Why I don't watch TV

(Or, why America voted for a hard-Left Chicago Commie)

So I was in the local convenience store getting various sundry items for the Ragin' Mrs., and they have their TV set to "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". I don't know if it was a re-run or the current show. There's a gentleman on the show who looks to be about my age, give or take a few years. He's up to 16,000 dollars. He's used up ALL his lifelines. And I'm thinking "OK, maybe the questions are just that hard."

Then he gets to the $32,000 question, and I might paraphrase a bit here, and pardon my commentary if it's a bit hard to read:

"War is hell" is a quotation (at this point I'm muttering 'Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, US Army, march to Atlanta, 1864) from a famous general (William T. Sherman!) in what American conflict?" (jaw hits floor at how blindingly easy this question is.)

And you know what? The guy couldn't answer the question. He was given the choices of WWI, WWII, Revolutionary War, or Civil War. He could. Not. Answer. The. Question. He walked away with his 16k and I was staring at the TV in disbelief.

Now here's where it gets worse - the girl working behind the counter, noticing me staring into blank space, helpfully chirps "Can I help you find anything?" I shake my head and reply that I can't believe the guy didn't know the answer to that simple question. The girl, who had not been watching the TV asks what the question was. I repeat the question to her, and she shrugs and says "Oh well, I don't know the answer either."

This is where Dave gets a little... um... foamy at the mouth, I think is the correct term. I'm not the most educated person in the world. I have a high school diploma, some college, lots of vocational training, and more job based schooling than I can shake a stick at. But I don't have a fancy college degree. And yet little 'ol average me knew the quote, who said it and when. That should be standard. That should be the bare minimum! This is American history, and Americans by and large DON'T HAVE A FUCKING CLUE ABOUT IT!

In any case, as I'm muttering "WILLIAM T. SHERMAN!" like a crazy homeless guy as I wander the shelves, the poor cashier girl having retreated into the back due to me looking all foamy at the mouth and all, the older gent behind the counter gives me a sympathetic look and says "I guess some people didn't pay attention in school."

I hate to tell him - I don't think that's the problem. And this now brings me to the linking section of this post. That's not an uber-post from Keven Baker, but it's one that needs to be read and spread. You want to know why so many people keep voting to put the gun into their mouths and pull the trigger? Because they have never been taught critical thinking. They've been indoctrinated, not educated. I had a conversation with a guy at my gun club last October, before the election, and he announced that he was a proud gun owner for Obama.

Me: "You do know he's anti gun, right?"
Him: "Oh, Obama's not going to take away our guns!"
Me: "You do know his record on guns, right?"
Him: "Look, Obama's not going to take away our guns!"
Me: "And with the Democrats in control of Congress, many of whom are VERY anti-gun, what's going to stop him from signing another gun ban?"
Him: "Obama won't take our guns!"
Me: "How do you know that? What facts, events or evidence lead you to that conclusion, when EVERY OTHER SIGN points to Obama pushing for more gun control?"
Him: "You're a conservative, aren't you?"

The more I deal with people, the more I believe that Drumwaster (among others) is right, and there will be a second revolution in my lifetime.