Test for Citizenship

I recently read a story about a Chinese man who (had previously been) denied U.S. citizenship because he was unable to name the 13 original colonies or the human rights listed in the First Amendment (“A Determined New Citizen Takes the Oath,” June 20).

I was shocked because I couldn’t name them either. Forty years old, a college graduate, born and raised a card-carrying resident of the U.S.A., I wondered if my citizenship should be revoked because such basic knowledge had slipped into atrophy over the years.

Embarrassed, I went to the library and asked the librarian for help. She said, “Oh, I read that story too. Don’t feel bad, I couldn’t name them either.” Together we scanned the reference shelves and found a copy of the U.S. Citizenship test. I was amazed at how little I know about how our government works.

U.S. students are notorious for geographic ignorance, but how about testing adults on their knowledge of government? How many know their rights? What is the “Supreme Law of the Land”? How exactly do the Congress, the presidency and the Supreme Court work?

These are not game-show quiz questions. These are the fundamental building blocks of our country. We talk about rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure of our cities. How about the crumbling infrastructure of our government? How can we blame the system when we don’t know how the system works?

DEDRA TROTTER

Fountain Valley