Repeal the Bill of Rights? Why Not, Say Random Passers-By

In Henry VI, William Shakespeare bestowed the following quote on the world, and it rings as true today as it did in that long-ago era: “Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.”

It is with that quote in mind that I invite you to watch the following video, produced by political prankster Mark Dice. In it, he trolls the shores of San Diego to ask random people if they believe President Obama is justified in repealing the Bill of Rights to head off the threat of an American ISIS attack. If you expect people to say, “What? He’s not doing that,” or maybe, “Outrageous! He’s better not,” then prepare for heartbreak:

While Dice likely picks and chooses which responses to feature in his videos for maximum effect, the fact that he could find any sentient adult to agree with his premise is a startling wakeup call. The people featured in the video not only seem to have no idea what’s going on in the world, they appear to have no clue what the Bill of Rights is in the first place. And you wonder why this country is in the shape it’s in!

Should we repeal the Bill of Rights to prevent an attack from ISIS? A selection of answers:

“Oh I don’t know, my husband would be the one to ask about that.”

“I’m not sure; I haven’t studied it enough to make an honest, educated comment about it.”

“Yeah, I would agree with that, yeah.”

“I would think so, especially with what’s happened overseas in the, uh, in Paris.”

“I think that would be best for the country.”

Just shocking. Some of it, of course, is explained by beachgoers wanting to appear intelligent in front of a camera; never underestimate a person’s need to agree with someone who seems to know what they’re talking about. But that’s not really a valid excuse. This isn’t Jimmy Kimmel walking around asking people about the nature of gluten. This is about the Bill of Rights! That’s not some obscure political concept only known to people who follow Washington as a hobby. At least, it shouldn’t be. They’re still teaching this stuff in school, right?

Last week, Arizona passed a law requiring students to pass a civics test to graduate from high school. How many of the mouth-breathers featured in this video would pass that test, I wonder? Do these people vote on election day? Are these people responsible for putting Obama in office?

These are the questions that haunt anyone who wants to see America once again rise to greatness. The United States is not an intangible concept. It is a collection of people. And when those people are ignorant of the most basic fundamentals of freedom, politicians are free to do just about anything they want.