Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => Politics => Topic started by: Hawkmoon on February 26, 2015, 08:14:10 PM

Title: The USA is doomed
Post by: Hawkmoon on February 26, 2015, 08:14:10 PM
Apparently, schools aren't teaching even basic Civics any more.

There are a couple of separate threads running over on The Firing Line about the proposed ban on M855 ammo for the AR-15. A young member (he was 18 when he first showed up, I believe, so he's now probably 19 or maybe 20) posted that he wrote to both of his senators and "both" of his representatives.

 :facepalm:  [ar15]  :old:

I learned the makeup of Congress in seventh grade Social Studies class.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: Perd Hapley on February 26, 2015, 08:48:34 PM
I don't recall whether any states have only 2 Representatives. Maybe he's from a very lightly-populated state?
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: lupinus on February 26, 2015, 09:20:40 PM
Apparently, schools aren't teaching even basic Civics any more.

There are a couple of separate threads running over on The Firing Line about the proposed ban on M855 ammo for the AR-15. A young member (he was 18 when he first showed up, I believe, so he's now probably 19 or maybe 20) posted that he wrote to both of his senators and "both" of his representatives.

 :facepalm:  [ar15]  :old:

I learned the makeup of Congress in seventh grade Social Studies class.
They haven't, not in years. I went to school in NJ and learned only the very basics, 90% was learned from other sources. My wife is a couple years younger than I am and was schooled in SC , she has only the scantest idea how our government is supposed to work.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: Scout26 on February 26, 2015, 09:29:50 PM
I don't recall whether any states have only 2 Representatives. Maybe he's from a very lightly-populated state?

Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: never_retreat on February 26, 2015, 09:32:04 PM
Could be any of these states.
Hawaii    
Idaho
Maine
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: Hawkmoon on February 26, 2015, 09:37:48 PM
Doesn't matter if a state has one, two, ten or twenty representatives -- each of us only has ONE. Senators serve the entire state; representatives serve only their district, and you can't live in multiple districts. So his state may have two or more representatives, but HE only has one.

All of you get FAIL for today's lesson in Civics 101.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: Angel Eyes on February 26, 2015, 09:38:22 PM
I don't recall whether any states have only 2 Representatives. Maybe he's from a very lightly-populated state?

You only have one Representative, determined by which district you live in.


ETA: Hawkmoon beat me to it.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: Perd Hapley on February 26, 2015, 10:44:35 PM
Um, yeah, there's no way he was talking about both representatives from his state.  ;/
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: RoadKingLarry on February 27, 2015, 01:08:44 AM
An ignorant population is far easier to rule than an educated citizenry.


I saw that on the Internet so it must be true.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: vaskidmark on February 27, 2015, 08:41:40 AM
Have any of you considered that it is not a failure of the teahing of civics but rather a wonderful example of the changes that are taking place in grammar and syntax?

Used to be [bet you still don't see what I did there] there were some rules about words and how to string them together to create certain meanings, and how to differentiate between different meanings by the way and order words were used.  But lately it seems to be a sea change towards a free-for-all where the order of words has no significance as to what is modifying what.

I'm not advocating that we emulate the French and establish a Committee for the Purity of the Language.

stay safe.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: HankB on February 27, 2015, 10:32:28 AM
I think it's a failure in teaching civics.

Example: A friend's daughter was in middle school, and was being taught about the Constitution and the Bill or Rights.

The BoR material the teacher passed out called out the important Amendments, and explicitly stated that some didn't matter any more.

Guess which group the 2nd was in . . .

(Several parents had a . . . spirited . . . discussion with the teacher and principal.)
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: TommyGunn on February 27, 2015, 12:03:31 PM
Doesn't matter if a state has one, two, ten or twenty representatives -- each of us only has ONE. Senators serve the entire state; representatives serve only their district, and you can't live in multiple districts. So his state may have two or more representatives, but HE only has one.

All of you get FAIL for today's lesson in Civics 101.

↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑

WHAT HE SAID!

*SIGH!*



Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: Scout26 on February 27, 2015, 12:31:29 PM
My town is split between two Congressional Districts.  I'm in the 6th and the 14th is only 3 blocks to the west of me.  I write to BOTH Representatives, simply because unless they look (closely) at a map, I'm guessing that they (and their aides) think I'm a constituent.  Cheating/Honest?  Probably not, but I figure I'm letting "both" my Reps know where I stand on various issues.

 :old: :old: :old:

 :P :P :P
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: TechMan on February 27, 2015, 01:18:38 PM
My town is split between two Congressional Districts.  I'm in the 6th and the 14th is only 3 blocks to the west of me.  I write to BOTH Representatives, simply because unless they look (closely) at a map, I'm guessing that they (and their aides) think I'm a constituent.  Cheating/Honest?  Probably not, but I figure I'm letting "both" my Reps know where I stand on various issues.

 :old: :old: :old:

 :P :P :P

What if his house sits on a congressional border?  Then he could write both his reps.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: JN01 on February 27, 2015, 04:15:27 PM
They haven't, not in years. I went to school in NJ and learned only the very basics, 90% was learned from other sources. My wife is a couple years younger than I am and was schooled in SC , she has only the scantest idea how our government is supposed to work.

Just like the President and most of Congress.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: KD5NRH on February 27, 2015, 04:20:13 PM
My town is split between two Congressional Districts.  I'm in the 6th and the 14th is only 3 blocks to the west of me.  I write to BOTH Representatives, simply because unless they look (closely) at a map, I'm guessing that they (and their aides) think I'm a constituent.  Cheating/Honest?  Probably not, but I figure I'm letting "both" my Reps know where I stand on various issues.

Some college students I know also write to two; the one for their home address and the one for the college's location.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: Balog on February 27, 2015, 04:22:00 PM
On a long enough timeline the survival rate for everything drops to zero.
Title: Re: The USA is doomed
Post by: Firethorn on March 02, 2015, 06:30:32 PM
What if his house sits on a congressional border?  Then he could write both his reps.

I used to do that when I was in the military - write the representatives of the state where I was a citizen, as well as the representatives of the state I was stationed in.

My attitude is that it's very unlikely to hurt, and could help.