Study: One in 1,000 know First Amendment

aberdeennews ^ | Wed, Mar. 01, 2006 | ANNA JOHNSON

[lunarbicep]

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 (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition for redress of grievances.) 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

[lunarbicep]

Amendment I

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.

[Loud Mime]

If they can't identify the foundations of constitutional government, how can they say it's living and breathing?

Every liberal I know doesn't understand the Constitution and cannot cite any argument in the federalist papers.

[Termite_Commander]

This article makes me shudder.

[StACase]

I think requiring a good understanding of the entire Bill of Rights should be part of a good high school education. If most students could run down all ten clauses and put them into thier own words we'd be a lot better off as a country.

[RHINO369]

So they admit there is a second ammendment?

[ndt]

"So they admit there is a second amendment?"

HEY!! slow down.. we don't want to overwhelm them.

[conservativefromGa]

They push math and science like crazy in middle and high school, but civics gets left in the dust.

[MarkeyD]

[kenth]

That's precisely why it is rarely taught. You can't go about subverting the Constitution if people understand and want to protect their freedoms.

[CowboyJay]

"That's precisely why it is rarely taught. You can't go about subverting the Constitution if people understand and want to protect their freedoms."

First the Pledge goes, and now this. Hmmm... What are they teaching in American History class these days?

No more nationalist sentiment = servile population.

[Tzimisce]

Makes you wonder what they're really teaching at universities....

[PISANO]

This must be the SAME 1000 that are polled every other day about the President's approval rating!!

[raj bhatia]

Hell, we need to go a lot further than this. There have been a string of excellent biographies about the founding fathers over the last ten years and it teaches you more about this country's founding principles and constitution than anything else ever will.

Before graduation, every high school student must be required to read it, take notes and write a standardized test on it. If you score over 85% on this, you go out of high school. Else you remain there till you do.

Otherwise we will keep breeding a steady stream of mediocrities that know nothing about our history.

[Rick_Michael]

If there should be any mandate in public schooling, the teaching of the Constitution should be #1.

[wickedpinto]

Doesn't have anything to do with the arrogance of the media does it? After all the "First" is the most significant, but the media says it is only the PRESS that is contained. F religion, F expression, unless it is built on a good media cycle, F petitioning, by overriding the POWER of the 4th Estate?

Oligarchy? or is it Plutocracy?

[JudgemAll]

no no no, Americans learn to shut up when a lawyer, a teacher or a professor speaks. They learn about feelings & not being hurt & not hating & the rights of having an abortion... oh and "don't criticize judges"

Freedom of speech, who cares when racketeering & extortion by liberal idiot genociders of truth tellers becomes the norm ... (sarcasm off)

[JudgemAll]

The media is one thing, but it can be sued by lawyers too & is often controled by them.

The confederacy of those incompetent lawyers wanting to control everything including speech (aka movement for "free education") is a silent power of scumbags in bed.

Even MSNBC complained of being blamed by lawyers for the crash of ENRON and thus asking for the frauding managers to be exonerated.

[R W Reactionairy]

Just as critically, only one in 535 in the U.S. Congress seems to be familiar with the ninth and tenth amendments. ;-)

[R W Reactionairy]

Walk toward the light?

Some sort of a Second Amendment thing?

BTW is the light caused by the slide being retracted?

[ToryHeartland]

Here's how this same news item is being covered by BBC online:

Simpsons 'trump' First Amendment

Link at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4761294.stm