A depressing new survey is out that apparently shows that Americans know more about the cartoon television show The Simpsons than the First Amendment.

Writes the AP:

Only one in four 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 can name at least two members of the 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 one in 1,000 people who could name all five First Amendment freedoms.

Joe Madeira, director of exhibitions at the museum, said he was surprised by the results.

“Part of the survey really shows there are misconceptions, and part of our mission is to clear up these misconceptions,” said Madeira, whose museum will be dedicated to helping visitors understand the First Amendment when it opens in April. “It means we have our job cut out for us.”

The survey found more people could name the three “American Idol” judges than identify three First Amendment rights. They were also more likely to remember popular advertising slogans.

It also showed that people misidentified First Amendment rights. About one in five people thought the right to own a pet was protected, and 38 percent said they believed the right against self-incrimination contained in the Fifth Amendment was a First Amendment right, the survey found.

That “right to own a pet” thing would be funny if it weren’t so downright scary. This is yet another in a long line of studies and surveys that seem to show that public schools have failed miserably when it comes to educating our nation’s youth.

Other recent surveys have indicated that most Americans can’t name the presidents carved into Mount Rushmore, and that the First Amendment goes “too far” in the rights it guarantees.

UPDATE: La Shawn Barber has an interesting post dealing with the subject. She writes:

This is what happens in a technologically advanced society with the sort of leisure that affords indulgence in popular culture tripe. It’s ironic that Americans are free enough to engage in trivial pursuits and not have to fight for basic rights or even know what those rights are or where they came from and how they came to be!

The following is a letter to the editor that appeared in my town’s newspaper today:

I am weary of hearing every Tom, Dick and Harry criticize the president of the United States and trying to convict him of lies and other dastardly deeds. Most of the Democrats ought to be convicted of lying or misrepresenting the laws and what the president is doing. They are traitors to our country and should be treated like traitors. How can the president conduct a war successfully if he has no authority to find out what the enemy is planning? All other presidents beginning with George Washington have had these powers by virtue of being commander-in-chief and president. The USA cannot take these constitutional rights away.

I think many or all people of our country should rise up and demand that the president should be allowed all the powers and privileges he needs to conduct the war, and all people in the media or Congress be convicted of treason if they try to take these powers away. All through our history eavesdropping and other devices were used. If our privacy is hamstrung, so be it.

During World War II people couldn’t say or write one word against the war without being punished or investigated. Let us go back to that.

Unbelievable. The sad thing is, I have a feeling a lot of war supporters would agree with this sentiment, even while they have the audacity to call themselves “conservatives.” I don’t think this woman deserves to live in America; she seems better suited to living in the Soviet Union—circa 1945.

Here are some highlights from Roberts’ confirmation hearing, as reported by various AP articles:

Early on in his third — and abbreviated — day of testimony, Roberts said Congress has the authority to pass laws barring discrimination based on race, gender and disability, and he defended his record on minority issues.

He said he had argued cases in favor of and against affirmative action and noted that he had participated in a program to assist minority students considering law school.
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Feinstein asked if Roberts, as a person, believed illegal immigrant children should be educated. Roberts offered legal responses, before saying, “My own view, every child should be educated.”
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Under questioning by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a moderate Pennsylvania Republican, Roberts indicated he may not be the kind of “originalist” conservative that has made Justice Antonin Scalia a pariah to liberals.

Roberts said he took an expansive view of the Constitution’s “liberty” and “due process” protections. He said he believes the Constitution is “alive,” intended by the Founders to “apply to changing conditions.”

. . .

Roberts added, “I depart from some views of original intent, in the sense that those folks—some people view it as meaning just the conditions at that time, just the particular problem. I think you need to look at the words they use, and if the words adopt a broader principle, it applies more broadly.”
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Roberts also seemed to reassure Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that an act of Congress struck down by the Supreme Court could easily be fixed to pass muster under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution.

Feinstein has expressed strong concern that Roberts might take a narrow view of the Commerce Clause, which Congress has used to expand its legislative reach to anything that affects interstate commerce. She has said a narrow reading could endanger congressional power on many fronts, including environmental protection.
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Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said he was pleased to hear Roberts unexpectedly agree with him that review of death penalty cases should be granted even if only four justices want to hear the case rather than the needed majority of five.
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Kennedy and other Democrats have raised concerns based on memos Roberts wrote as an lawyer in the Reagan administration that urged a narrow application of civil rights laws. Roberts said his memos reflected administration policies.

Kennedy asked Roberts: “Do you believe that we (members of Congress) have the authority and the power to pass legislation to free ourselves from the stains of racial discrimination?

“Yes,” Roberts replied.

Kennedy asked Roberts the same question with regard to combating discrimination against women and the disabled and the nominee again responded affirmatively.
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Judge Roberts did respond to questions on capital punishment, affirmative action, the limits of Congressional power and other legal issues during 10 hours of testimony before the committee’s 18 senators.

He said, for instance, that he agreed with an aspect of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s decision in a recent case that allowed public colleges and universities to take race into account in admissions decisions. The decision took note of the practical consequences for minority applicants.

“You do need to look at the real-world impact in this area,” Judge Roberts said.

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[Roberts] was less reluctant to talk about his judicial philosophy, so long as the discussion remained relatively abstract. He distanced himself, for instance, from the most conservative members of the current Supreme Court, Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who have said they view themselves as bound by the original meaning of the Constitution.
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And we all know how Roberts’ has refused to answer questions dealing with Roe v. Wade, abortion in general, Bush v. Gore in 2000, and so on and so forth.

Does this sound like the kind of man we want as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

For those of us who are Star Wars fans:

Actor Michael Sheard, who played Admiral Ozzel in The Empire Strikes Back, has died of cancer at the age of 65.

Sheard also appeared in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, where he played the role of Adolph Hitler. Sheard played Hitler a total of five times in his acting career.

More on Sheard can be found here.

In Star Wars, he was memorably choked by Darth Vader – and said George Lucas told him it was “the best screen death I’ve ever seen”.

At the time, Star Wars was “just another part in a very busy actor’s career”, he said, but it has secured him a place in the hearts of Star Wars fans and an Admiral Ozzel action figure came out last year.