D'oh! A recent survey conducted by McCormick Tribune Foundation showed that while 52 percent of Americans can name at least two characters of the Simpsons TV cartoon family, only 28 percent are able to name more than one of the five fundamental freedoms granted to them by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The random telephone survey of 1,000 American adults was conducted Jan. 20-22, 2006 by Synovate, an independent market research firm.
The five First Amendment freedoms, and the percentage of those surveyed who were able to name them:
- Freedom of speech (69 percent)
- Freedom of Religion (24 percent)
- Freedom of the Press (11 percent)
- Freedom of Assembly (10 percent)
- Freedom to Petition for Redress of Grievances (1 percent)
One in five respondents said the First Amendment granted them the right to own and raise pets, as well as the right to drive.
"These survey results clearly demonstrate that many Americans don't have an understanding of the freedoms they regularly enjoy," said Dave Anderson, executive director, McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum in a press release.
Also See: The Bill of Rights
Comments
We,as a nation, are slowly losing our civil rights – as stated very clearly in the American Bible – the Constitution. We can’t protect something that we don’t understand. There has been a great deal of talk about “rights”. The right to vote, the right to an education, etc. Rights are one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is citizen rsponsibilities”. Our form of government requires that we all participate. We, as citizens can run for office, vote, talk to our politicians, and so. Regardless of how we choose to participate, we need to understand the issues. A primary goal of the anerican educational system must be to teach citizens the rights and responsibilites of being a citizen. We all need an “Intro to The Bill Of Rights” course. This course should be made available to everybody, from junior high school thru adulthood. If the public schol system is not able to provide this education, for funding or other reasons, then we should look to other solutions. Parents can teach their children. If your local library does not have a good book on “The Bill of Rights”, you should buy one, read it, and then donate it to the library. We, as citizens have to commit to protecting our rights. Most Politicians currently take an “Oath Of Office”. This oath includes the words “uphold the constitution”. If a politician does not honor this oath, we should remove him/her from office. Protecting our rights is a primary responsibility of
being a citizen. We either constantly protect our rights – or LOSE them!
I knew four of the five. I just didn’t know the petition for redress of grievances.
I agree. This nation is falling apart, and many don’t know it. The world is slowly breaking, and no one cares.