Ignorant America: Just How Stupid Are We?

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
Just how stupid are we? Pretty stupid, it would seem, when we come across headlines like this: "Homer Simpson, Yes -- 1st Amendment 'Doh,' Survey Finds" (Associated Press 3/1/06).

"About 1 in 4 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 of Americans can name at least two members of the fictional 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 1 in 1,000 people who could name all five First Amendment freedoms."Read on here

If the citizens of the US want a more secure and prosperous nation they (collectively) need to value education and become better informed. Seems simple enough, but instantiating a culture that values learning -- really values it -- takes years, generations and that is in part why an undercurrent of anti-intellectualism persists in the US and large pockets of poverty and ignorance continue to exist or even expand. What I mean by really valuing education is not just paying lip service to education, such as attending university because that is what you need to do to get a good job and earn a lot of money but pursuing learning for its sake. One needs to attend university to become a more well rounded and well educated person who can contribute to society. A well rounded and well educated person gets a better job (in most cases) and earns a respectable living, but the aim is to learn and to improve and collectively everyone benefits.