That’s a question I’d like you to consider asking folks between now and November 4 (and any time an election approaches). Sure, you may offend some folks, but if so, they’ve just proven themselves Too Stupid to Vote. After all, it’s only a question, right? *heh*
Follow that question up with a basic civics quiz, such as this one (just copy the thing if you want. What’re they gonna do? Sue you for spreading civics awareness? *feh*). If they can’t pass with such gimme questions as these, then they don’t deserve the franchise.
1. What was the source of the following phrase: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people?”
The speech: “I Have a Dream”
Declaration of Independence
U.S. Constitution
Gettysburg Address
2. What is the main reason the Pilgrims and Puritans came to America?
To practice their religion freely
To make more money and live a better life
To build a democratic government
To expand the lands controlled by the king of England
3. Many people opposed ratification of the Constitution without a bill of rights because they…
Were afraid the states would be too powerful without a bill of rights
Thought that a bill of rights would strengthen the President’s power
Did not want the national government to have an army
Feared that the new national government would deny people their rights
4. The document that contains the basic rules used to run the United States government is…
The Declaration of Independence
Magna Carta
The Mayflower Compact
The Constitution
5. What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?
To say how much Americans should pay in taxes
To protect freedoms like freedom of speech
To describe the jobs of the President and Congress
To make Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
6. Who is widely considered to be the “Father of the Constitution?”
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Franklin
James Madison
7. What is the President’s role in making laws?
The President can rewrite some parts of the Constitution
The President can declare laws unconstitutional
The President can sign congressional bills into law
The President can remove members of Congress from office
8. What are the three parts of the federal (national) government of the United States?
Republican, Democrat and Independent
Legislative, executive and judicial
Local, state and federal
State, national and international
9. According to the Constitution, a person must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible to become president. Name one of these requirements.
Must be at least 34 years of age
Must have voted in the last three federal elections
Must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years
Must be a member of a major political party
10. How many Representatives are there in Congress?
420
425
430
435
11. America declared independence from what country during the Revolutionary War?
France
England
Spain
Canada
12. How many amendments are there to the Constitution?
10
14
27
30
13. And finally, for the 13th question — what is the significance of the number 13 in U.S. History?
It is the official “lucky” number
There were 13 Founding Fathers
The original 13 colonies
There are 13 amendments in the Bill of Rights
I mean, seriously now! It’s a flippin’ multiple choice gimme quiz. Pass it for the franchise? Heck, I’m of the opinion that if someone doesn’t at least know everything on this lil simpleton (dumbed down for the enstupiated) quiz then they shouldn’t even be a citizen, let alone be allowed to vote…
Heck, face it. Most American citizens who now possess the right to vote don’t know the fundamentals of our government structure, our history or anything genuine about current events (most still getting their information from the Mass Media Podpeople Hivemind propaganda machine).
Too stupid to be allowed to vote, and yet it is this mass of stupid people who will elect the congresscritters and administration that will exercise power.
Scary.
Pundits exercise their skills of blowhardery, bloviating about “the wisdom of the people” and whatnot, but as someone *cough* has wisely said,
“In a democracy (”rule by mob”), those who refuse to learn from history are in the majority and dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance.”-third world county’s corollary to Santayana’s Axiom
Doomed?
Trackposted to Rosemary’s Thoughts, Mark My Words, , Right Truth, The World According to Carl, Shadowscope, DragonLady’s World, The Pink Flamingo, Cao’s Blog, Democrat=Socialist, and Stageleft, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
