Less Than Half of Young Folks Know What Roe v. Wade is About

The environment? The death penalty?

A new poll finds that most Americans under 30 don't know what the landmark Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court case was actually about.

The Washington Post informs us of the data from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life showing that the crowd referred to as "Millennials" are unaware of the most superficial details of the 1973 ruling that rendered abortion legal nationwide. Only 44% of them knew that the decision involved abortion. An additional 41% thought it had something to do with either the environment or the death penalty, presumably because those are likewise go-to issues people of all ages see as hotly contested. One can only speculate what the remaining 15% offered up.

The lack of awareness of the under-30s on the facts of Roe vs. Wade comes in contrast to the majority of their fellow Americans: 62% of the US population at large knew the case related to abortion.

Via The Washington Post.

Do these poll results disturb you?

[stepped_in_it]

What can be said. Within 15 years that generation won't even know how to spell dumb or know the meaning of the word....sad...so sad.

[jessejaymes]

Yeah but they know how to bully on facebook and utube.

[marine1]

Do you ever wonder if all of this crap is by intent just to keep the country in turmoil?

[Rocker]

I told one of mine once that he sounded like he was recorded @ 33 and played @ 45. Then I had to explain it to him. Remind you of anything????

[jessejaymes]

@marine1 I can only imagine the fall of the roman empire. with technology.

[marine1]

@Rocker good=====times life was easier

[jessejaymes]

These young people have grown up in a country where abortion rights is settled law to everyone but bout 20% of America. It's no surprise that the non political youth of America don't know about Roe v Wade. Nor do they need to. It's settled law. Now let's cut those surgical abortions in half in the next five years. Advocate for the morning after pill.

[Synthesis]

We kind of learn about this in school, landmark cases such as those are drilled into those taking AP Government.

[jessejaymes]

@Synthesis And that's exactly where it belongs. In government classes. Or ancient history classes. Ya know I don't like surgical abortions as birth control. Regardless of whether it is a human or not it is a living organism with some formation, a heartbeat and a pulse. I'm not in favor overturning Roe V. Wade but the morning after pill removes a speck of tissue invisible to the human eye with no formation, no heartbeat/pulse. To me that's highly preferable.

[Synthesis]

@jessejaymes These cases are important to know! With your logic we don't need history because it happened in the past! We go back to Dred Scott and Marbury vs Madison! The point I'm making has nothing to do with at portion or the morning after pill, but about the value of knowing these things.

[jessejaymes]

@Synthesis Well maybe. I'm 66 and nothing I learned in govt class turned out to be of value. Not much of my poly sci degree turned out to be of value. Govt is corrupt and for every "landmark decision" you can pretty much figure out who was in the majority on the Supreme court at the time. If it's important to you then I say good. I just it's time we worry about the present since we never seem to learn from the past.

[marine1]

@jessejaymes We all have agendas in life, the big misunderstanding is,--------Mine should always have priority.-----:}

[DomesticG]

Disturbing...but not surprising...

[Grubby]

Proof again that the young people who are a part of Obama's cult have no idea about any real issues involving the future of the country. It is just "the thing" to support the first black president who everybody else is talking about.

[DARSB]

You'll have to help me out here. How does Roe v Wade constitute a " real issue involving the future?"

[jessejaymes]

gonna have to call point of order here. Obama is mixed race. He is not black.

[PoliticalSpice]

Right, every person who doesn't know what roe v wade is about is clearly part of obamas cult. Do you beleive the stupidity you write?

[Grubby]

@DARSB They are not informed of Roe v Wade, nor any other real issues. That is the point.

[DomesticG]

The general apathy and misinformation of America's youth towards current events and recent history, as well as their lack of knowledge regarding landmark historical points is NOT an "Obama cult" problem. I mean, I don't like him at ALL, but he doesn't get credit for this screw-up

[thejimbo]

"Most Americans_____ don't know_____". You could fill in the blanks of that statement or a variation of that statement thousands of different ways. And sad to say, it would all be true.

[PoliticalSpice]

Kinda a like this:

Most Americans -- who go on Politix to complain obama violates the constitution -- don't know -- what the constitution says.

[marine1]

@PoliticalSpice the constatution is simple to read and on face value, not that hard to understand. The problems comes into play with the perceived intent ,by agenda minded individuals

[PoliticalSpice]

@marine1 I know this, but you will not beleive how many people on this very site have told me something is or is not in the constitution, and when I asked them to tell mE where it said that would ignored the question, and continue to insist i was wrong, and when i told them to read it would not bother, and continue to insist i was wrong and when i would then go so far as to cite to them the article and section, or amendment proving my point would not explain how there position compared with the constitution even then, but would still insist i was wrong...

[AndBegin]

as a male in my mid 30's, i would be surprised if most poeple knew any details from roe v wade. It is a topic that wasnt taught in school, to us at least. we didnt have a r v. w day in health. I would only hope that the majority know it is about abortion, but i wouldnt really be surprised. its like showing your 15 year old a beta-max.

