First Amendment when it opens in April. “It means we have our job cut out for us.”

The survey found more people could name the three “American Idol” judges than identify three First Amendment rights. They were also more likely to remember popular advertising slogans.

It also showed that people misidentified First Amendment rights. About one in five people thought the right to own a pet was protected, and 38 percent said they believed the right against self-incrimination contained in the Fifth Amendment was a First Amendment right, the survey found.

The telephone survey of 1,000 adults was conducted Jan. 20-22 by the research firm Synovate and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

 

[insein]

more proof that 50 years from now, we're fucked.

 

[NATO AIR]

God bless liberal education.

 

[William Joyce]

Well, I'll take a poke at it ---

The "five freedoms" of the First Amendment do sort of blend together under the general guise of free speech, so I'm not so shocked that most folks can't separate them out.

What's more shocking to me is how few Americans really support free speech.

 

[dilloduck]

I gotta admit---when a campaign donation=free speech even I get confused.

 

[insein]

off the top of my head without looking...

Free speech
Free press
Free religion
right to assemble

Damn cant remember the other guess i have to look.

 

[insein]

"and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Ok i dont know what that means so maybe thats why i didnt get it. Get the other 4 though. I can understand no one getting the 5th one right. The other 4 have no excuse though.

Speech
Religion
Press (thats a hard one to remember)
Assembly (another hard one)

 

[manu1959]

what i find interesting is it is "government control of" those things.....and the "living" document that those items have become.....we use the lens of today to evaluate the intent of the meaning written hundreds of years ago


http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/First_amendment

 

[insein]

what i find interesting is it is "government control of" those things.....and the "living" document that those items have become.....we use the lens of today to evaluate the intent of the meaning written hundreds of years ago


http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/First_amendment

WTF? From a law school?

Two clauses in the First Amendment guarantee freedom of religion. The establishment clause prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish an official religion or preferring one religion over another. It enforces the "separation of church and state. Some governmental activity related to religion has been declared constitutional by the Supreme Court. For example, providing bus transportation for parochial school students and the enforcement of "blue laws" is not prohibited. The free exercise clause prohibits the government, in most instances, from interfering with a persons practice of their religion.

It does no such thing. IT has never been stated and the SCOTUS never ruled it so. This is the kind of insitutionalized rhetoric that we have to combat.

 

[Hobbit]

"and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Ok i dont know what that means so maybe thats why i didnt get it. Get the other 4 though. I can understand no one getting the 5th one right. The other 4 have no excuse though.

Speech
Religion
Press (thats a hard one to remember)
Assembly (another hard one)

It means that you, as a citizen, can write down something that you think is wrong about the government, then get signatures from people who agree with you, and then present it to the appropriate government official as a way to show support for your claim. The Declaration of Independance was, essentially, a petition, but since Britain didn't protect that right, it was considered high treason.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

it could also be part of which you tend to retain information that interests you personally, rather than infomation you are made to learn. Like the guy who can list the stats of the well known sports figures of his favorite sport, but can't locate all 50 states on a map.

Not only that, is the Simpsons have been marketed and been on the forefront of pop culture for 17 years now. The Constitution has been around longer, but where do you see it marketed or used other than as a beach-blanket for liberal propaganda?

People think of learning about the Constitution, and they think back to as early as elementary school. Unless you really wanted to learn about it, which it is unlikely that many kids that age do, then how are you expected to really retain that knowledge?

Kids can go home and see the Simpsons every day after school, thanks to syndication. How many actually pick up a history book out of personal interest rather than the need to finish homework that they have no interest in doing in the first place?

Not that I am saying this is a good thing, but I can see where this can happen in our society. I admit, I probably know more about Harry Potter (plus I have learned a lot about Greek mythology and other cultural mythology this way) than the first 10 amendments in the Constitution. But, that doesn't mean I don't know where to look if I do have an interest or need to find the info.

 

[-Cp]

what i find interesting is it is "government control of" those things.....and the "living" document that those items have become.....we use the lens of today to evaluate the intent of the meaning written hundreds of years ago


http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/First_amendment

Fyi.. the constitution is NOT a "living" document...

 

[insein]

It means that you, as a citizen, can write down something that you think is wrong about the government, then get signatures from people who agree with you, and then present it to the appropriate government official as a way to show support for your claim. The Declaration of Independance was, essentially, a petition, but since Britain didn't protect that right, it was considered high treason.

Ah, thats equally as important as the other 4. TY, hobbit.

 

[insein]

Fyi.. the constitution is NOT a "living" document...

I think that was his point, cp.