This Is Not Encouraging...

"According to a survey released this week by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, only 1 person in 4 knew that 60 votes are needed in the Senate to break a filibuster and only 1 in 3 knew that no Senate Republicans voted for the health care bill." --Charles M. Blow, "Lost In Translation," NY Times, 1-30-10

Is it just me or did we used to be smarter than this? I can't imagine that a citizenry this ignorant and disengaged ever built our country into a superpower. Nor can I imagine that our country will remain a superpower for much longer if we as a people don't remember the responsibilities of citizenship and the power of education.

There are many legitimate philosophical and political viewpoints regarding policy and the direction of our country. Being uninformed and ignorant while shouting down your opponents is not one of them. Sadly, so many of our debates on major policies have boiled down to which side has the catchiest sound bite.

Politics is a messy, ugly process to watch. It's also hard to stay informed while dealing with the realities of life. But while we have many rights as citizens, we also have civic duties. To vote. To be informed. To make our voices heard as part of the process. It's time we start taking those responsibilities seriously again.