American ignorance of government

3 cheers for The West Wing. 

drummerboy said:

Everything I know about Washington I learned from The West Wing.

LOST said:

One does not have to be a "Constitutional Scholar" to understand the basics. All anyone has to do is read the Constitution. It appears that most people are just too lazy to do so or just not interested.

A person could learn more than most people seem to know just by watching certain popular TV Shows like Designated Survivor, The West Wing or even House of Cards. At least they would learn the three branches of government.

Bartlett for America baby!

ElizMcCord said: 3 cheers for The West Wing. 

Very common on FB and on message boards: Freedom of speech! Employers can't fire you for what you write on FB!! Freedom of speech! You can't be asked to leave a restaurant for calling the server the n word! Freedom of speech! 

Um, no. Freedom of speech means that the government cannot restrict speech. Your employer can (as long as you don't work for the government). A private business can.

I do not find it scary. The West Wing had advisors who actually worked in the WH. I majored in Poli Sci and have read numerous books about government and followed the ins and outs all my life. That TV Show was pretty real. And learning about the Government from watching it probably puts him far ahead of most Americans if the premise of this thread is valid.

Sweetsnuggles said:

This is scary, but perhaps he jests. 

drummerboy said:

Everything I know about Washington I learned from The West Wing.

LOST said:

One does not have to be a "Constitutional Scholar" to understand the basics. All anyone has to do is read the Constitution. It appears that most people are just too lazy to do so or just not interested.

A person could learn more than most people seem to know just by watching certain popular TV Shows like Designated Survivor, The West Wing or even House of Cards. At least they would learn the three branches of government.

Jackson_Fusion said:

South_Mountaineer said:

Jackson_Fusion said:

PVW said:

Jackson_Fusion said:

Such is the state of education in America.

Then again, who cares what a bunch of crusty dudes wrote. Aren't we calling for their statues to come down?

Davis and Lee fought to destroy the country Washington and Jefferson founded. That you can't distinguish between one "bunch of crusty dudes" and another I suppose is just further proof of the sad state of affairs in regards to Americans' knowledge of history.

Sure, sure!

https://www.google.com/search?q=jefferson+vandalized&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=nimv&source=lnms&tbm=nws&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjV_efFsajWAhWF7CYKHRluCX8Q_AUIESgB&biw=320&bih=460

The link says nothing about any call for taking down a statue of Jefferson the way there are calls for removing those of Confederate generals.

Not to mention that Jefferson wasn't part of the Constitutional Convention.  

Stop.

Thanks to the Internet and cable news needing to fill time with as many contrary viewpoints as possible, you can always find an example of a person to use to support a generalization.  And so you did here.

It doesn't rebut my actual points.

It's not scary that West Wing is accurate about what goes on in the White House. It is a bit scary if a person may not have known some basics before seeing the show.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2017/09/15/farmington-teacher-accused-mistreating-student-leave/669375001/

Apparently teachers need to familiarize themselves with the constitution as well. 

I agree with Angela Rye. If you are a person of color (and I am) in this country, the Constitution is a theoretical document. It didn't include me and never intended to. There needed to be amendments to address those wrongs. So, as far as I'm concerned, take all those slave-owning "founding father" statues down with the Confederates and "Explorers".

But as I've said before on MOL, there are more pressing issues for PoC to address in America today. Let's not get distracted by this latest culture war. 

If you're only going to acknowledge perfect people, we will acknowledge no one.

Hahaha said:

I agree with Angela Rye. If you are a person of color (and I am) in this country, the Constitution is a theoretical document. It didn't include me and never intended to. There needed to be amendments to address those wrongs. So, as far as I'm concerned, take all those slave-owning "founding father" statues down with the Confederates and "Explorers".

But as I've said before on MOL, there are more pressing issues for PoC to address in America today. Let's not get distracted by this latest culture war. 

Hahaha said:

I agree with Angela Rye. If you are a person of color (and I am) in this country, the Constitution is a theoretical document. It didn't include me and never intended to. There needed to be amendments to address those wrongs. So, as far as I'm concerned, take all those slave-owning "founding father" statues down with the Confederates and "Explorers".

But as I've said before on MOL, there are more pressing issues for PoC to address in America today. Let's not get distracted by this latest culture war. 

I recommend Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire for a 500-year history of our delusions.