18 years old— national television— going to Appalachian State (good school, but not THAT hard to get into)— beauty queen-— trying to deliver canned response to likely unanticipated question— I’m not sure I would have done much better if flustered— how about the rest of you?
She tried to say that some Americans don’t care about world issues, such as what’s happening in Iraq and South Africa. And since they focus more personal issues or what happens their community, it explains why some may not be able to find their place on a world map. I don’t think that’s the right answer, or even if there is a right answer, but I thought it was pretty clear what she was saying, or at least trying to say.
60 million Americans can’t find our country on a map, but 20 million Mexicans have no trouble finding it on foot. Damn.
Actually, I seriously question that “20%” figure, though I don’t doubt that many Americans are rather incompetent with world geography. The National Geographic survey I was able to find via Google had 94% identifying the USA on a map. No surprise that 6% are utter morons, but maybe not 20%.
Of course, when it comes to identifying a lot of other countries on a map then too many Americans do very badly. But I don’t think it’s true that there are so many who don’t even know where the USA is..... though there’s no doubt that between our dismal public education and the liberal “progressive” idea that no one should have to learn boring “facts” like geography, we’re not in very good shape.