I mentioned Cheney..she said "Who?"

[youthere]

Went down to the gas station to get a soda. Nice little gal behind the counter. The daughter of one of my friends. So I'm chit chatting with her and the subject of the gas prices comes up and I make a snarky comment about "Bush and the prince of darkness Dick Cheney" and she says to me "Who is that?"
I say "The vice president"
and she says "Of the United States?"
I say "Yes".
She has this blank look on her face. Searching...searching. She shakes her head "Never heard of him."
Did I mention she just graduated and has started her first year of college?
I don't know if I should cry or scream.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. scream, then cry, then

dig out that 1/2 pint of Ben and Jerry's in the back of the freezer.

:hug:

[Towlie]

2. Does she vote?

[youthere]

4. I asked her if she was registered and she isn't.

[Raine]

17. Thank God

at least she is not taking her ignorance to the polls and voting. x(

[Speck Tater]

3. Perhaps America has the government it deserves. (nt)

[upi402]

14. spot on. n/t

[Mind_your_head]

5. Well, you could start "edjamacating" her a little.....

... perhaps her mom/dad too?

She's only 18-19, but she's still got a long voting/citizenship life ahead of her (hopefully). Start "turning her on" to how what goes on in politics/government directly affects her and her life.

Good luck. :hi:

[OwnedByFerrets]

6. I am not the least bit surprised.......

this is much more prevalent than we suspect.

[Temporary1]

7. America is very politically ignorant

I'd say most people know who Bush and Cheney are but know little about the true nature of their policies.

[NMMNG]

8. Well, she did just spend the last several years under

"No child left behind". :eyes:

[Warren DeMontague]

9. As her if she knows the name of Tom and Katie's baby.

Then blame the media.

[Raine]

18. but still

if she knows that then she probably got it off the TV and one would think that in passing she might have heard the name Cheney. :silly: When Cheney shot that guy in the face even shows like ET had something about that!

[Jed Dilligan]

10. My cousin

graduated high school with a B average in the 80s, and didn't know we'd ever been at war with Japan.

Ignorance is the first luxury we should be thinking about giving up.

[bobbieinok]

12. didn't W early on talk about 100 years of friendship between US + Japan?

[Art_from_Ark]

23. His exact words

"It begins here because for a century and a half** now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times..."

Straight from the horse's web site

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020218-2.html

[Catherine Vincent]

11. She's one of millions that doesn't vote.

Millions don't care who gets elected. Sad.

[Frustratedlady]

13. I know quite a few adults who are professionals, but

refuse to watch the news, because the situation is so bad and so complicated, they have just thrown up their hands in disgust. In fact, I asked an electrical engineer what he thought of Karl Rove. He'd never heard of him. It's not that they are ignorant of world affairs, the corruption and incompetence has turned them totally off.

[upi402]

15. there is no news to watch!

:shrug:

[marions ghost]

24. Right--lots of people are allergic....not ignorant

these are the ones I run up against. Not the 'blissfully ignorant' but the self-blinded ostriches. Many are well-educated professionals. But they believe they have no way to influence the government and it's not their job anyway. It's easier to go through life not caring. It's easier to concentrate on your own little microcosm. There's also a fear driving this among the very competitive--the unspoken idea that you need to grab what's yours before someone else gets it. "Community" thinking is passe. We are edging closer to Lord of the Flies.

In some ways you can't blame people for just wanting to live, instead of trying to change things that are very difficult to change. We shouldn't have to be "saving democracy" in America, when you think about it. Not if the system were really working. It is a daunting task. But a passive attitude on the public's part is just FINE with the powers that be. I don't know how you get through to these people that what happens in Washington affects them directly, if the frightening Boosh era hasn't done it.

[donsu]

37. poor people too refuse to watch or listen to any news, I've witnessed

this first hand.

that's why I say americans won't revolt unless beer & cigs. become scarce or priced out of their league or cable gets too expensive for them to watch.

[Towlie]

16. Cheney? Kerry? Whatever!

A Friend: "I don't care all that much for Bush, but I really couldn't stand that guy he was running with."

Me: "You mean Cheney?"

Friend: "Yeah, Cheney. I figured Bush would be better than that guy!"

Me: "Oh, you mean the guy Bush was running against."

Friend: "Right. I figure Bush is doing a better job than Cheney would have."

Me: "His name is Kerry."

Friend: "Yeah, whatever."

[sakabatou]

19. NCLB always works!

:D

:sarcasm:

[ecstatic]

20. In a way, I envy her blissful ignorance

I can't help but think I'd be happier if I knew little or nothing about what is going on in our government right now.

[malaise]

21. On the other hand

I spoke with one of my nephews yesterday. He's 18 and says he's voting for the first time on Election Day.

[youthere]

31. Good on him!

Boy I hope your nephew is the rule and this girl is the exception. I really really do.

[cigsandcoffee]

22. How is that not covered in four years of high school?

Good Lord.

[Vinca]

27. Apparently civics is one of the classes more commonly axed.

Funny how they always have money for football, though.

[zanne]

25. Nobody is that ignorant.

Even if you try to avoid having any knowledge of current events, you just can't get by without at least hearing a newscast, or a part of it, now and again. She was playing dumb. Had to be.

[youthere]

30. Well if it was, it was pretty convincing...

I've known this girl for awhile (through her parents). No one would ever mistake her for the brightest bulb in the lamp, but I can't imagine any individual graduating high school without knowing who the current leaders of their country are. She's always been one of those "Omigawd!" kind of teenagers but this..this is just..wow.

[in_cog_ni_to]

26. OMG. She isn't old enough to vote, is she?

Please say no? :(

[youthere]

28. Yep..she's old enough allright.

are ya' skeered yet?

[stop the bleeding]

29. IMO - this would be a good opportunity

to educate her and possibly get her to vote in the next election

[youthere]

33. I'm on it.

:toast:

[Lurking Dem]

32. Is our children learning?

[youthere]

34. apparently..

they isn't.

[Fleshdancer]

35. Please tell me you're joking

:wow:

In situations like this, it's best not to choose between crying or screaming...just do both. :banghead:

[youthere]

36. I wish I were...

to her credit, she did know that George Bush was president...but she didn't know his father was-she though George W. led us into the first gulf war, as well as Iraq.