Sunday, January 16, 2011
Elected officials flunk U.S. Constitution quiz
Select group clueless on basic questions over Electoral College, who declares war
Posted: January 14, 2011
9:05 pm Eastern
By Drew Zahn
© 2011 WorldNetDaily
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In a survey of thousands of Americans, one subset –electedofficials – proved particularly clueless on questions about the U.S. Constitution.
In fact, fewer than half could correctly answer such basic questions as "Who can declare war?" and "What are the threebranchesof government?"
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute reports it conducted thequizof over 2,500 adults, asking 33 basic civics questions, many taken from nationally recognized instruments like the U.S. Citizenship Exam, including 10 questions related to the U.S. Constitution.
Of the sample size, 164 identified themselves as having been successfullyelectedto government office – whether federal, state or local positions – but the subset performed even poorer than the national average on questions about the government.
Get a better education on the Constitution in the WND Constitution store than anywhere else!
For example, only 15 percent of officials answered correctly that the phrase "wall of separation" appears in Thomas Jefferson'sletters– not in the U.S. Constitution – and only 57 percent knew the purpose of the ElectoralCollege.
Twenty percent of the officials, reports Richard Brake in AOL News, thought that the ElectoralCollegewas a school for "training those aspiring for higher political office."
"The fact that ourelectedrepresentatives know even less about America's history and institutions than the typical citizen (who doesn't know much either) is troubling indeed," writes Brake, who is co-chairman of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute's National Civic Literacy Board, "but perhaps helps explain the lack of constitutional discipline often displayed by our political class at every level of our system.
"Given this dismal performance," he continues, "it would seem that last week's House reading of the Constitution shouldn't be described 'presumptuous and self-righteous' [as a New York Times editorial dubbed it], but as a necessary national tutorial for allelectedofficials."
Read more:Elected officials flunk U.S. Constitution quizhttp://www.wnd.com/?pageId=251081#ixzz1BEOrVPXi
Antipsychotic drug prescriptions triple in the US | Ecos & Becos
Doctors are prescribing too many expensive antipsychotic drugs, often for conditions where there is little evidence they work, say US researchers
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PRESCRIPTIONS for antipsychotic drugs have more than doubled in the US over the past 15 years, often given for conditions for which there is scant evidence they work.
Expensive antipsychotics were originally approved to treat schizophrenia. They are now also prescribed for conditions including anxiety disorders and dementia, even though the Food and Drug Administration has not approved these off-label uses. The side effects of such drugs can include diabetes, weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease.
Caleb Alexander at the University of Chicago and colleagues analysed the results of a survey of visits to doctors between 1995 and 2008. In the sample population, the prescriptions of antipsychotics went from 6.2 million in 1995 to 16.7 million in 2006 and fell to 14.3 million in 2008. Off-label prescriptions also doubled during this time (Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, DOI: 10.1002/pds.2082).
Was Martin Luther King, Jr. An "Anti-Government Extremist"?
Travinyle1
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| Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham jail |
It is a good thing the Patriot Act was not in place during the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks and Dr. King could have been arrested and detained without any legal representation and charged as terrorists. Its saddening to see the hypocrisy with most who celebrate Dr. King's activism compared to the activism of today. These same "leaders" now claim anyone who is upset at government injustices for any reason including the Federal Reserve, the police state, or illegal wars should simply calm down and quit being so hateful and polarizing. Today Americans of any race who speak out against being forced by government to enter into a private contract with a corporation for simply being born are called racists. Americans who stand for virtually any principle at all are considered potential domestic terrorists based on the MIAC report. Just this past December 131 people were arrested in front of The White House while peacefully protesting the war in Afghanistan. Police spent hours arresting demonstrators, taking photos of them before placing them in vans. This protest included several high profile individuals such as Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers, retired 27-year CIA analyst Ray McGovern, FBI whistle blower Colleen Rowley, and Pulitzer-winning former New York Times war correspondent Chris Hedges.A new assessment had been released stating the military would be in Afghanistan until at least 2014. Where were Dr. Kings most avid supporters including the leaders of a government which has a holiday for him during these protests? Just this past week a blogger who simply ask his representative a question on video was visited by the FBI. Is this the type of censorship of dissenting voices Dr. King would have hoped for in 2011.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who would call Dr. King a "terrorist" but under current legislation that's exactly what he would be. John McCain and Joe Lieberman have recently introduced a bill that would allow any person suspected of doing anything to even suggest harm against the United States to be held and imprisoned by the military. I don't think it is a stretch to assume Dr. King who opposed the war in Vietnam would be opposed to the current decade long occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Would he be in agreement with President Obama on expanding both wars, the bailout of Wall St, or signing the extension of the Patriot Act? I highly doubt Dr. King would approve of the attack on civil liberties in this country he fought so hard to protect. Would he have been one of the people arrested in December in front of the White House protesting the wars? Would he support the Army spying on protesters who want to end the private, for profit Federal Reserve Bank which posted earnings of 78 billion last year? These are questions I doubt you will hear on any mainstream news media outlet this week. What we will hear is a whitewashed version of authorized history where it was heroic to protest a long time ago. It is increasingly obvious it is acceptable to protest as long as their is an opposition within the people for controlled division. If the protest includes all races and political parties against an establishment like the Federal Reserve it is not acceptable. While many are familiar with Dr. King's legacy few are aware of his criticism of the Vietnam War which he made clear in a 1967 speech. On Martin Luther King Jr's birthday this Monday I will be focusing on his actions of civil disobedience and his message of freedom for all people.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"
Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968)
Boy, 9, has Disney World trip ruined after US immigration rules him a threat
Civil servants Kathy and Edward Francis planned to surprise their grandson Micah Strachan with the holiday of a lifetime to Florida in February.
They were only going to tell Micah about it when they took him to the airport on February 19 for the flight to the US.
They had already spent more than £1,500 on plane tickets and had been organising the trip for months.
But this week US Embassy officials denied the schoolboy a visa to enter the US.
They said there was a risk he would not leave the US at the end of his holiday and refused his application under Section 214 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.