My DU pet peeve: Constitutional ignorance

[Dookus]

Seriously, don't they teach it in high school anymore? Over the years here, I've seen countless questions/comments that indicate the poster has no familiarity with the document that sets up our government. Shouldn't people on a political website be expected to know a little about this?

I've seen people ask or state:

How do we recall a Senator?
Isn't Bob Novak guilty of treason?
Can we recall the President?
Can we have new elections for President if <insert crime> is proved?
Clinton wasn't impeached - they tried, but failed.
I wish my state would term-limit senators.
How do we recall a Supreme Court justice?
Can we run Bill Clinton in '08?
Who becomes President if Bush and Cheney are removed?
We need a law to end the Electoral College.
So-and-so for President/VP, where so-and-so is under 35 years of age.
Bush will cancel the elections.
States X,Y and Z should secede!

I'm sure there are others I've forgotten. Can anybody think of any?

[RevolutionaryActs]

1. "Can we run Bill Clinton in '08?" LOL

Why yes, yes we can........ :silly:

[JohnKleeb]

2. They teach government in Virginia

but I hate to sound like a snob, people still dont get shit. One of my most proudest accomplishments is defending the rights of immigrants against nativist bastards then we all took a sample citizenship test, guess who got none wrong on the test and guess who got only half the questions right.

[Dookus]

8. I believe it

I'll believe anything about people's ignorance of the constitution. When polled, many Americans disagree with the Bill of Rights when read to them, without being identified as the Bill of Rights.

[JohnKleeb]

12. I was the one who aced it obviously Dook

These assholes were spitting on immmigrants, I am very pro immigrant because of what my first generation american grandparents went through and its just my nature to care.

[Dookus]

15. well that's probably

because they teach better in Massachusetts, where you're from despite your ludicrous claims to the contrary.

[JohnKleeb]

18. haha, it sure felt like I was in Massachuetts the other day

Finding out that many I know support gay marriage but that was only our Dem Caucus in model congress.

[paineinthearse]

34. Greetings from MassaBluesetts

:hi:

[JohnKleeb]

35. Hey love your state, you got two great senators

I just got a good governor here in Virginia.

[Padraig18]

3. "Why does the Supreme Court get to decide______?"

I weep for my country, when I read that one.

:eyes:

[JohnKleeb]

4. one I have is that people expect the same primary candidates

from last year to magically all be in 2008.

[Floogeldy]

5. Not necessarily on DU, but . . .

. . . some people think they have a right of free speech on message boards and cannot be censored.

I also notice a lot of confusion about the Establishment Clause.

[Padraig18]

6. Marbury v. Madison also got skipped in school, apparently.

I read a lot of postings that make it pretty clear that that wasn't covered in their American Government classes.

:shrug:

[JohnKleeb]

9. Judicial Review, I leanred that one

[Floogeldy]

10. Have you noticed . . .

. . . the neocons have started to attack the validity of M v. M.

Unbelievable!

[Dookus]

11. oh

they've done that for years.

The freepers are still mad about direct election of Senators. Some of these people really hold grudges.

[Dookus]

7. Good one...

yes, we had a good flame war last week about this. People believed that it was unconstitutional to fire anybody for their speech.

[Floogeldy]

13. I missed that

Interesting.

[JohnKleeb]

14. relating to that guy I dont wanna talk about because

some of the stuff said made me not feel so good?

[Dookus]

17. yes

but it went far beyond the discussion of tenure. Some believed that ANY negative repercussions for offensive speech was a violation of the person's civil rights.

I asked about 5 times and never got an adequate answer to the question: then was it wrong for Ann Coulter's syndicator to drop her after she advocated invading all muslim countries, killing their leaders and converting them to christianity? Should the syndicator have been legally compelled to continue carrying her column?

[JohnKleeb]

19. Well you know, sad to say people have double standards

I know that from being in GD in the past.

[ScreamingMeemie]

16. Why do you hate America?

:shrug:

[kodi]

20. So you assume Democrats are what? Somehow congenitally smart?

90% of people are working on 3-cylinders anyway and it does not matter their politics.

