Civics Test
I’ve done way more than my share of ranting and raving about guvmint bureaucracy over the last few decades—particularly during the last few months—but now have been somewhat humbled.
Question: How many of you have taken the trouble to speak to a civic club in the past year? Have you been to a high school classroom lately to explain the benefits of the free market system? Have you studied up and spoken to any group at all about the role of aviation and your particular branch of aviation lately?
I have ranted and raved a lot more than I have educated and taught in the last few years. There was a time when I was called “Mr. Free Market” by members of the Chamber of Commerce, but that was years ago.
But the main source of my behumblement—if that’s a word—was an e-mail I got last week from “Robin,” whose last name shall remain a secret, inviting me to take a test on civics. Civics—how long since you’ve taken a test on that subject?
I took the test, and did pretty well on it, but not as well as I thought I would do.
Can anyone who states his opinion as often and as loudly as I possibly justify making less than a perfect score on a civics test? I wonder.
However, this test has been taken by many citizens and many elected guvmint officials. Can you guess—boys and girls—which group scored highest of the two? Surprise, surprise—the citizens scored higher than the elected officials.
Go to the site shown at the bottom of this column. Take the test yourself. After you get your score, go to the last page to compare your score with both groups.
I have already made one New Year’s resolution. In the first quarter of 2009 I will speak to at least one classroom and one civic club about the free market and aviation and/or civics and aviation.
And I will study up a bit on civics, even though I did make an “A” on that test.
http://americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx
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Sarah-
Thanks so much for your kind and generous words. You made my day!
Ralph Hood
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Sarah
http://www.thetreadmillguide.com
George–
I, too had a father who was a history buff. On road trips we kids went to great extremes to keep him from noticing any of those historic markers on the side of the road, lest he explain the site from memory.
Thanks to him, I still remember VJ Day at the end of WW II, though I was only 4 at the time. He took us downtown to see the elated crowds celebrating in the streets.
And yes, public schools were much better back then.
Thanks,
Ralph Hood
Ralph,
Scored a 90.91% on the quiz. I attribute two reason for the good score (although it should have a 100%) #1. My Dad was a WWII veteran and a history buff ( he was also a part of Naval Aviation History). He passed that own to his four boys. #2) Public schools in Louisiana during the 60’s and 70’s was still a pretty good place to get an education, Am. History and Civics were required courses and the Teachers by and large cared. Also, the maxim that you get out of education what you put into still holds true. Thanks for link, it was fun and I enjoy your writings.
Mike–
Thanks for writing. Before wrapping yourself in sack cloth and ashes, remember that is a good score. Hope you compared your score with with the averages–including elected official–on the last page.
For readers, my old friend Mike is head honcho of Aviation South, St. Simons Island, GA, and serves on the airport authority.
Ralph Hood
Ralph
Ralph–
I made 89%, missed a couple that I should have gotten.
Technically, the Lincoln-Douglas debate was not about expanding slavery into the frontier. In my opinion, it was about whether or not the new states should be admitted as slave states, which to me was more of a moral issue. I read too much into the questions.
Mike Pickett