Sunday, October 24, 2004

Where Ignorance is Bliss...

...'tis folly to be wise. So goes the old saying. During my forty-six years I have learned, to my dismay, that relatively few know the whole quote.
Thanks to Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe an even worse fear of mine has been realized, an electorate that doesn't have a grasp of what is going on. I am not talking about not knowing first names of Mrs. Bush and Kerry either. According to the research cited in the column, at least 58% of the public knows little or nothing about the Patriot Act. Sixty-five percent is unaware that congress voted to ban partial-birth abortions.
Sadly, this isn't new, as Jacoby further states that in 1964, 62% thought the USSR was a member of NATO. In 1970 76% couldn't identify the Secretary of State.
It doesn't matter if you support Bush, Kerry, Nader or Alfred E. Neuman. Our vote is both a right and a duty, but if you are planning to vote, and don't have a clue as to what the fat is going, please stay home!

No comments: