Could you become a citizen?

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28 June 2006

I’m proud of myself: I got a 90% on this sample immigration test.

It frightens me that most people don’t do well. I have the vague notion that the decline of civil liberties in this country is directly related to the decline of teaching civics in school. Somehow, this post is reminding me of that, and of yesterday’s post.

Maybe we should just lock up anyone who can’t pass this test – that would fix all the problems! (grin)

Comments
  1. Matt says:

    95%!

    “Form N-200 “Petition for Naturalization” is not correct.” Doh! Now how would I know that?!

    It also frightens me that others don’t do well on this sort of thing, but when all is said and done all these questions amount to is mere trivia. Isn’t being an American something else entirely? Something more? Wouldn’t anyone with a textbook and a few hours to study pass this test?

    I’m somewhat torn on the whole immigration issue. On one hand, porous borders are dangerous. And, illegals are a huge drain on public resources like our already strained healthcare system (who pays the bill for uninsured hospital visits?). Also, is it really right to be here when you have no intention of becoming a citizen?

    On the other hand, isn’t it man’s common dream to be free – to make his life better than his father’s and give his sons that same chance?

    As to your point about civil rights – I have to disagree. Human rights extend across all humanity, but civil rights – those granted in the Constitution – technically do not extend to illegals. And I’d argue that the erosion of civil liberties has more to do with government corruption, special interest groups, and voter apathy than what gets taught (indoctrinated?) in school. But that’s just me.

  2. Nathan Arthur says:

    The questions are trivia. I’m horribly bad at trivia, and yet I know these. I also generally don’t care when people are dumb, but I have a deep-seated sense of stress about our country and where it is headed. Two oddities about me, and I have a sense that they’re linked.

    That link is at the root of my belief that there’s a connection between civil liberties and the teaching of civics. I think that votor apathy, government corruption, and the success of special interest groups are all tied to students not learning about those things as they grow up. It’s one place where I wish we did more educational brainwashing :)

    As for the immigration issue, see my next post :)

  3. Matt says:

    Quick comment – you said:

    “I also generally don’t care when people are dumb, but I have a deep-seated sense of stress about our country and where it is headed”

    This seems to imply that intelligence is related to where this country is headed. There is some correlation of course, however I think that it is important to realize that drastic differences of opinions transcend intellegence.

    I’ve been (slowly) reading David Mccullough’s biography of John Adams and it’s amazing to see how some of the greatest “American” minds of the time gathered together in Philidelphia to utterly battle each other over whether or not to war or reconcile with England – the ultimate issue about where this country is headed. Even with the smartest people in one place, or perhaps especially, they could not agree on most anything. And, what’s more, Thomas Jefferson (widely thought of to be one of the most learned scholars of the time) wouldn’t even bother himself to show up in Philidelphia until late Spring.

    What’s my point? Where this country is headed is a combination of many factors, but education might not be as influential on that as you think.

  4. Nathan Arthur says:

    drastic differences of opinions transcend intellegence

    Ok, yes, I’m suggesting that we’re going where we’re going because people are dumb. The statement is too strong, in two ways. First, it’s really just the “giving away our civil liberties” arena that I think is dumb. Other topics I’m happy to be unconcerned about. Second, I didn’t make it clear that I think “dumb” and “stupid” are two different things. I see “stupid” as the opposite of “intelligent.” “Dumb” is the opposite of “well thought out.”

    Even with the smartest people in one place, or perhaps especially, they could not agree on most anything.

    I’m not suggesting that “smart” implies “clear choices.” I am suggesting that people aren’t putting energy into caring about our country, and I think that would be heavily influenced by more focus on civics in school. Your description of the meeting in Philidelphia is the perfect example – those people all cared about where the country was going, enough to spend lots of their time and energy on sorting it out.

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