# And learn your Country's History, God Dammit! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 3, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119 "2001-07-03T19:01:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119/41 "2001-07-04T15:15:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SpaceGhostofArrakis \* > \*\*Nearly one in four did not know who fought in the Civil War; 13 percent thought it was the United States and England. \*\* Well, both countries had civil wars, and the question didn’t specify… ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119/42 "2001-07-04T15:34:19Z")
I know ten times more about US history than Canadian history. In Canada I’m saturated by the answers to the questions in your OP. It seems odd that anyone actually living in the US could possibly not know. Just don’t ask me questions about the history of my own country. I would embarrass myself and my country. Too much Jeopardy, methinks. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119/43 "2001-07-04T15:45:23Z")
Maybe the question should ask who HASN’T fought a civil war? I wonder if that one has an answer. pan (Incidentally **blinkingduck** - I’m not sure why, but I feel that your anecdote would have had a little more force had you known the actual name of Kuwait.) ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119/44 "2001-07-05T01:32:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kabbes \* > \*\*Maybe the question should ask who HASN’T fought a civil war? I wonder if that one has an answer. > \*\* I’m pretty sure Canada hasn’t. You might get us on some technicalities before we became independant, but, sue me. And **lolagranola** , I agree. I think we were doomed from the start, since I learned about the American Revolution in my Canadian history class. Do they teach the Canadian implications of their history in the U.S.? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119/45 "2001-07-05T01:47:15Z")
Well, there were the [Riel Rebellions](http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=65275&tocid=0). Y’all just need to get Ken Burns to do a documentary. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119/46 "2001-07-05T04:18:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, there were the Riel Rebellions. True – and in a few more years there will be the Glorious Quebeqios Revolution. But I think it only affects billboards and adverts. ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119/47 "2001-07-05T05:30:31Z")
Every time I read a survey of youth, I remember the day that my high school filled out a survey about drug use. We got a very solemn lecture about how important it was to be truthful. I also recall someone yelling, “Do you think that they would believe that I’m an A student with a crack addiction?” Many Americans are bloody morons who do not know or care about there history, but I rather think there are more who have a sense of humor about knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119/48 "2001-07-05T07:04:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freyr \* > \*\*\*\*SpaceGhostofArrakis wrote: > > From FoxNews: > > U.S. Teens Struggle With History > Tuesday, July 03, 2001 > > The nationwide telephone survey of 1,020 youngsters ages 12 to 17 was conducted May 31 to June 5 and has a margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.\*\* > > Two points, first, can you provide a link for this new article? I’d like to see the original. Second, how was this survey conducted? Does the phone company keep records showing the age of their subscribers? Or did they call a random number and ask, “Do you have any children between the ages of 12-17? You do? Good, can I talk to them?” > > After thinking this over, I’m highly suspicious of this poll. \*\* I am a telepoller and we usually dial random numbers. People always get really mad and tell me to take me off my “list”. I dont have a list. And yes we would ask for children, because we are evil basically. Sometimes they make me ask for the youngest female in the household. i feel like a pervert asking that, but as long as they keep paying me a lousy 7 bucks an hour I’ll keep on doing it. Also a lot of people who take surveys are just plain stupid, the again a lot of people everywhere are just plain stupid too. You can’t blaim the anybody for it, they just are. I call hundreds of people a day and of those who actually talk to me, 75% I would say have to have an IQ lower than 80. Oh and just to let people know be nice to telepollers, somebody has to do it. I would never ever say “We don’t need any” to us, it is insulting to us for we are not telemarketers. We call from a slightly more benign level of hell. I personally hate telemarketers passionatly for making our job that much more annoying. And if you say this or are exceptionally rude we will put you on a callback list just to spite you. If you dont want to take a survey or any survey just say “No thanks please but me down as refused” or “I work for a market research firm”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-learn-your-countrys-history-god-dammit/71119.md?page=2)