What the public doesn’t know about the Constitution

By Holly Hollman
hhollman@decaturdaily.com · 340-2445

ATHENS — Betsy Ross will be in Athens on Tuesday morning to celebrate Constitution Week with elementary students.

Not sure who she is?

Join the "Not Civic Minded Club."

According to a National Constitution Center survey, 74.3 percent of teens said they know the name of the town where the animated television character Bart Simpson lives, which is Springfield.

Only 25.5 percent know where the writing of the U.S. Constitution took place.

(That answer is Philadelphia, by the way.)

The survey results did not surprise Huntsville attorney Bruce Gardner, who spoke about the death penalty during Athens State University's Constitution Day celebration Monday.

Gardner said school systems are focusing on math and science while ignoring civics.

"It's astounding to me, when I speak at high schools, the lack of depth of understanding of government functions and constitutional issues," he said.

Want to increase your civic knowledge?

Check out The Daily on Wednesday for stories about Betsy Ross' visit, Gardner's presentation, the teen survey and our own local survey to determine what the area knows about the U.S. Constitution.

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