Civics Test

I’ve done way more than my share of ranting and raving about guvmint bureaucracy over the last few decades—particularly during the last few months—but now have been somewhat humbled. Question: How many of you have taken the trouble to speak to a civic club in the past year? Have you been to a high school classroom lately to explain the benefits of the free market system? Have you studied up and spoken to any group at all about the role of aviation and your particular branch of aviation lately? I have ranted and raved a lot more than I have educated and taught in the last few years. There was a time when I was called “Mr. Free Market†by members of the Chamber of Commerce, but that was years ago. But the main source of my behumblement—if that’s a word—was an e-mail I got last week from “Robin,†whose last name shall remain a secret, inviting me to take a test on civics. Civics—how long since you’ve taken a test on that subject? I took the test, and did pretty well on it, but not as well as I thought I would do. Can anyone who states his opinion as often and as loudly as I possibly justify making less than a perfect score on a civics test? I wonder. However, this test has been taken by many citizens and many elected guvmint officials. Can you guess—boys and girls—which group scored highest of the two? Surprise, surprise—the citizens scored higher than the elected officials. Go to the site shown at the bottom of this column. Take the test yourself. After you get your score, go to the last page to compare your score with both groups. I have already made one New Year’s resolution. In the first quarter of 2009 I will speak to at least one classroom and one civic club about the free market and aviation and/or civics and aviation. And I will study up a bit on civics, even though I did make an “A†on that test. http://americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx We’d love to post your comments. Please click the comment tab at the top.