Okay, so how many 1st Amendment rights can YOU name? (hint: there are five) Give it a try before you read the articles! Craig Gingold A full report on the survey results is available at the Freedom Museum website -- http://www.FreedomMuseum.us The First Amendment Center -- http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CHICAGO TRIBUNE Study: Americans know Bart better than 1st Amendment By Gerry Doyle Tribune staff reporter February 28, 2006, 9:52 PM CST A survey released Wednesday showcases a bit of data that should surprise nobody: Americans know more about "The Simpsons" than they do about the 1st Amendment. The study, conducted by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, focuses on the 1st Amendment and found that less than one percent of the respondents could identify the five protected rights: freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly and to petition the government. On the other hand, about 20 percent of respondents could name Bart and Homer and the other three members of the animated Simpson family. The random telephone survey of 1,000 U.S. adults was conducted by the marketing research firm Synovate Jan. 20-22. The survey has a margin of error of 3 percentage points. "There was a depth of ... confusion that we weren't expecting," said Dave Anderson, executive director of the museum that will open April 11 at 445 N. Michigan Ave. "I think people take their freedoms for granted. Bottom line." The constitutional confusion extended beyond what is written in the 1st Amendment. Many respondents also had interesting ideas about items the framers did not include. The right to own pets, for example, which 21 percent of respondents said was listed someplace between "Congress shall make no law" and "redress of grievances." Seventeen percent said that the amendment contained the right to drive a car. And 38 percent thought that "taking the 5th Amendment" was part of the 1st. The problem, Anderson said, is that most people don't see any point in memorizing the 1st Amendment. And, of course, interpreting a historical document isn't as much fun as laughing at a TV show, he added. The survey "isn't surprising, because it's rational to be ignorant of these things," said Northwestern University law professor John McGinnis, a constitutional law expert. "You don't get much for knowing the particulars." In other words, constitutional scholarship has less of a practical payoff than knowing how a car engine works, he said. He suggested a new reality TV program as a way to stir popular interest in the Constitution. Call it "The Supremes." "I'm in favor of ... more publicity for the (U.S.) Supreme Court," he said, explaining that its cases should be televised. Columbia University law professor Michael Dorf said the results weren't shocking. "I wouldn't give people a very hard time for not knowing that freedom of religion is protected by the 1st Amendment," Dorf said. Which isn't to say that there aren't any drawbacks to widespread ignorance, Dorf said. If people ignore their rights, those rights might disappear, he said. "The Constitution is just a piece of paper," he said. "What makes it work is a public commitment to living under it. And that requires some minimal understanding of what it entails." Anderson hopes that the museum, which lets visitors explore and discuss 1st Amendment issues through its exhibits, will send people home with a greater understanding and curiosity about the Constitution. The museum will also launch an interactive Web site and distribute curricula for middle schools and high schools. The museum is run by the McCormick Tribune Foundation, an independent non-profit organization separate from Tribune Co. with substantial holdings in Tribune Co. stock. In an interview on Michigan Avenue Wednesday afternoon, Kyle Lambert, 26, who said his favorite "Simpsons" character is Homer, struggled to list the five rights of the 1st Amendment. That bothered him, he said. "It seems like Americans have a pretty limited view of their world," he said. The 1st Amendment is "definitely important. It deals with what we want to do every day." Law professor Dorf said he could easily name all the Simpsons, and that Lisa, a studious vegetarian, is his favorite. "It's obvious what should happen here," Dorf said. The Constitution "should be featured in an episode of 'The Simpsons.'" @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Study Shows More People Know 'The Simpsons' Than First Amendment Rights By Anna Johnson, Associated Press March 1, 2006 - 6:40 AM CST CHICAGO -- In a contest between Americans' knowledge of "The Simpsons" and what they know about the First Amendment -- Bart and Homer win hands down. About 1 in 4 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 of Americans can name at least two members of the fictional 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 1 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 that while 69 percent of people could name freedom of speech as a First Amendment right, just under one out of four people could name freedom of religion. Only 11 percent knew freedom of the press, one in ten could name freedom of assembly and 1 percent named freedom to petition for redress of grievances, the survey found. The survey found more people could name the three "American Idol" judges than First Amendment rights and were more likely to remember popular advertising slogans. It also found 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 -- commonly known as "Taking the Fifth" -- was a First Amendment right, the survey found. The telephone survey of 1,000 random adults was conducted Jan. 20-22 by the research firm Synovate and had an error margin of 3 percentage points. Gene Policinski, executive director of the Nashville, Tenn.-based First Amendment Center ( http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org ) said the results were disconcerting but not surprising. "It's disappointing that Americans continue to be ignorant of First Amendment freedoms but even more disappointing is that that these freedoms are more and more in the news," Policinski said, citing the protests at soldiers' funerals and the controversial Prophet Muhammad cartoons, which have sparked outrage and violence around the Islamic world after newspapers published them. Madeira said he hopes the museum will help inform people of their rights and why they are important. "We always knew there was a need for this type of museum, but when we put our understanding up against some of the icons of popular culture, we really knew that there was a need," he said. The museum, which is funded by the McCormick Tribune Foundation, is to open April 11 and will be at the Tribune Tower, the home of the Chicago Tribune in downtown Chicago. The foundation was established in 1955 as a charitable trust in honor of longtime Chicago Tribune editor and publisher, Col. Robert R. McCormick. BY THE NUMBERS A recent survey shows more Americans can identify fictional television characters from "The Simpsons" than their First Amendment rights. Some of the survey's findings include: * Percentage of people who could name these First Amendment rights 69% -- Freedom of speech 24% -- Freedom of religion 11% -- Freedom of the press 10% -- Freedom of assembly 1% -- Freedom to petition for redress of grievances * Percentage of people who could name characters from "The Simpsons" 61% -- Bart 51% - Homer 43% -- Marge 34% -- Lisa 29% -- Maggie 22% -- Could name all five 34% -- Didn't know any Source: McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum ==================================================== New Pacifica Working Group http://www.egroups.com/group/NewPacifica 'Save Our Stations!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewPacifica/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: NewPacifica-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/