Could You Pass This Test?

Last year over 875,000 people legally became US citizens; bringing the total to over 7.7 million people who have become a citizen of this great country, in the last decade, by following the law and the process required by the government.  I for one welcome these newly minted Americans.  It can be an arduous task which requires commitment and patience, and they are to be commended for their desire to join this democracy.

I got interested in the process to become a citizen last week while reading a story about the passion people feel for our country when they decide to become an American.  Within the article there was a mention of a civics test that must be taken and passed for an applicant to receive approval.  I had heard of this test before, but admittedly never looked in detail at what it entailed.   So, I did a little recon; this is what I learned, the US Immigration Service has developed 100 questions about our history and government that represent a pool of questions, from which, an applicant will be asked to answer in a face-to-face meeting with a US Citizen and Immigration Services Officer.  During the interview, the prospective candidate will be asked ten questions taken from the pool of 100 questions.  They must get 6 of the 10 correct to pass the test (basically they must get a generously graded D on the exam).  The 100 questions aren’t a surprise (they are posted online so they aren’t coming from out of left field)—unlike the obscure driver’s license test that can befuddle you with confusing gotcha questions that seem written by some overjealous pencil pusher seeking to cause anxiety.  Sorry, I digress.

The questions on the immigration exam are not super difficult, but they do require studying and memorization.  This isn’t a layup quiz, but the challenge shouldn’t be a deterrent; and given the desire applicants have to be an American, it doesn’t stand in the way of the majority (more than 92% pass the exam the first time they take it).   

I wonder, as I read the questions, how many Americans would get 6 out of 10 questions right?  I am afraid too many would fail.  It feels like we fail to teach our youth civics; it doesn’t seem to be a priority and too many people seem to not care.  I recall seeing random interviews on the street conducted by Jay Leno during his late-night show; Jay asked basic questions about the US of passersby and the answers he received were astonishing.  Granted, some of this was Hollywood fluff, but a lot of it reflected how little our fellow citizens know about our country.  Ever ask a friend a simple question about our government, a politician, or our history and get a response that is off base?  Try it out, stupid answers are never far away.  To make matters worse, many people get much of their knowledge from the internet; I know this will come as a surprise, but the internet is not the best source to learn facts and the truth.      

As you consider the lack of education many citizens have about core questions, it is only fair to ask if our elected officials could pass the test.  Even though I have very little respect for most elected politicians I would wager that the overwhelming majority could easily pass the test; I am an optimist.  But there are a few that would struggle mightily.

Marjorie Taylor Greene comes to mind.  For a moment, allow yourself to forget what party she represents and just think of her as a member of congress who took an oath to our constitution.  I know for some of you this is hard, but seriously, try.  Now to the point, I can’t tell if most of her crazy statements are an act, or if she is really that dumb.  I don’t know.  What I do know is, if I could bet on her ability to get six or more questions correct, I would take the under.  To demonstrate my confidence in her struggling on the test, I offer this, last week she posted a 4th of July tweet, designed to present facts about the Declaration of Independence; so far so good, I am supportive of sharing interesting insights about such an important document.  Ah but there was a problem, as a demonstration of the impact young people had on that defining document and day, she listed eight people who she pointed out signed the Declaration of Independence; problem is, six of the eight she listed didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence.   I don’t know, maybe we should ignore that?

Another politician I would bet to fail would be Tommy Tuberville, or as he likes to still say, “Coach”.  He has been labeled by many in the Washington establishment as the dumbest guy in the Senate; this has not been a moniker that he has received just from Democrats, his colleagues have not shied away from wondering what is going on in his head.  I won’t talk about his politics, because that’s not the point.  The point is, he is one of one hundred Senators who hold a level of responsibility to serve this country; it is a special privilege.  Unlike Marjorie, I don’t think he occasionally puts on an act.  When he was a football coach, he wasn’t too bright.  I somehow doubt Washington has made him smarter.  Wonder why I would bet against him passing the test?  He famously couldn’t name the three branches of government (that is one of the easiest questions on the immigration exam).  He said the three branches are the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Executive Branch.  As my grandmother would say, “bless his heart.”

It has always been the case that people don’t like anyone in congress other than their own representative.  In this case however, I wonder about the good people of northwest Georgia.  Is Marjorie the best they have?  The short answer is no.  I lived in Rome, Georgia.  There are good people and smart people all over the place.  The people in that region believe in our country and many could recite portions of the Declaration of Independence, if asked.  What I am saying is you can’t let a representative from a place influence how you think about that area.  But you can ask why is she the person who they chose?

I don’t think it is good to have our representatives be sourced from only the best schools and the highest levels of elite educational institutions.  We need people to serve, who understand real people and their problems.  We also need them to be sharp.  You can be brilliant and not have attended an Ivy League school; it’s what we would call, country common sense.  Country common sense would be bright enough and care enough to know about the history of our country and the structure of our government.  Those people are out there.  We need to find them.  Otherwise, we get the opposite of country smart; we get what my dad used to say, “dumb as a post.”