Oh what a shocker...

This story does not suprise me at all. With 51% of the American electorate voting for someone like Bush (for the 2nd time!), why should we be shocked about this new survey? I clearly remember months after 9/11 when Jay Leno had one of his Jay-Walking episodes...he went around NYC with a picture of Osama bin Laden and I swear half the people he asked didn't know who he was (mind you this is months after 9/11 when OBL's picture had been on every possible media outlet on the face of the earth like 98712049874 times).

A survey released Wednesday showcases a bit of data that should surprise nobody: Americans know more about "The Simpsons" than they do about the 1st Amendment.

The study, conducted by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, focuses on the 1st Amendment and found that less than one percent of the respondents could identify the five protected rights: freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly and to petition the government.

On the other hand, about 20 percent of respondents could name Bart and Homer and the other three members of the animated Simpson family.

The constitutional confusion extended beyond what is written in the 1st Amendment. Many respondents also had interesting ideas about items the framers did not include.

The right to own pets, for example, which 21 percent of respondents said was listed someplace between "Congress shall make no law" and "redress of grievances." Seventeen percent said that the amendment contained the right to drive a car. And 38 percent thought that "taking the 5th Amendment" was part of the 1st.

Sigh...

[technorati tags: polls, rights, American, sad facts]