D’oh!
Sadly, a new survey published in the Chicago Tribune conducted by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum showed that Americans know more about the Simpsons than they do the 1st Amendment.
*sigh*
Just for your own reference, the 1st Amendment reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
C’mon people! It’s not very long! And nowhere does it mention, “The right to own pets…”
I’ve considered this whole “learning about the constitution” thing. But . . .
Homer: How is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain. Remember when I took that home winemaking course, and I forgot how to drive?
I consider myself a reasonably educated citizen, but I will freely admit that if you stopped me on the street and asked me to list the 5 rights of the first amendment, there’s zero chance that I would remember “to petition the government for a redress of grievances”.
I’ll grant many people wouldn’t be able to spit back the right to redress grievances… but would you have said “the right to own pets”?!?
Perhaps many Americans have compensated for their lack of comprehension regarding the First Amendment by creating all sorts of meanings for the Second Amendment which the amendment itself does not contain.