WHY HAS THE US TREATED SMART AS STUPID; AND STUPID AS SMART FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS?

From time to time I have commented on research when it is not done well. It seems that I should not omit Polls in that category, as well. Poll statistics are out daily and we are not told,1) who was polled 2) Exactly what questions were asked; in what tone of voice 3) what dialogue preceded between the interviewer and interviewee before the question was asked and conclusion reached.

Today, US Opinion Polls quotes a Rasmussen Poll as saying that 39% of Americans believe that abortions (though legal) are too easy to obtain. That statement somewhat defies logic and other polls. For example, does 39% of our population try to get abortions? That would be very hard to believe since a large portion of our population are men, seniors, and underage to be able to get pregnant. It does make one subject to challenging what is in print, often.

Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed on the Hudson and saved the lives of everyone on board, even those passengers who were not cooperating with the requests for safety, shows the importance of being well-trained for your job. He not only was an experienced pilot but also a glider pilot and expert on safety, having served in NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board). How refreshing to know that we have professions who check qualifications for their employess. Why do we not have the Presidency as well prepared for that job? GW Bush was as ill-prepared for the Presidency as anyone I could have had nightmares about.

However, the country is finally beginning to value intelligence and job preparation once again. I sincerely hope that the days of CEOs who continue to get raises and extraordinary bonuses whether their company is solvent or not. Perhaps now, the dumbed down society we have come to value on TV, books and movies, will begin to value good work ethics, hard work, achievement, and intelligence as much as it has catered to the bottom feeders.

The term intelligence' got polluted' by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives who supposedly do 'intelligence' work) often portrayed as blundering morons; the Fundamentalists use of 'Intelligent Design', and people who take 'intelligence tests' and score low who are encouraged to tease the 'eggheads', 'nerds', 'geeks, and lots of other pejorative terms for people who can use their brains more easily and effectively than the lower half of average. Unfortunately Mother Nature is sometimes unkind when she creates Aspergers kids who grow up to be brilliant but socially insensitive, often. Intelligence is looked down at early in life when smart kids are called 'know-it-alls', smart alecks, The minority of students who get to be Rhodes Scholars, receive scholarships, even National Honor Society are not as honored as the sometimes uneducated, poor grammarian athletes or other entertainers, rappers, and metallica bands hands. That there are Chesley Sullenbergers in many professions and vocations should never be overlooked. We need to bring them to the attention of our youth so that their role models will change to more appropriate goals in life.