Civil liberties

Kids will say the darndest things

The Knight Foundation (press release here) issued the results of a poll today regarding high school students and their views on civil liberties here. The two most scary results:

-Seventy-five percent erroneously think flag burning is illegal.

-More than a third think the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees. Nearly three-fourths of high school students either do not know how they feel about the First Amendment or admit they take it for granted. (emphasis added)

In order to graduate into the ninth grade, it should be a requirement to memorize the preamble to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights (at least). Oh but wait! We don't want our nation's youth to have an understanding of their basic rights as Americans. That would arm them with the knowledge that they're free to question their government. We can't have that. Constitution -- bah!