Independence Day Forgotten? I Think Not!

Recently, you may have heard two very disturbing reports about our nation’s founding and how it is remembered. The first report was from the polling arm of Marist University.

Just to warn you, it is a poll from a university, but since it regards the education of Americans, perhaps it holds water. This study found that only a slim majority of Americans know why and from whom America gained it independence. When asked in what year America acquired its independence, only 58% of Americans surveyed answered with 1776. Marist noted an age discrepancy with this answer as well. Only 31% of adults under the age of 30 were able to answer this question correctly. Adults between the ages of 30 and 44 were 59% correct and adults above 45 were 75% correct.

Slightly more people surveyed knew who our founders revolted from, however, the results were better for older Americans than those under the age of 30. 74% knew that the American Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain.

What was that famous quote by one of Great Britain’s greatest prime ministers Winston Churchill? Oh yes ’twas:

Show me a young Conservative and I’ll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I’ll show you someone with no brains.

While I am a young conservative, I know that I am more charitable than most people my age when it comes to charity and caring for my fellow man. But I strongly believe in the latter part of Churchill’s statement. You may decide what I’m getting at with this one. 🙂

I could go further as Marist University has in showing that men scored disproportionately better than women, but in the effort to show my moral high ground, I won’t go into this.

So while many Americans (who probably watch ABC‘s Wipeout or Supernanny) seem to know everything in pop culture from Charlie Sheen‘s latest rants to Ron Artest‘s name change, they seem to have lost the knowledge of the reason why this free country exists in the first place.

There is some good news, however, if you are patriotic and believe in the great history of our nation’s founding. ***WARNING*** Liberals may find this next segment offensive.

Once again another Ivory Tower university has conducted a study of their own. Harvard University‘s study found that generally speaking if you care so much for American liberty that you celebrate it on every 4th of July, chances are you either vote Republican or are a conservative. The study found that if you attend a 4th of July parade before the age of 18, your likely hood of becoming a Republican increases by 2%. That is rather small, but the study goes further. Other age groups of people that regularly attend these parades are 4% more likely to vote for a Republican. Voter turnout increases about 1% as a result with a 3% increase in the likelihood of the voter donating to a political campaign. David Yanagizawa-Drott who conducted the study said:

Surprisingly, the estimates show that the impact on political preferences is permanent, with no evidence of the effects depreciating as individuals become older.

So what can be understood by these two interesting studies? Well in the first one, generally, older Americans knew that 1776 was the year of America’s founding and that we fought against the British. In the second study, it seems that the more patriotic one is, the more likely they are to be Republicans. Putting them together, it appears that if you are a more mature, freedom-loving American, you are likely to be a conservative who knows more about our founding history than other political groups.

So to all you freedom-loving, apple-pie-eating, baseball-watching, parade-going great Americans, I wish you and your families a wonderful 4th of July as we ponder the great nation that was given to us by founders ahead of their time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! 

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