The right to own a pet

You might have seen this being reported the other week...

Americans know more about Simpsons than about their basic rights and freedoms

McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum in Chicago is a new museum aimed at informing the American public about the Constitution. The museum did a survey of Americans' knowledge of their basic rights and freedoms and found that:

• 28 % were able to list two out of five basic freedoms in the First Amendment
• 69 % knew that freedom of speech is one of the five freedoms
• 24 % knew about freedom of religion
• 11 % were aware of freedom of the press
• 10 % were familiar with the freedom of assembly
• only 1 % knew about their right to appeal

This can be compared with the fact that 52 % could name at least two members of the Simpson family.

Another finding of the survey is that many Americans think they have constitutional rights that are not found in the Constitution:

• 1/5 thought the right to own a pet was part of the First Amendment
• As many believed the right to drive a car was in the same amendment (even though the car was invented a century after the establishment of the Constitution