I listen to talk radio, while I'm at work.  It keeps my mind off the boring stuff I do, and obviously makes the day go by a lot faster.

In the morning, I listen to Neal Boortz, on his flagship station of WSB in Atlanta.  Neal's my boy, not just because he's a libertarian, but because his political views truly are centrist.  As I've said before, if you were to poll every American on a wide assortment of social topics, and they were to honestly answer those questions, I believe 60% of all Americans would fall under the "Libertarian" category.  Unfortunately, the mass media refuses to allow a third party to join the Commucrats and Demopublicans, as they abuse America in their little political chess game they are locked into.

Anyway, Neal's ranting over this "How Patriotic Are You?" quiz, that the Asheville Citizen-Times published recently.  Here it is...
 

1.  What is the date that the Declaration of Independence was signed?

2.  What document is the legal framework of the United States?

3.  Who wrote the words to the "Star Spangled Banner?"

4.  What is the Pledge of Allegiance?

5.  Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?

As you can see...these are pretty "sterile" questions, and that is the premise of his musings.  These shallow, meaningless questions neither test a person's patriotism, nor do they even test a true grasp of one's fundamental knowledge of the history of this country.

So, Neal busts out his own quiz.  I am so incredibly impressed by this, I feel compelled to reproduce some of it here.

1. Forget when the Declaration of Independence was signed.  Instead, explain why it was signed.  What were the signers trying to accomplish?

2. What happened to the men who signed the Declaration of Independence?  Did they go on to be heroes, and live happily ever after?

3. Which articles of the Constitution grant specific powers to the federal government?

4. Which article of the Constitution restricts the powers of the government to only those specifically set forth in the Constitution?

5. Which article of the Constitution do you imagine is most often ignored by the Congress of the United States?

6. Describe the circumstances under which Francis Scott Key wrote the words to "The Star Spangled Banner."

7. Do you believe people living in a free society ought to be compelled to recite a pledge of allegiance to that country?  Why?

8. If you are required to recite a pledge of allegiance, are you really free?

9. Was the Revolutionary War supported by a majority of the colonists?

10. Should General Washington have developed an "exit strategy" before he led his troops into battle, during the Revolutionary War?

11. Where in our Constitution, is it stated, that anyone has a right to vote for the office of the president of the United States?

12. Explain the difference between a "rule of law," and a "rule of man."

13. Explain the difference between a democracy and a republic.

14. Was our country founded as a country of majority rule?

15. Aren't you glad the majority doesn't rule?

16. If two wolves and one sheep vote on what they're going to have for dinner, what do you think the menu will look like?

17. Isn't a "governor" something you put on a state, to keep it from moving ahead too fast?

18. How many times can the word "democracy" be found in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution?

19. How many times can the word "democracy" be found in the constitutions of any of the fifty states?

20. Define "civil war."

21. Was the war between the Northern & Southern states in the mid-1800's a "civil war?"

22. Define a system of government where the means of production are owned and controlled privately.

23. Define a system of government where the means of production are owned privately, but controlled by the government.

24. Define a system of government where the means of production are owned and controlled by the government.

25. Why do liberals have such a tough time answering question #23?

26. Does the First Amendment protect speech that some people might find offensive?

27. Do you have the right to use force to take money from a stranger, if you're going to give that money to someone else, in need?

28. Do you have a choice as to whether or not you pay Social Security taxes?

29. Why, then, do they call Social Security taxes "contributions?"

30. Should the government make something that you might do a crime, if that action doesn't violate another person's right to life, liberty, or property through force or fraud?
    
    Kinda makes you think.  Doesn't it?