Justice David Souter On Civic Ignorance: 'That Is How Democracy Dies'

[BlueStateLib]

But the reason I said I think it is the most significant problem that we’ve got is that I think some of the aspects of current American government that people on both sides find frustrating are in part a function of the inability of people to understand how government can and should function.

It is a product of civic ignorance.

What I worry about is a remark that Benjamin Franklin made and Susan Leahy quoted Jefferson at the beginning about how “an ignorant people can never remain a free people."

Democracy cannot survive too much ignorance.
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/10/justice-david-souter-civic-ignorance-how|

[shenmue]

1. I have a huge crush on Souter

[AuntPatsy]

2. Quite a few enemy advances are set in place, which hole will allow them through...

[Cryptoad]

3. This is main reason we get ,,,,,

a DeVos as Sec of EDU.........

[kimbutgar]

4. The only voting laws that need to be passed is you can only vote is you take a basic civics test

Only 10 questions and you need to pass at least 70% to vote.

So many American do not know their basic civics. Like I bet chump could not pass the test even now.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. As interesting as that sounds

that was the type of thing that was used against African Americans to keep us from voting.

IMHO such a test should be required for anyone running for governmental office however.

[kimbutgar]

6. People who become US citizens have to take a citizenship test

And most people I have met who are naturalized know more about our government than native born. I understand about how they denied voting rights to blacks but they gave ridiculous questions. I think it should be basic multiple choice. What are the three branches of government. When was the constitution ratified, who was the first president? Easy stuff you learned in 5th grade. It would definitely weed out a lot of the goober types who have no idea how the government works. And chump would not be our president today.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. That is because this info was taught in the U.S. schools

and obviously not foreign schools (although oddly enough, I expect many European countries know more about American citizenship than Americans but that's another story). In any case, it's called "Civics".

Again doing something like this only leads to the crap like reciting the preamble to the Alabama Constitution or correctly reporting the number of jellybeans in a jar. These were the types of things that kept blacks from voting and lead to the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1964. People were beat, maimed, and killed trying to get us the right to vote and we are STILL being denied to this day.

This is from the movie "Selma" -

I know what you are trying to say but this is not the country it can be done in due to the system of white supremacy/racism that is institutionalized. Remember whites will rarely or never have the types of inconveniences imposed on them that POC have had in this country when it comes to vote, so it would never happen except against POC.

[kimbutgar]

9. Great movie

You changed my mind on the civics test thing with your well reasoned comment. Thank you

[BumRushDaShow]

10. It was a sad movie

I watched it (finally) over the holidays. It was painful to look at but it least it provided some context to events that I had learned about over the years (through family and in the schools) that happened when I was 3 years old.

My mother was a staunch - "I will never set foot in the south but will fly over it" person, although we did eventually go to a cousin's wedding in Atlanta and did get to visit Ebenezer Baptist church (which was being renovated at the time) and go into the MLK Center.

[kimbutgar]

11. I was in Atlanta in 1995 and went to the church and the MLK jr museum

I grew up in California and going there and seeing the exhibits were informative for me as I never saw such overt outright racism. Living in California you see the subtle but not obvious bigotry.. That said, I agree with your Mother, no way would I ever set foot in the south again. I even passed up a trip to Arizona earlier this month with my hubby to watch super bowl with his brother in law who is a chump supporter. I didn't feel I could keep my mouth shut in a racists house.

[Hortensis]

8. In spite of right-wing attempts to subvert education,

this election has to be focusing attention on the critical need for civics education, in schools of course, but we may just be seeing more on TV and as bits and subthemes in movies also. (Most tucked in around far more interesting andentertaining big themes of government corruption and incompetence, of course.)