So... Why are we celebrating the 4th of July again???

[Marc]

Pretty sad statement on society...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-Be9f7Ovgg

My sister recently sponsored an exchange student who ironically had the highest score in U.S. History for the class...  He said it was all basic review for him.

[wvmntnhick]

Sad!

[Dr Juice]

Sad!

X2 ... And that's an example of our voting population who will be at the polls in November. God help us!


All The Way!

[mgm1955]

Just pitiful.

[Jroddc]

Truly a shame

[BowBendr]

The younger crowd is more interested in Facebook and Twitter, and they'll believe anything they read....


Gods of Thunder
2015 Old Gobbler contest Champions

[fallhnt]

If you read it,it has to be true.

[Marc]

So...  I asked all of my staff (one of which is very sharp with a Master's degree in business), and all of my patients so far this morning...

Only one patient (who is joining the Navy with a college scholarship) knew what we celebrated yesterday...  None of my staff had a clue, and no other patients had any idea...  So far mostly younger patients (4th grade through early college), and one older patient (early 60's).

Granted all but one knew we were celebrating "Independence Day" but only one patient knew who we gained independence from or, and he was the only one who knew who and what the founding father's were all about...

Apparently, that youtube video was not off base, and a fairly decent indicator that we are destined to repeat our mistakes in history, as nobody knows or remembers our history...

[tomstopper]

Well that was just disgusting

[hookedspur]

Thank you !
I played this for my 9 year old Grand Daughter see watched it looked at me and ask
Papaw are they really that Stupid then see said oh I'm sorry I'm not allowed to say the S word.
I used it to tell her how important school and learning was.
We sat down and had a 5 min. Class on the questions he was asking..

[HFultzjr]

OH MY GOD!
Are we (they) in trouble or what?

[fallhnt]

Marc,I bet nobody knows the year and how long the war lasted then.

[HFultzjr]

Along the same subject, just ask someone (anyone) to get 6 out of 10 of these right.

US Citizenship Test:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/quiz/2015/feb/11/us-citizenship-test-could-you-pass/

My sister-in-law (Philippine), had to do this and much, much, more to get her Citizenship.
She knew more answers than most anyone I asked. Sure, it may have been fresh in her mind, but maybe we should all be required to take a refresher course.

Hopefully before we vote.

[SinGin]

A good start would be if everyone stopped calling it the 4th of July and start using the correct phrase being Independence Day.

[Marc]

A good start would be if everyone stopped calling it the 4th of July and start using the correct phrase being Independence Day.

Most people I spoke with today knew it was Independence Day...  They just had no idea as to independence from who or what...  Or why...

I talked to a lot of people today, cause the link in this thread made me curious...  After talking to my staff, and none of them knowing exactly what we were celebrating, I asked most of my English speaking patients as well as some people we ran into during lunch...

For the whole day, there were a grand total of two people who had any idea what occasion was being celebrated...  One was a physician, and he thought that July 4th marked the end of the Revolutionary war...  So close, but no cigar (although he was one of two who knew who we gained our independence from).

Admittedly I am far more ignorant that I should be, but I was truly dumbfounded by the lack of knowledge that I witnessed today...  I sincerely hope that it is a regional issue...  But I suspect not.

I personally believe that we should have to pass a test every year to vote...  Make sure we are informed about the issues, and have at least some minute idea of our government and how it works...