The sort of thing that terrifies me

You can cower in fear of 'terrists' if you want. I choose to be terrified by the prospect of Idiocracy as prophecy.


The results of a study conducted for the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center is the sort of thing that scares me much worse than any terrorist.

• Only 15% of Americans can identify the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (John Roberts). To contrast: 66% know at least one of the judges on American Idol.
• Only 30% realize that the Supreme Court is the last stop on the litigation train. 32% believe that Supreme Court decisions can be appealed, and 38% either "didn't know" or "weren't sure."
• 55% do not know that when the Supreme Court rules 5-4 on a case, that decision is the law of the land and must be followed.
• 14% believe that 5-4 decisions are sent back to congress for further consideration, 7% believe it goes back to the lower courts, and 34% simply "don't know."

It is easy to take the civil rights away from a group of people who do not know they have them.

I see ignorance among the populace as a far graver threat to the American way of life than any terrorist anywhere. I don't care how determined or deranged that terrorist might be. Until the nation as a whole gets smarter than a fifth grader, we are screwed - seven ways from Sunday.

Make the Parents Pay

So...

They made the kid go camping and he didn't want to.

Bribed him with five bucks.

He decided it sucked (smart kid) and decided to hitchhike home. He got lost in the woods, could have died, and had the entire country up-in-arms for days. Searchers out night and day.

The happy ending is, he was found alive.

Now, send his parents a bill for the rescue efforts.