Sometimes I'll read about a survey and my first response is "You have got to be kidding." After reading this article from the BBC about a recent telephone survey of 1000 adults in America, my second response is still, "You have got to be kidding."
The opening line of the article is: "Americans know more about The Simpsons TV show than the US Constitution's First Amendment, an opinion poll says." (The First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.")
After some thought, the results of the survey do make some sense. If you watch a TV show every week, your brain is constantly processing the names. Most of us probably studied the Constitution in school, but haven't thought about it much recently.
Maybe Bart Simpson should head to Congress and argue about the need for the ten amendments.
The survey also found that "About one in five thought the right to own a pet was one of the freedoms." (Hint: this isn't mentioned in the Constitution or the Ten Amendments.)
I don’t know if we’ll have our daughters memorize the Constitution or the Ten Amendments, but hopefully as adults they’ll be able to list at least a couple of the freedoms guaranteed in the Ten Amendments.
(Hat tip: reddit)
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