On CBSNews.com today, there was an article about how many Americans can't locate obscure places that no one ever talks about like Louisiana and Iraq on a map. Having grown up putting together puzzles that were maps of the US I just couldn't understand this. I love maps. And not just of the US. I love maps of places I've been, like Ghana. Of places I'd like to go, like Israel. Of places that I'd like to go even though they don't exist, like The Shire or Rohan.
Here is another of the findings that I found interesting:
Six in 10 did not know the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world. Thirty percent thought the most heavily fortified border was between the United States and Mexico.
The border between the US and MEXICO?! Freaking A, people. Crimeny, we're so freaking full of ourselves.
Two-thirds didn't know that the earthquake that killed 70,000 people in October 2005 occurred in Pakistan.
But we sure as heck know that it costs $2.89 for a gallon of gas. And WHY do we get charged that much? There are many reasons, of course, but one of them is "BECAUSE WE WILL PAY IT." We will pay out the wazoo to fuel our SUVs and H2s. But if 70,000 people die in an earthquake, we get all pissed off because the special report interrupts American Idol or some crap like that.
Sorry to rant. But stupid people get on my nerves. It's a good thing that I'm the most brilliant person to ever live. :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
No need to apologize. Your complaint about the geographic illiteracy in this country is valid. But it's nothing new. I remember hearing similar complaints 20 years ago. I wish I knew of a simple remedy, but we live in an anti-intellectual culture that focuses more attention on the "beautiful people" and sound bites instead of knowledge. When people want to know where their jobs went, maybe then they'll make the effort to look up places like China and India on a map.
Post a Comment