U.S. Students Unfamiliar with Constitution, Familiar with Ashlee Simpson

I know what you're saying. "Gee, Poll Pollution, isn't it just all the rage to bad mouth our nation's children?" Well sure it is. And you know why? Because it's darned fun! Heck, I'm not laughing at them - I'm laughing with them!

Okay, I'm laughing at them.

But can you blame me? No, you can't. Not when 36% of high school students think the press should get "government approval" before publishing stories. The press. That includes (I would hope) bloggers. Such as myself. And I have it on good word that there are some people higher up that would love to stifle me and my Ashlee Simpson ramblings. Enough, they say. You've taken the joke as far as it will go, they say.

Well, according to an extensive survey of high school students conducted by the University of Connecticut, this is exactly what many of our nations youngsters think should happen.

Some highlights:

32% think the press has "too much freedom".
75% believe flag burning is illegal (it is not).
73% either "didn't know how they felt" about the First Amendment or "take it for granted".

Think you can take it with a grain of salt? Not when the survey, commisioned by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, questioned over 100,000 students.

Scary? Maybe, or maybe it's not. Maybe I've had so much freedom lately to write that I''ve been thinking too much and find things like this scary. Maybe if someone took away that freedom I'd be less scared. Maybe I wouldn't mention Ashlee Simpson so much.

Nahhh.