[DARSB]

Let's take another poll. How many Politix members can give details of Marbury v Madison? Or Lawrence v Texas? Loving v Virginia? Brown v Board of Education?

[PoliticalSpice]

Judicial reveiw; Criminal sanctions for homosexual acts unconstitutional; unconstitutional to criminalize Unmarried couples co-; segragation by race in public schools illegal.

I know I got three right, how did I do on loving v virginia?

[PoliticalSpice]

@PoliticalSpice should read unconstitutional to criminalize co- habitation by unmarried couple

[Denizen_Kate]

Without looking them up? Not sure about Marbury v Madison but I think it was a long time ago and had something to do with executive vs judicial something or other. Lawrence v Texas was the case that struck down sodomy laws. Loving v Virginia had to do with interracial marriage. Brown v Board of Education was about desegretating public schools. How'd I do?

[DARSB]

@Denizen_Kate Tolerably well. ;) Marbury v Madison was the seminal 19th case before the Supreme Court that set the Court's power to determine the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress. It led inevitably to both Roe v Wade and Gore v Bush.

Well, can't win 'em all. ;)

[DARSB]

@PoliticalSpice Loving was about miscegenation, a despicable notion that was used to justify laws against inter-racial marriages. It has parallels with the marriage equality struggle today.

[Concerned_Cit]

Abortion is a non-issue, merely a distraction to keep people excited about corrupt politics. People will always get abortions no matter what laws there are, and the one usually getting them are the ones that should have them instead of bringing more parasites into this already overcrowded world.

[MadAmerican]

They can't add, they can't spell and half of them cannot print ledgibly. No child left behind ensures more dumbasses in the world.

[mimi57]

True...but they sure have the DRAMA thing down...I get so tired of drama. Please!

[MadAmerican]

@mimi57 Oh yes-they mimic TV tooth and nail too.

[mimi57]

@MadAmerican But, of course,' bang, bang kill em all in seconds', Hollywood actors want no part at all for the influences they make on impressionable teens
or the mentally ill. They want zero responsibility, and yet they are the first and loudest
ranting for gun control. I rarely go to the movies anymore, I can not stand Hollywood.

[Denizen_Kate]

Spell check for you: legibly.(Kidding! Couldn't resist!:)

[cpeter133]

@mimi57 As the saying goes, "Where are the parents?" Actors don't have to remain quiet any more than you do. It's the parents' job to give their kids perspective and the tools to make sound decisions, no one else's. The problem is that most parents don't do that; many actively discourage their kids learning anything that isn't job-oriented. Any parent who says their kid doesn't need to know something because "they won't use it later" should be tased. The end-goal of education is not to know the state capitals but to stimulate thinking through problems and a desire to know things like RvW, which fuels social issues.

[jamie91]

This makes me so sad for my generation. Worse that I am not surprised.

[Synthesis]

We learned about all the landmark SCOTUS decisions, it's taught in school so I'm puzzled.

[Dan_Tien]

I s Roe v. Wade included in the current educational program for public schools? Do "Pro-Life" activists want it to be? How many people who were born in the last 40 years could tell an interviewer about the Nuremberg Trials, Tennessee vs. John Scopes, or even the My Lai Courts-Martial?

[CharlieRosencr]

I was born within the last forty, and I can tell you about all of these. They taught me at puclic school. Unfortunately, most people, despite their generation can talk about all three of these things.

[CharlieRosencr]

@CharlieRosencr

*can't talk

[Dan_Tien]

@CharlieRosencr All it takes to learn about them is an interest in history, for which not every student has a taste. I wonder just how much damage interest in the liberal arts (including history) has been inflicted by people who use the word "liberal" like a curse word, coupled with the emphasis on training programs that let you "get in, get out and get ahead" without wasting your time on subjects that used to be considered essential parts of a solid education.

[CharlieRosencr]

@Dan_Tien
I don't know. That's an interesting speculation. Unfortunately, there is a huge stigma on the word "liberal," when at one point in time, an education in "liberal" arts was not only valued, but expected. People used to go through school with a curriculum that not only required math, but also philosophy, humanities and a foreign language.

I do think that the regulations based on test scores inhibit our youth from discovering and fostering a genuine interest in history, discourse, post modern genealogy and other cultures.

[bsking]

Less than half of them know what the Revolutionary War was about.
More than half know nothing of what the Civil War with about

and the biggest problem is they know all about the Kardashians

[CharlieRosencr]

Do you know what the Revolutionary War and the Civil War were about?

[Brychan]

@CharlieRosencr The revolutionary was about 8 years and the Civil War was about 4 years. :-)

[whataGOVwehave]

I blame rap music and facebook.

[ShaunaO]

This is just sad

[Bobolinsky]

Why am I not surprised?

[BelinKS]

I'm not surprised. The abortion forums and the ignorance shown by the youn women and girls is proof enough for me. They love to tout their rights to have abortions, but know nothing else.

[stephen]

what else there not learning in substandard school systems.

[Vance1]

Young Folks, care more about facebook/twitter than about their own country.

[hwyangel]

Someone has to parent the child....