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Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, in Boise, laments 'alarming degree of public ignorance'
K C Star ^ | September 6 | Katie Terhune

Posted on 09/06/2013 4:47:38 PM PDT by BenLurkin

"Less than one-third of eighth-graders can identify the historical purpose of the Declaration of Independence, and it's right there in the name," she said.

...

"The more I read and the more I listen, the more apparent it is that our society suffers from an alarming degree of public ignorance," O'Connor said.

That ignorance starts in the earliest years of a child's schooling, she said, but often continues all the way through college and graduate school.

O'Connor argued that learning about citizenship is just as important for American children as learning multiplication or how to write their names.

"We have to ensure that our citizens are well informed and prepared to face tough challenges," she said. "If there is a single child not learning about civics or not being exposed to what they must do as citizens, then all our lives are poorer for that."

(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS:
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It's called "low information voters, ma'am, and ultimately it is up to parents to teach these things to their children.
1 posted on 09/06/2013 4:47:38 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

No, it’s the ignorance of the court and the elected politicians.


2 posted on 09/06/2013 4:48:28 PM PDT by SkyDancer (A white woman would be accused of racism if she gave birth to a white baby.)
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To: BenLurkin

Ok, Sandra, who controls public education in the USA? Liberals and liberal teacher unions.


3 posted on 09/06/2013 4:49:03 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: BenLurkin

Welcome to the democratic party’s plantation...you can check out but you can never leave.


4 posted on 09/06/2013 4:49:15 PM PDT by Hotlanta Mike ("Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it." Lao Tzu)
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To: BenLurkin

there’s a spiritual problem here not a schooling problem.


5 posted on 09/06/2013 4:49:34 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar again if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: BenLurkin

Ignorance of the sheeple was desired by people on her side.


6 posted on 09/06/2013 4:50:23 PM PDT by GeronL
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To: BenLurkin
"Less than one-third of eighth-graders can identify the historical purpose of the Declaration of Independence, and it's right there in the name." - Sandra Day O'Connor

Probably the quote of the century.

7 posted on 09/06/2013 4:52:17 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The time for impeachment has come.)
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To: FlingWingFlyer
Switching through the channels last night, someone said Benjamin Franklin was our 100th president.
8 posted on 09/06/2013 4:53:40 PM PDT by ConservativeStatement ("World Peace 1.20.09.")
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To: BenLurkin

I think the old Liberal is more concerned about all of us who do know what they’re up to, ya think?


9 posted on 09/06/2013 4:54:03 PM PDT by ExTexasRedhead
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Maybe there’s both but there is DEFINITELY a schooling problem, a very very large one that keeps getting worse.


10 posted on 09/06/2013 4:54:23 PM PDT by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
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To: BenLurkin

Dear Sandra, not like you did anything to encourage reading.

After all, didn’t you affirm “abortion” being settled penumbra?

Why worry about reading when people who say they can read see things that aren’t there?


11 posted on 09/06/2013 4:57:00 PM PDT by xzins ( Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for victory!)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Actually, I was struck by this quote: “learning about citizenship is just as important for American children as learning multiplication or how to write their names”.

SDO must not have received word that our public schools no longer teach either mathematics or cursive writing.


12 posted on 09/06/2013 4:58:26 PM PDT by rascal
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To: BenLurkin

Our federal takeover of our educational system is working as planned.


13 posted on 09/06/2013 4:59:13 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: ConservativeStatement

I remember a number of years ago when a female conservative talker, can’t remember who, said that she had gone to her niece’s high school graduation. She asked many of the newly minted graduates questions like this. None got the answers right to her questions. She asked a few of them who America had won its independence from. One answered that it was Vietnam. Yikes! We in trouble.


14 posted on 09/06/2013 4:59:27 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The time for impeachment has come.)
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To: BenLurkin
O'Connor argued that learning about citizenship is just as important for American children as learning multiplication or how to write their names.

Not for those who would conquer us. They want Americans to be ignorant -- in all areas of academia, not just history and citizenship. And they're winning.

15 posted on 09/06/2013 4:59:47 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Bingo!


16 posted on 09/06/2013 5:00:42 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: ConservativeStatement

Waters World


17 posted on 09/06/2013 5:01:30 PM PDT by eyedigress ((zOld storm chaser from the west)/ ?s)
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To: Impy

well i mean all the other problems cluster around the spiritual problem. it used to be that people believed in a God who cared about comprehending the world around because that stuff all reflected God’s glory. now folks are all lost in their own private worlds in spite of technology that has made it easy to get at whole libraries’ worth of information.


18 posted on 09/06/2013 5:02:00 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar again if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: BenLurkin

You had your hand in this debacle sandra old girl.


19 posted on 09/06/2013 5:03:41 PM PDT by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS!)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

At Ellis Island a handful of years ago, I asked someone who was a teacher of American History, what the most recent events she taught. Was it WW2? Vietnam? 9/11? I then asked “What about the Korean War?” Her response was “Well, no, remember, I only teach American History.” Boo yeah!


20 posted on 09/06/2013 5:03:48 PM PDT by ConservativeStatement ("World Peace 1.20.09.")
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