I've got a "funny" story for y'all:

[PCIntern]

On 9/11 I was working in my dental office when we received a phone call from the husband of one of my staff who was a police officer, that we needed to turn on the tv. What ensued we all shared in one way or another.

The next day, my assistant, who was a real South Philly lady, kind but kind of dopey, asked me in all sincerity, “I keep hearing about this Pearl Harbor. What was so important about this Pearl Harbor?” I explained, while holding my breath, what was so important about Pearl Harbor and the other staff overheard the exchange and began to ridicule her so badly that she actually quit a few days later.

I was really angry at those who persecuted her and had a meeting to warn them never ever to do that again or risk being let go. They actually protested and said essentially that anyone that “stupid” should not be working at the level which was expected as a dental assistant in a high-powered reconstructive office. I asserted that that wasn’t the case, but kind of understood their point, although never agreeing publicly.

Now you have a United States President who, by some accounts, needed to have Pearl Harbor’s significance explained to him in his first term. This is the C in C. God help us all.

P.S. this poor lady, after she left my employ, survived a murder attempt by her husband who, at a club, met two women whom he tried to inveigle to kill his wife. Thank God they just called the police and he was arrested for attempted murder.

Do you know, and I was beyond horrified, that one of my employees, upon hearing this story said, and I’ll never forget it, “I can see why he did that.” And thought she was being funny. I was beside myself. I never looked at her the same way again.

You can’t make this shit up.

[biophile]

1. We are confronted every day with people who are clueless

About religion, history, science, how the government works, any and all subjects. I’m astounded by how ignorant most Americans are of what I would consider general knowledge.
Some didn’t pay attention in school, some had bad schools, some just never have the capacity for comprehension. But the United Stares seems to be unique in the level of ignorance. I guess it’s a combination of all the above along with the disdain many have for education and educated citizens.

[GiqueCee]

2. Staggering ignorance...

... has been held in high regard here for centuries. Even when I was a kid, especially in rural southwestern Massachusetts in the fifties and early sixties, I heard the parents of some school mates express openly their disdain for "book learnin'". Someone here on DU has a tag line that is a quote from Isaac Asimov on that very subject.