Democrats have a rougher time since by philosophy we believe in equality.

But, I gotta' tell you, its harder each day to believe all people were created equal when experience shows just the opposite. There is no doubt that all of us deserves dignity and our say, but that does not mean I want some folks driving the bus, especially when I see so many out where the buses don't run.

My favorite around here?

"Why can't Bill Clinton run for president?"

(22nd Amendment)

Followed by....

"We should have different laws for citizens and 'furnurs'."

(14th Amendment)

[Dookus]

21. no, not democrats in particular

but democrats who actively seek out a political discussion board. Evidently they have an interest in politics and government, and I'd expect such people to read the basic defining document of our system.

[SariesNightly]

22. All I want to know

is the names of the bastards who banned secession!

[Dookus]

23. They were called

the Union Army.

[JohnKleeb]

24. hahah

Including one of my ancestors :). Yeah I can see EXACTLY why this is a pet peeve of yours.

[Dookus]

25. My great-great-great-grandfather

was in the uniformed honor guard when President Lincoln gave a little speech in Gettysburg. I just found that out a couple years ago.

[JohnKleeb]

26. Thats Awesome! *said in the best DSM voice*

Really, thats cool. My ancestor had been discharged by then though. Really I can see why all this bugs you, I dont care what party youre in or whether we agree on the issues or not, read the fucking document so you understand things.

[alwynsw]

27. Who needs to know about the Constitution

whe you've got TV and beer?

[Dookus]

28. because

sadly, if we put the Bill of Rights up for a vote, it would probably lose.

[alwynsw]

29. I agree. Forgot my sarcasm tag.

I'm in your corner.

[driver8]

30. From the debates, shrub said this regarding the constitution

He was arguing a point and he said,

"That's not what the constitution says. It says, (pause)...
That's not what the constitution says!"

The so-called Pres. doesn't know the constitution...so why is it surprising that most citizens don't?

[Dookus]

31. Again

it's not surprising, just disappointing. As I said above, I would expect people self-selected for an interest in politics and government (i.e., the DU membership) would have a better understanding of the basics.

[Floogeldy]

32. Speaking of constitutional ignorance . . .

Here's one even most, if not all, judges seem to currently ignore: The Ninth Amendment

"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

The implications of this amendment would be great if anyone gave it the weight it probably deserves.

[Dookus]

33. yeah

that one seems to have gone by the wayside. I'm not sure how the courts have managed to effectively abolish it.

You would think Oregon's assisted suicide law or California's medical marijuana law would be protected by this amendment.

[tigereye]

36. well, maybe there should be more links and education

from those here who learned a bit more in high school or college. Or at least a bibliography... does the Demopedia have one?

I am always shocked when people don't know about the three branches of government and their functions. Or the names of their legislators. Or where their voting place is. Etc.


"Light a candle, don't curse the darkness." ;)

[Dookus]

37. that is a good point

alas, it's hard to force-feed the information to people. Most of the basic ideas can be understood by reading one general-knowledge book on the subject.

I'll check my library and see if one or two really stand out as exceptional.

[miss_kitty]

38. I'm sure though, with all the EXTRA-LEGAL shit the cheney bush junta

is doing AND getting away with makes it confusing for the already poorly educated masses.

I mean you have a bunch of fucking assholes in this country who think Bill Clinton getting a blow job from an adult woman then lying about it, is much much worse than the junta's crimes against humanity, war crimes and, as a matter of fact, think it's JUSTIFIABLE to remove the right of due process from certain individuals, to torture and to wage an illegal immoral war against civilians in an oil-rich country. To send our own sons and daughters (not theirs) to die and be maimed and damaged in this fight for the junta's interests, and not attend one funeral. To cover-up the dead by banning the 'free press' from publishing photos of caskets of soldiers.

And you have the 'free press' who marches in lock step with the junta, a bunch of talking heads who spew misinformation at every turn.

So I am not surprised people are stupid about the Bill of Rights, The Constitution or the Declaration of Independence, or what any of that shit means. Except the 2nd Amendment.

[Floogeldy]

39. Well said!

And don't forget lying about WMD.