The American people have fallen down on the job. We complain about what we have and do not have and blame the politicians for everything and then…we re-elect them. 96% re-election rate. Why? Because we don’t do our homework. We are “too busy” watching American Idol and doing other forms of entertainment, sitting on our butts instead of holding our leaders accountable for their decisions. Most people can’t name their Representative or their 2 Senators, let alone how their congressmen voted on the last bill.
The reasons for this are probably innumerable, but I will point out two of them. Technological advances throughout history are often a result of the desire to make things easier. We want things to be easier because we tend toward laziness. I would rather sleep in than go to work. I would rather come home and play video games than go for a run and study some important topic. But great men and women have shaken off the bonds of sloth and aspired to something greater than comfort and rest. They are the ones who won WWI and WWII, founded the United States, and landed on a man on the moon (12 of them actually). They are also the ones who had the character to do what was right instead of what would get them ahead. In my opinion, a leader without character is no leader at all. In case you haven’t noticed, we have very few leaders in this country.
The second problem is one of mathematical definition. Intelligence Quotient, or IQ, is a measure of ones intelligence based on standardized tests. The mean score is 100 with >160 being considered genius, and below 70 being cognitively impaired. The scores of a population create a normal distribution, or bell curve, which shows that the majority of people fall within a certain range. By definition, the mean is 100. Psychologists and social workers will claim that the “average” is a range and the majority of people fall into that range. 
Regardless, the statistical mean is 100, and half the population falls below it, by definition. Point being, half the population is below average intelligence. You think your life is tough, imagine what it is like for stupid people! Ok, that was insensitive, but the truth hurts.
The intelligence thing leads me to believe that many people are less able to fully understand the issues at hand and make a reasonable conclusion. Studies have shown that people with a higher IQ tend to absorb more of the material being presented, although the relationship is only about 25%. Still, it gives the geniuses and advantage right from the start. Now if you do have a higher IQ and you distract yourself with garbage from the television every day, don’t exercise, don’t eat right, don’t sleep enough, etc. you have little capacity to learn what the hell is going on in the world. All you have is your 25% to get you by.
My plea to smart people: The stupid people need you. Get off your asses and learn something about the people who control how you live, how much in taxes you pay, and what type of future your children will have.
My plea to stupid people: You are not stupid. You have no excuse for not knowing things. You may have to work harder than others to get by and understand things, but you are more than capable of it. So do it.
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Raging Kitty