Are most americans simply too stupid to fully understand their constitutional rights?

Question

ex. the question about why the aclu isn't outraged at muslims praying in school.

Don't you people understand that YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to pray in school as long as it's not disrupting the class or other students.

But you MANY NOT lead the class in prayer. OR attempt to mandate public prayer.

Are people simply too stupid to comprehend these simple facts?

Answer 1

Actually, I think that most people simply haven't read the document, or if they have, they don't understand the context it was created in.

Answer 2

I'm an Atheist so the question is really moot but I have told Christians that all the King's horses and all the King's men would play heII stopping me from praying anywhere I wanted to. My bet is they couldn't even detect it.

I must say though, some of the Muslim things I have heard and read about are so close to having prayers led in school that it scares me. One school has a staff member that takes the Muslim children out of class for prayers and she leads the prayer. All the while the rest of the class goes on with studies. And all this is done on your and my tax dollar. That amounts to a state sponsorship of a particular religion. The ACLU would be all over that if it were Christians leaving class and being led in prayer by a staff member.

The same thing has happened with gays. Gay wear some pride t-shirt and its OK but if a Christian or an Atheist wears a shirt with an anti-gay slogan it is not. In fact expulsion has resulted in four cases of which I have personal knowledge. Like religious freedom, freedom of speech goes both ways, or neither way.

To a large degree it seems many aspects of these issues are a bit one sided. IMO anyone who can't see that is not looking. They are probably a product of a school system that spent all it's time teaching them what to think and never teaching them how to think.

If you can't see a difference you are a well indoctrinated liberal and you have no grounds to call anyone stupid.

Answer 3

No, most people don't understand the Constitution. Thank you for being an exception and stating the point well.

When I was studying for the bar exam, I sat with my family and some friends -- most of whom have college degrees -- at a gathering. Between the 8 people there, they could not even name all of the first 10 Amendments, let alone what each one granted in terms of substantive rights. And that included two police officers and a historian in the group.

Answer 4

The Constitution? We stopped using that document long, long ago. I would say it really happened with the 16th Amendment (income taxes) which allowed the fed gov't to become a huge beast which the framers of our Consitution NEVER wanted.

The 10th Amendent is dead as well. The feds have taken over.

10th "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

The states have to beg, plead, roll over hoping to receive federal funds for various things (roads, schools, police, etc.). Those are funds which were paid by the taxpayers who live in those states in the first place!

Answer 5

Its not that Americans are to stupid its just most would rather know who the next American Idol, or Survivor winner is than know what their 6th or 8th amendment rights are. In this day and age most Americans are to materialistic to truly care or be thankful for the rights the Constitution gives them.

Secondly how do you determine what your Constitutional rights truly are. I may and most likely due think each amendment means something different than somebody else. To see this in action look no further than the 1st two. Right to free speech and bear arms. People in San Francisco have a totally different view on the 2nd Amendment than somebody who lives in Montana

Answer 6

I think that most people Have no idea what is in the constitution except for freedom of speech, the right to have guns, and pleading the 5th. The rest they leave up to others to interpret it. Others will put a "spin" on what they want people to believe even though it may be in direct opposition to the meaning of the article. Too many people rely on others to tell them what to think, and how to vote.

Answer 7

These people (who are on the religious right, or they wouldn't be harping on this) do not care about Constitutional rights as such. Example: recently one of these characters (in Slidell, LA) referred to their (fundamentalist Christians) "rights" being violalated because a court ordered them to remove a picture of Jesus from the courthouse.

They conceive of the US as a "Christian nation"--and thus that any "Christian" religious practice as protected by law, but not others.

I know--that is not what the framers intended, it is not what the Constitution says, and there is zero case/constitutional law to support it. Tht makes no difference to them. They are not stupid. They are firmly indoctrinated into a religious/political ideology that has a concept of law and society fundamentally different from what the other 90% of Americans think and believe--and which has no tolerance for difference.

Most of these people are simply ordinary people who are misinformed aand manipulated by a smal core who can best be described as "radical fundamentalists" esentially no different than the "Islamic fundamentalists"--except for the label. Their goal is openly stated-to restructure the United States as a religiouus fundamentalist state.

Answer 8

Most people don't care about their constitutional rights. They are more concerned with the antics of Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and those other immature celebrities.

Answer 9

It's not that people are too stupid. People usually interpret things in terms of what they are taught and told. There are a lot of people out there who rely on sources such as ministries and the like to get their news. It's not necessarily the most accurate source.

Answer 10

Could you tell me what part of the constitution addresses praying in school? I'd like to read it.